Skin Deep

Gorgeous toned bodies, luxurious hair, no bulge and no wrinkles. That is what some teenage girls consider the image of an ideal woman.

Over the past decade we've seen the rising trend in teen cosmetic plastic surgery. Television shows such as FX's "Nip/Tuck" and MTV's "I want a Famous Face," have created a craze of physical perfection. One girl says, "My name is Evette, I admire Carmen Electra and I want my body to be more like hers. I don't want to look exactly like her but she has amazing abs, large beautiful breasts."

Models with perfect bodies plastered on magazine covers, many of them portray unhealthy images for teenagers. For some teens, this pressure to be perfect drives them to get a few nips and tucks.

According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, the number of teens receiving plastic surgery is on the rise. But surprisingly, teens here along the Gulf Coast, aren't going under the knife for vanity reasons.

Dr. William Burden with Destin Plastic Surgery, explains that teens are more often getting things corrected. The surgeries are rather for normalcy and self esteem. He says, "That feature they have is keeping them from doing their activities like participating in gym class, being able to go shopping with their girlfriends and wear the clothes that they wear."

Dr. Burden performs about five to ten procedures a month on teens and says their requests are reasonable. Rhinoplasty, which reshapes the nose, otoplasty, which pins back the ears, and breast reductions are the most popular. Dr. Burden says, "They aren't medically necessary but they're needed to bring that normality back to their lives so they don't feel self conscious about it."

Christine Tenzycki and Kristen Moore both underwent cosmetic plastic surgeries as teens. They say it changed the quality of their lives. Christine had a breast reduction she believes made her more confident. In one summer she went from a size B chest to DD. "In 8th grade I turned 13 and just overnight sprouted," said Christine. She continued growing throughout high school and wore a size H by the time her junior prom rolled around.

Christine's body wasn't proportionate and she says it made her feel self conscious. "I was reminded of how large I was with every run, every step, every fast movement, any exercise it was obvious it was right there," explained Christine. People constantly commented on how voluptuous she was. Christine adds, "Big boob McGee, it was just annoying if anything. Customers that would come in would talk to you right here and it was so obvious and it would make me want to do that," she said.

As if the stares and taunting weren't enough, Christine had medical issues that stemmed from her size. She says, "My back, I noticed my posture was getting worse, my shoulders were hunching." Her family's history of breast cancer weighed heavily on her decision. "The less breast tissue there is, the easier it is to detect any kind of cancerous cell," said Christine. She says having the breast reduction made her feel her age and not like a teen trapped in a woman's body. Christine says, "I was so excited, so excited, I didn't doubt it for a minute." Now she's no longer limited or defined by her breast size.

A year ago you wouldn't find Kristen Moore picking out makeup to get dolled up, because she didn't want to draw attention to her face. "I always didn't involve myself in group pictures or anything and I tried to skip out on my school picture and I didn't want to be in the yearbook," she said. That's because her nose was disfigured after a bad car accident. She says, "I actually had someone say 'did you break your nose one time?' that made me even more self conscious but it wasn't really that noticeable but very noticeable to me."

The tip of Kristen's nose is depressed and it's the focal point on her face. Her mother Pam says over time it got worse and she began having trouble breathing. Pam says, "It was very hard as a mother, you don't want to see your baby go through anything like that."

After 2 years of suffering, Kristen decided to undergo rhinoplasty surgery. When you compare her nose before and after the surgery, you can see how the accident changed the whole look of her face. Now, she looks even more beautiful and most importantly feels like her old self again. Kristen says, "I don't notice the problem anymore, I feel a lot better, I can breathe now so it's a lot better. I'm happy and I'm not self conscious anymore." A once shy girl is now an outgoing teen again who doesn't mind putting on makeup. Pam says, "I'm extremely pleased with the outcome and I'm glad we went ahead and did it." Pam says Kristen's self confidence raised a great deal. "I don't mind taking pictures at all, I actually like them now," said Kristen.

Dr. Burden says its important for teens to have self esteem and a level of maturity before getting any surgery. He believes teens considering surgery shouldn't be persuaded by what they see in the media and he has a message for them. He adds, "Think why you want to have it. Is it because of a whim or is it something that really bothers you and affects the way you interact with others." In both cases, the benefits of surgery outweighed the risks and each teen now has a better quality of life as a result. Pam says, "I knew we made the right decision. She hasn't had anymore problems with it and her nose looks great."

Dr. burden wants teens to remember there are still risks involved in any type of surgery. He says the teen, parent and doctor should have a group consultation. And remember cosmetic plastic surgery enhances ones beauty it doesn't define it.

By Derica Williams, Source: www.fox10tv.com