More teens getting cosmetic procedures done because of social media pressures, according to study
Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, among other social media platforms, are driving teens to have cosmetic procedures in increasing numbers, which has prompted the American Society of Plastic Surgeons to release new guidelines on how old patients should be before having work done.
Nearly 230,000 teens ages 18 and younger had cosmetic work done in 2016, which includes surgical, nonsurgical and injectable procedures, .
“The average millennial takes over 25,000 selfies in his or her lifetime, which is astronomical and one of the major reasons for the self-esteem issues in this age group,” the report said, adding that these types of photos often exaggerate the size of lower facial features, such as nose, lips and chin.
The most commonly performed surgery among teens is rhinoplasty, or nose reconstruction, which more than 30,000 teens opted to get done in 2016. Nasal growth ends between ages 15 and 18 for boys, and between 12 to 16 for girls. Guidelines recommend waiting until ages 16 to 18 for boys and 15 to 16 for girls.
“Performing rhinoplasty in young patients involves the risk of inhibiting the growth of nose and midface secondary to scarring,” according to the guidelines.
The guidelines also recommend breast augmentation surgery for those 18 and older.
Other common procedures teens have had done include laser hair removal, which nearly 71,000 teens had done in 2016, and more than 20,000 teens had botulinum toxin type A, or Botox injections.