Teens and Cosmetic Surgery
So, does it bother me that this year’s so-called back-to-school trend for young people is cosmetic surgery? (As proclaimed recently by People Magazine.) Absolutely—but not because of the idea that our kids are having superfluous aesthetic medical enhancements—because it’s a lie and a prime example of irresponsible journalism, if you can even call it that.
So Kylie Jenner admitted to getting lip fillers. So what? She’s 17 and a Jenner. It’s not really so shocking, is it? And is it the beginning of the end for our teens? Hardly.
Here are the real facts:
* There are nearly 42 million teenagers in the United States. According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) 63,538 (less than 2%) had a cosmetic surgical procedure and 160,541 (less than 4%) had a minimally invasive procedure in 2014.
* Of the minimally invasive procedures performed, 6,582 (less than 1%) of patients between 13 and 19 years of age received soft tissue fillers (like Kylie) last year.