Winter sees a surge in plastic surgery consultations, particularly from students preparing for graduation, new jobs, or enrollment—a trend that’s increasingly starting earlier than ever before.
Teenage Trends: Why Now for Plastic Surgery?
The number of teenagers seeking cosmetic procedures is rising, prompting surgeons to consider the emotional readiness alongside physical development.
- While surgeons don’t necessarily oppose teenage cosmetic surgery, emotional maturity is crucial.
- Nose bridge reduction is a particularly irreversible procedure that’s gaining popularity among younger patients.
- Fillers, though non-surgical, carry risks and are also being sought by adolescents.
- Plastic surgery should enhance future options, not limit them.
Plastic surgeons aren’t automatically dismissing procedures for teenagers. One surgeon even performed a double eyelid surgery on a middle school nephew, finding it preferable to his daily struggle with eyelid tape and the resulting skin irritation. However, this decision was based on a careful assessment of both physical and emotional factors.
Medical evidence suggests the eyes are typically fully grown by the second year of middle school, and the nose by the second year of high school, making these periods potentially suitable for certain surgeries. But physical growth isn’t the whole story. “Growth” encompasses emotional maturity—the ability to objectively assess one’s appearance and cope with changes.
Recently, a concerning trend has emerged: students requesting nose bridge reduction before their noses are fully developed, reasoning that it’s less invasive than altering the cartilage or bone. Many surgeons are encountering students who’ve already undergone this procedure before starting college.
What’s the biggest risk of nose bridge reduction for teens? Although it doesn’t directly impact cartilage or bone growth, nostril reduction is one of the most difficult surgeries to recommend during adolescence due to its irreversibility. It’s easy to reduce, but impossible to restore.
A naturally attractive nose requires sufficient skin. Nostril reduction, however, involves removing skin tissue to create a narrower appearance. Hastily reducing the nose bridge during adolescence eliminates valuable tissue needed for future refinement. This can limit the potential for achieving a “tall and pretty nose” later in life.
During adolescence, a wider nose often has the potential to become taller and more refined with growth. Reducing the bridge prematurely can permanently restrict this potential, resulting in a smaller nose than might have naturally developed.
Reducing the nasal tip can also disrupt the balance between the tip and the rest of the nose, paradoxically making the tip appear larger. Functionally, it can also compromise breathing by narrowing the nostrils.
The irreversible nature of nostril reduction is why it’s discouraged even in adult patients. Furthermore, the increasing popularity of fillers among young people is raising concerns. While rare, nasal fillers can cause blindness if they obstruct blood vessels, prompting a warning from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Fillers injected into adolescent tissues tend to migrate over time, and repeated injections can stretch the tissue, creating long-term complications.
Discouraging a teenager from surgery isn’t about dismissing their concerns; it’s about protecting their future aesthetic options. Plastic surgery isn’t simply about fixing perceived flaws, but about designing a face that will last a lifetime. Surgeons want to avoid limiting a patient’s potential for a beautiful, harmonious face simply to achieve a currently trendy look.
