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Did anyone catch the programme on ITV last night about children having cosmetic surgery?
It featured 4 children, 3 in the UK and one in the United States. All wanted (and got) cosmetic surgery.
The first was a really sweet youngster of about 10 with bad sticky-out ears. She had been the victim of a lot of teasing and it was clearly quite a problem for her. In fairness, she had a point, from behind she did look like VW Beetle with the doors open!
The second was an 18 year-old girl who had wanted breast implants since she was about 11. Strangely enough Mum and Dad ran a cosmetic surgery business! She wanted to go from an A to a B cup and M&D were quite happy to pick up the bill, in fact, they even encouraged it.
The third was a poor lass that wanted a breast reduction. She was only quite young but already her breasts were causing her a huge problem with back pain and were clearly damaging her confidence badly. It looked a pretty painful and unpleasant op, but this lass was pretty brave.
The fourth was a young American girl that wanted lipposuction to shift about 20lbs. She was shown days before the op tucking in to a nice fat slice of pizza. They then went on to show the actual lipposuction, suffice to say that it was gross.
Kids 1 and 3 had their procedures paid for by the NHS, 2's parents paid as did 4's (as she was in the US of course).
I had huge amounts of sympathy for 1 and 3, but little or none for 2 and 4, was I wrong? Should children be allowed to choose to have cosmetic surgery? I could see a genuine reason for the pinning back of the ears and the breast reduction, because there were genuine confidence benefits for the girls involved. But to me 2 and 4 were about nothing more than fashion and trying to be like the images we see in magazines. Quite disturbing really.
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Part of me feels desperately sorry for these kids - whether the surgery is justified or not. We live in a society where kids are having these levels of "Perfection" that everyone strives for, shoved in their faces. You should have good hair, teeth, ears, decent boobs, a flat tummy, nice legs - whatever. Some kids will no doubt see that they do not meet these criteria, and will look for ways to achive them. It's just really sad that most of these surgeries are really quite unecessary - their parents should try and help their children to feel better about themselves - not encourage surgery. It really is sad.
Learn as if you were going to live forever. Live as if you were going to die tomorrow.
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I can remember having braces and had to have my wisdom teeth removed at a very young age to have straight teeth.
Obviously I'm very grateful now - especially if I see all the people in the UK that did not have that privilige.
the point is though, is that so different from plastic surgery and how many of us did have braces at some stage in our lifes. Granted it's not as major as surgery but it is still expensive and painful.
I still love chocolate.
I think it is a judgement call and unfortunately sometimes common sense fails. To allow cases like two and four to have plastic surgery is very sad as I'm sure it will just be a downward spiral from here on - resorting to surgery everytime they are unhappy with something until eventually their bodies "melt" Cases 1 & 3 are more than justified and I am a great believer that your teens are difficult enough without having to deal with extra pressures about your appearance that surgery can help fix. Yes we should encourage self confidence etc. and help our children be happy with themselves but sometimes it is kinder to intervene. So many guys for example are left to struggle with bad acne because their parents felt it was not neccessary to send boys to a dermatoligist and as a result they are acne scarred today.
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I watched it and I got freaked out at the girl who had a lipposuction.EEGG,all the fat they took out.No more kebabs for me!!! :eek:
The little girl who had het ears pinned back was o.k.If I ever have kids and their ears stick out,I'll probably have them pinned back too.The abused she received at school must've played a big part in the decision.At the end her ears looked really nice and normal.
The breast girls,the one who had reduction surgery I can understand, but I don't think the other girl really needed surgery.I took a real good look at her breats
and they looked fine to me.( but hey,if mommy and daddy's gonna pay,why not).Like they say:"More than a hand full, is a waste!!!"
mrjdfromtennesse
Fugitive(You never saw me!!!)
Anyone can be a PLAYBOY and live in a PENTHOUSE but it takes a real man to be a HUSTLER.
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Even though I did not see the program, I can understand no. 1 and 3, as I know of a child that had his ears pinned back and I was at school with a girl who had a breast reduction and I must say what an improvement it made on both their lives. I have always said if my children ever needed an op like 1 and 3 I would do it as it is amazing to see the change in them. As for 2 and 4 well I think it is totally rediculous that they should be allowed to even have this type of thing done to them before they are at least 21 yrs.
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Quote:Originally posted by Jemlet
I'm sure it will just be a downward spiral from here on - resorting to surgery everytime they are unhappy with something until eventually their bodies "melt"
I think that just about hits the nail on the head with a 20 pound lump hammer.
I think these two youngsters have started down a very rocky road.
My understanding is that those breast implants are not for life and have to be replaced every now and again, so what are the chances that the next set are bigger, then bigger until who knows where it ends. I also seem to recall that these silicone implants are not 100% safe and that they can leak?
As to the lippo, I too shall be staying away from kebabs after seeing this programme. With lipposuction has all that has happened is method of weight loss has been invented where the person losing the weight doesn't have to do any work?
Cubbie, you got guts a) for telling us about it and b) for going through it. That op looked like it had all the potential to hurt like hell. More power to ya!
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Quote:Originally posted by Icecub
Thanks.....something i have been unhappy for yrs i had to practically beg hubby for it as he was scared something might have happened during or after the op....but i am telling u it has changed my life for the good!! I am more confident and really happy!!!
unny: unny: unny:
I am really glad for you. I see your husband's point of view in so far as he was worried something might happen to you. Liz went in for the smallest of small ops a while back and I was worrying about her like it was the end of the world, duffus I know but....
Your example is one of those where there is a very positive side to cosmetic surgery. BTW - I am not saying that the reverse is not true, a friend-of-a-friend's life has been changed by breast enlargement. The difference being that you and the other lady are both adults, you know what you are doing and have made your choices based on years of experience, something many of these kids being operated on don't have the benefit of (yet).
Well, they say youth is wasted on the young
