When 17 year-old reality T.V star, Kylie Jenner, admitted to getting fillers in her lips, many fans online expressed shock and even anger.
Jenner is one of thousands of teenagers who are undergoing cosmetic procedures.
Dr. Julie Khanna, Board Certified Plastic Surgeon at the Institute of Cosmetic and Laser Surgery, has seen an increased number of youth plastic surgery cases, “I think we are seeing younger and younger people coming for procedures. One, I think they’re more educated, they know what their options are and they’re the ones often bringing their parents in.”
According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, the most common procedures among teens are rhinoplasty, breast augmentation, male breast reduction, ear surgery and dermabrasion.
Registered Psychologist, Dr. Kathleen Dindoff believes teenagers seek cosmetic surgery as a way to deal with their self-esteem and other emotional issues.
Dr. Dindoff says, “Fitting in during teen years is very important to people.” Dr. Dindoff describes that physical repairs do not repair psychological repairs right away; she recommends counselling to go along with plastic surgery or cosmetic procedures.
Dr. Khanna explains, “Young people have so much available resources, in terms of figuring out when something bothers them with their appearance and finding a solution for it.”
If it’s a medical problem or a potential medical problem, provincial healthcare like OHIP will cover plastic surgery for youth. If it’s merely for appearance, Dr. Khanna says experienced doctors will advise patients that procedures are not covered financially.
The Kylie Jenner Lip Challenge went viral last year on the Internet. Young people were plumping their lips with shot glasses to imitate the reality T.V. star. Many teenagers were severely injured from this challenge.
Dr. Khanna says that cheek fillers, lip injections and buttox fat injections are trending right now and that the Kardashians and Jenners have a great influence on people. She always tells her patients, it’s best to go with a natural look; just as fashion trends change, so do aesthetic trends.
Dr. Kathleen Dindoff recommends, “Doing some work on yourself; self-acceptance and self-esteem is very healthy” before going through with any plastic surgery.
Dr. Khanna claims that plastic surgery is a big decision at any age, whether the patient is 15 or 50 years old.
