Teenage Cosmetic Surgery

Your parents totally won't let you get breast implants or liposuction. You feel fat and flat-chested. Meanwhile, one of your friends got a nose job for graduation. As it turns out, some plastic surgeons think certain types of facial plastic surgery are good for you, such as:

• Rhinoplasty, a.k.a. nose jobs
• Chin implants (you took one on the chin during volleyball and your face hasn't been right since)
• Otoplasty--remember when your brother got his ears pinned back?
• Breast reduction--your best friend had it done

Other plastic surgeons recommend against some types of comsetic plastic surgery, such as:

• Liposuction--doctors think you'll lose that baby fat through natural growth and exercise
• Breast implants--they interfere with normal development (which, you think, is the whole point, right?) Experts such as Dr. Diana Zuckerman of the National Research Center for Women & Families say many implants tend to fail within 7-12 years, so you and your parents will be stuck with a bill for implants that don't work, which means you'll all have to cut back on other spending. So much for that Spring Break trip in college.
• Cheek implants--you might not see results right away, since you're probably too focused on your nose and waistline.

You're a mature sixteen, but the idea of leaks and complications makes you ill. You think though that facial plastic surgery sounds good. Now all you have to do is convince a plastic surgeon. As hard as this is to believe, you can actually benefit from bringing your parents to the cosmetic plastic surgery center. You can convince the plastic surgeon that, no, you're not influenced by the latest celebrity plastic surgery and that you genuinely think the procedure will help your health and welfare.

Be warned though: Most states require parental consent to cosmetic surgery if you're under 18, and many surgeons will scrutinize teen patients. Ask your friends and friends' parents, such as your pal who got the makeover graduation gift, about plastic surgery results. If your pal is happy with her looks and if she's responsible (student body president and the most organized kid you know), and if her parents keep it real, you have allies. One final word: If you're doing it to attract that guy who doesn't notice you, forget about cosmetic surgery. In fact, forget him and focus on your own life--your friends, your killer serve, your college admissions, that you're an awesome musician. Then find a guy who appreciates you just the way you are.