Key Takeaways
- Today's children face greater image pressure than any previous generation due to social media and online bullying.
- Plastic surgery for children can be a medically appropriate solution for congenital conditions, prominent ears, or skin lesions.
- Parents should speak openly with their children first to understand the nature and extent of the challenges they face.
- Many pediatric plastic surgery procedures are relatively minor with reasonable costs and short recovery times.
- Plastic surgery in this context is not vanity-driven but can meaningfully improve a child's quality of life and confidence.
Many of us have had the experience of being bullied in school — whether it was for our name, our clothing, or our appearance. While it’s a simple fix for your kid to get a wardrobe update, taking care of prominent ears or any other common physical conditions can be much more of a challenge. However, more and more parents are considering plastic surgery for their kids as a way to make their lives a little bit easier in these formative years.
The millennial generation
One reason options in cosmetic surgery are becoming more commonplace is that kids today have more pressure put on their appearance than any previous generation. With cameras in every mobile phone, and selfies becoming a daily ritual, kids are seeing more images of themselves and of their peers. As a result, they have become more image-conscious than ever before. In addition, bullying has taken on a whole different dimension online, where kids can face ridicule from their classmates even when not at school.
Talk to your kids
If you suspect there may be a problem, speak with your children and find out what kinds of challenges they are facing in school. Nine times out of ten, it will be run of the mill problems that can be solved with less drastic means. However, if you find that your child is being singled out for congenital problems, or pigmented skin lesions, or prominent ears, for example, plastic surgery may be the correct solution.
Get in touch with your plastic surgeon
If you suspect your problem can be solved with plastic surgery, get in touch with your local plastic surgeon to find out what treatment options are available. Many procedures are relatively minor within the medical world and can be completed at reasonable cost and with a quick recovery time. Your doctor will be able to give you all the relevant information.
Many parents feel a sense of guilt over choosing plastic surgery for their children; but the important thing to remember is that plastic surgery is not a vanity-driven medical procedure in this context. It can be used to correct a variety of physical conditions that would otherwise make life much more difficult for kids of any age, and may serve to alleviate the stigmatizing effects of peer ridicule
