Young people and cosmetic surgery: what you need to know – iO Donna

But what leads young people to want each other undergo an aesthetic procedure? And what is the line between desire to adhere to false aesthetic modelssuch as those proposed by social networks, e real opportunity? We spoke to the Professor Pietro Lorenzetti, specialist in Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery.

The desire to adhere to contemporary beauty standards

So why are more and more young people requesting cosmetic surgery?

«The field of cosmetic surgery fascinates all ages but especially the youth, for the possibility it offers to be able to change your appearance and modify a part of one’s body – explains Professor Lorenzetti. – The element that most drives young people to ask for cosmetic surgery is certainly the tendency to want to get as close as possible to the standards of beauty of our times which have changed a lot compared to the past».

Young people and cosmetic surgery: the role of social networks

Modern canons of beauty, in fact, are today mainly conveyed by social networks, where it dominates the logic of selfiesthe supremacy of appearing and the need to get approval by others. It now seems clear that the increase in demand from young people can also be explained with the will of the boys to adhere to the models proposed by TikTokers and influencers. Models that today more than ever are ‘distorted’ through the massive use of filters to edit faces.

«Kids are increasingly using filter systems to modify their faces – the specialist also underlines. – And this makes them want to change your image even in reality”.

Recently, it was mainly the Bold Glamor filter which is very popular on Tik Tok and which allows you to change your face in video. Through this filter the skin appears smooth, full lips, well defined eyebrows and the look emphasized by a light and flawless smokey eye makeup. In short, the filter it allows you to show yourself beautiful and without imperfections but risks, according to many, to have anegative influence especially on teenagers.

Young people and cosmetic surgery: how to behave

It goes without saying that in front of the request for ‘touch-ups’ to the face by very young girls what makes the difference is the specialist you turn to. A a serious surgeon will hardly give consent to proceed with an operation solely dictated by desire to conform. However the risk to consider is that the girls go to people who agreewithout having the expertise to be able to carry out that type of operation.

«The surgeon must provide important support – explains Professor Lorenzetti. – Based on my experience, if the specialist clearly explains how things are, most of the ‘useless’ requests, not only from the younger ones, disappear by themselves. As I often say, the main element of my work is listening: it is important to understand what the patient wants, what are the reasons that lead him to request an intervention and to understand if what he is asking for really makes sense. It also happens that they turn to us particularly motivated boys and girls to undergo interventions that could be avoided. In that case it is also up to the families to investigate and not to consent to the requests of the children in a hasty way».

When cosmetic surgery responds to a real need

However, it should be emphasized that the request to undergo an operation is not always dictated by superficiality or by the desire to conform to dominant aesthetic models. Indeed there are cases in which cosmetic surgery represents the answer to an actual need.

“An example is the reduction mammaplasty – explains the expert. – Unlike breast augmentation, which by law in Italy cannot be performed under the age of 18, the reductive one can represent an important resource for even very young girls with gigantomastia. It is in fact a condition that exposes a functional problems on the spine and shoulders. In that case, even 16-year-old patients can be operated because the functional component prevails over the aesthetic one».

Also from the point of view purely aesthetic, However, where there is a problem that threatens to undermine self-esteem or the quality of life of a boy or girl, the cosmetic surgeon, with the consent of both parents, can intervene.

“The most typical case is the otoplasty – explains Professor Lorenzetti. – It is a purely aesthetic intervention that is also frequently performed in children as young as 6 or 7 years old years with protruding ears. The current orientation is in fact that of operating on children at school age or even before the start of school so as to prevent them from developing insecurities and relationship problems due to this aesthetic defect ».

Cosmetic surgery: safety first

Whether it is aesthetic interventions on very young people, as on adults, a the crucial aspect remains that of safety.

«Unfortunately, we still talk too little about safety – concludes Professor Lorenzetti. – Often those who undergo aesthetic procedures try to save while running a great risk. Who offers services low price often resorts to poor material and has little staff without offering guarantees to the patient. My advice is to always consider two basic elements: relying on a specialist with proven skills, perhaps addressing surgeons who are members of the two Italian societies of cosmetic surgery, AICPE (Italian Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery) e SICPRE (Italian Society for Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery). AND do not underestimate the structure in which the intervention will be carried out. In fact, it is advisable to undergo a surgical operation in specialized and suitably equipped structures”.

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