Often adolescence comes with insecurities and frustrations about one’s physical appearance. The ways in which these insecurities affect people differently. For some, the pain of teenage ridicule and insecurity can last into adulthood. Dr. Dayan, a father of three daughters, can thoroughly understand and empathize with a parent’s struggle in deciding what’s best for their child. It is normal and expected to be nervous, worried, and uncertain. In his essay, “So Your Teen Wants a Rhinoplasty?” Dr. Dayan reaches out to parents who have been recently faced with this dilemma.
Do you:
a) Continue to let your child feel negatively about themselves or insecure amongst their peers, which could possibly have long-term emotional effects or distract their education?
-OR-
b) Allow your child to undergo a surgery knowing all of the possible risks to prevent adolescent scars?
Many parents feel uncomfortable with both options. There is no right or wrong answer. It’s a complex choice.
“You might be thinking, ‘But shouldn’t my kid learn to deal with social pressures and the occasional negative discourse? I mean throughout their? life critics will be abundant?’ Well, yes, that is true and certainly teaching your teenager to absorb petty insults from others and to overcome it is a crucial and necessary adaptive social skill. This needs to be part of your discussion. If your teenager is under the impression that a rhinoplasty is the ultimate solution to solving all their self-image concerns and social problems, then they may not be requesting the procedure for the right reasons. Understanding your son/daughter’s motivations for undergoing the rhinoplasty is critical to your decision making process. If they are just trying to appease someone else, then this is not the time to undergo a surgical procedure and discussing with your child that plastic surgery is not the answer to guaranteeing them popularity or greater peer acceptance is necessary,” writes Dr. Steven Dayan.
View a full resolution version of “Your Teenager Wants A Nose Job, Now What? here.
