Botox And/or Plastic Surgery Could Ruin Teens Self Image and Health.

It seems like a strange world we are living in. There is such a Hollywoodization of Americans that people are nearly forced to become something they are not. People trying to be the perfect thin, which leads to all kinds of eating disorders. People trying to get the perfect face and body which leads to all kinds of plastic surgery, which even has lead to a new kind of addiction... to plastic surgery. Look at NIP/TUCK, the cable television series.

Well this craze of being something you are not has also affected young teenagers. They are not immune to all the hype. It used to be that teenagers would do whatever it took to be as old as they could get away with. Faking their ID and trying to get into bars. But not anymore. It seems teenagers are now trying to stay eternally young. They don't want to age, they don't want to deal with the problems they see their parents going through. They don't want the outcome they see on television or the movies. They want the fountain of youth.

And to get it they are using B, as it is called by the teens on the streets, which is short for Botox.

The American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery stated that in 2009, over "11,000 teenagers in the United States had Botox or a similar product called Dysport."

The teens are having Botox parties or B parties in private homes. It is also readily available online. Of course, it is not only available but common if traveling abroad.

This is not a laughing matter, there are side effects to Botox, which includes weak facial muscles and of course infection from the injection sites and if done by other kids or questionable parties there may also be the danger of dirty needles or needle sharing which can lead to very serious illnesses. And they can have scarring of their faces which is certainly defeating the original hope for trying this outrageous beauty treatment.

And this is a very unhealthy psychologically. A teenagers personal image is strongly affected if they feel the need to look different than they do. It could be ruining their self esteem because they are not "good enough" and can not seem to "measure up" in another persons estimation. It is already a very important stage in their development and a lot of emotional trauma is built into the age. Not being satisfied with their appearances is just one more blow for them.

If you plan to have a cosmetic surgery or procedure and you are not a teen, choose a reliable physician and know your risks. Parents talk to your teens, they should wait until they are adult before making this very dangerous decision.

Sources:

Botox Injections

Teenagers Experimenting with Botox