Cosmetic Surgery: A Quick Fix?

What was once a surgery performed primarily to restore, is now used to enhance a person’s face and body. Cosmetic surgery, which is said to have been “used more than 4,000 years ago to treat facial injuries” (Fresh Faces) is now considered a common activity among any kind of person. This surgery first gained popularity in the 1910’s after World War I, among soldiers with shattered war faces in need of repair. Later, it became a popular trend among women, who were mostly from high-class society, and then in the 1990’s the industry expanded to include men, and even more recently has been including teenagers as young as the age of 15. (Friedman, Fresh Faces) The fact that teenagers have begun to have these surgeries has brought concerns and questions to many more individuals about the effects that the availability of these procedures is having on today’s youth.

The truth is that this is a booming industry, and it was only expected that the teen population would soon be a part of it. In the year 2000 alone there were a recorded 306,384 cosmetic procedures performed on those 18 and under, 65,231 of those procedures required surgery. (ASPS) Then in 2004, “there were 240,682 [cosmetic] procedures…representing 2.0% of the total” cosmetic procedures performed (ASPS Press).

The teen’s inspiration for going through with these surgeries is considered to be the media which they have come to depend on for advice and insight. They have come to aspire to not only act like the people in the limelight, but to look like them too. And with shows like Extreme Makeover or The Swan, and celebs like Heidi Montag and Carmen Electra, kids are made to believe that cosmetic surgery is always simple and gratifying. Unfortunately, the media se...

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