We all love our children and hate to see them suffer for any reason. Unfortunately, there are a fair amount of growing pains that come with being an adolescent, pre-teen and teenager. Even young adulthood can be a trying time if your “little one” is still coming into their own. Elective cosmetic surgery can do wonders for people’s self-esteem. However, it is not a fix-all, especially for impressionable young teens who are still growing into their bodies, minds and spirits.

Every case is different, and there are legitimate medical issues that warrant some forms of plastic surgery over others, but in general we encourage you to talk to your teen. Make sure they know this can be an awkward time for many people within their age group, and that plastic surgery is not an easy fix for the traditional schoolyard issues we all face growing up.

For example, some young ladies are simply late bloomers. A girl who hasn’t developed as quickly as the others at 15 may find herself with ample cleavage by age 19. Noses are another huge concern, especially as our faces mature and our features change. We hear complaints about teenagers’ noses all the time. It does not mean they won’t grow into them once the growing process has stopped. This could be age 20 for some, or even as late as 25 for others.

With this in mind, we are not big advocates of minors undergoing plastic surgery, as there are just so many unpredictable aspects to factor in. This is especially true nowadays when you see the faces of young celebrities literally changing right in front of your screen! Full lips, big breasts, smaller hips and button noses are all trends that can be gone before your teen is able to legally drink alcohol.

While there are exceptions to every rule and extreme cases that may warrant surgery while the child is still a minor, we generally encourage parents to support their teens through the growing process until their minds (and bodies) are mature enough to make the decision for themselves.