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| The Plastic Trend By: Stephanie Jelenic-Deb It's no secret that society helps form the concept of body image in teenage girls. Television, magazines, and advertising often idealize the human form into Malibu Barbie. For teenage girls, appearance is often an emotional and important issue. Aside from the pressures of society,let's face it, some teenage girls can be cruel, and the slightest imperfection can result in teasing and torment for all of the high school years. The peer pressure teens face can be very strong and difficult to deal with, especially when it has to do with appearance. The quick fix to these problems seems to be plastic surgery. People can get addicted and overdo plastic surgery. Look at people like Janice Dickinson and Dolly Parton; did they really need all of that? The number of teens who choose to get plastic surgery is on the rise. According to The American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS), over 333,000 people 18 years and younger had plastic surgery in 2005, up from about 306,000 in 2000. ASPS reports a difference in the reasons teens give for having plastic surgery and the reasons adults do: Teens view plastic surgery as a way to fit in and look acceptable to friends and peers. "I think that plastic surgery is okay if you are in a bad car accident but I think it is stupid for big movie stars to get it just because, I wouldn't," says Megan Kisner, age 15. Teenage girls are seeking out plastic surgery for everything from Rhinoplasty (nose reshaping) to the correction of breast asymmetry. Other popular procedures include acne and scar treatment, Otoplasty (ear surgery), and breast reduction. According to the ASPS the most popular procedure for 2006 was Breast Augmentation, but this is something that requires you to be over the age of eighteen. Although teens are exposed to plastic surgery, they aren't often exposed to the truth behind it. The risks and complications of plastic surgery are beyond scary; Possible Complications: Abnormal heart rhythm, blood clots, brain damage. Heart attack, nerve damage, stroke, airway obstruction, temporary paralysis, and even death. General Risks: Anesthesia/ sedation complications (some patients have serious reactions to anesthesia or sedation during surgery), slow healing, numbness/tingling, irregularities due to surgeon error, and asymmetry (which means you need a second procedure). One very important thing teenage girls and women everywhere needs to understand is that perfection does not exist. "No one is perfect and we need to love our bodies and ourselves for who we are. I don't like plastic surgery. I would never get it because it makes people fake," says Amanda Kilne, age 15. "I think people who get plastic surgery obviously aren't happy with themselves... I mean why do you have to get some type of surgery to make yourself happy? Why can't you just change your hair color? You know, something simple...I don't think I ever could get plastic surgery because I believe the way you were made is the way you should stay," says Stacey Havran, age 22. Plastic surgery is a huge deal and it has serious risks and complications. You might think that it is a quick fix to change your imperfections, but it also takes away a part of who you are. So, steer away from this plastic trend and just focus on being an individual. There is only one you. |
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