Liposuction is a great way to remove extra fat from your body. It can be used as an alternative to dieting and exercising, and it’s especially useful for people who have trouble losing weight through these methods.
Liposuction can be performed on anyone over the age of 18, but some doctors will perform it on younger patients if they feel it’s medically necessary. If you’re considering liposuction as an option for removing excess fat, it’s important to understand what the procedure involves and how it will affect your body.
The Procedure. Liposuction is a surgical procedure in which excess fat is removed from various parts of your body. The doctor may use an electric probe or laser to break up the fat before removing it with suction or forceps. The procedure usually takes between one and two hours, depending on how much fat needs to be removed.
After the Procedure. After surgery, you’ll need to rest for several days while your body heals from the procedure. You may need pain medication for a few days after surgery, but most people are able to return to normal activities within two weeks of having liposuction performed on them.
Right here on Cosmeticsurgerytips, you are privy to a litany of relevant information on liposuction for teenager, can a 15 year old get liposuction with parental consent, can a 16 year old get liposuction, and so much more. Take out time to visit our catalog for more information on similar topics.
When you hear of plastic surgery, what do you think of? A Hollywood star trying to delay the effects of aging? People who want to change the size of their stomachs, breasts, or other body parts because they see it done so easily on TV?
Those are common images of plastic surgery, but what about the 4-year-old boy who has his chin rebuilt after a dog bit him? Or the young woman who has the birthmark on her forehead lightened with a laser?
What Is Plastic Surgery?
Just because the name includes the word “plastic” doesn’t mean patients who have this surgery end up with a face full of fake stuff. The name isn’t taken from the synthetic substance but from the Greek word plastikos, which means to form or mold (and which gives the material plastic its name as well).
Plastic surgery is a special type of surgery that can change a person’s appearance and ability to function.
- Reconstructive procedures correct defects on the face or body. These include physical birth defects like cleft lips and palates and ear deformities, traumatic injuries like those from dog bites or burns, or the aftermath of disease treatments like rebuilding a woman’s breast after surgery for breast cancer.
- Cosmetic (also called aesthetic) procedures alter a part of the body that the person is not satisfied with. Common cosmetic procedures include making the breasts larger (augmentation mammoplasty) or smaller (reduction mammoplasty), reshaping the nose (rhinoplasty), and removing pockets of fat from specific spots on the body (liposuction). Some cosmetic procedures aren’t even surgical in the way that most people think of surgery — that is, cutting and stitching. For example, the use of special lasers to remove unwanted hair and sanding skin to improve severe scarring are two such treatments.
Why Do Teens Get Plastic Surgery?
Most teens don’t, of course. But some do. Interestingly, the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) reports a difference in the reasons teens give for having plastic surgery and the reasons adults do: Teens view plastic surgery as a way to fit in and look acceptable to friends and peers. Adults, on the other hand, frequently see plastic surgery as a way to stand out from the crowd.
According to the ASPS, more than 200,000 people 19 years and younger had either major or minor plastic surgical procedures in 2013.
Some people turn to plastic surgery to correct a physical defect or to alter a part of the body that makes them feel uncomfortable. For example, guys with a condition called gynecomastia (excess breast tissue) that doesn’t go away with time or weight loss may opt for reduction surgery. A girl or guy with a birthmark may turn to laser treatment to lessen its appearance.
Other people decide they want a cosmetic change because they’re not happy about the way they look. Teens who have cosmetic procedures — such as otoplasty (surgery to pin back ears that stick out) or dermabrasion (a procedure that can help smooth or camouflage severe acne scars) — sometimes feel more comfortable with their appearance after the procedure.
The most common procedures teens choose include nose reshaping, ear surgery, acne and acne scar treatment, and breast reduction.
Is Plastic Surgery the Right Choice?
Reconstructive surgery helps repair significant defects or problems. But what about having cosmetic surgery just to change your appearance? Is it a good idea for teens? As with everything, there are right and wrong reasons to have surgery.
Cosmetic surgery is unlikely to change your life. Most board-certified plastic surgeons spend a lot of time interviewing teens who want plastic surgery to decide if they are good candidates for the surgery. Doctors want to know that teens are emotionally mature enough to handle the surgery and that they’re doing it for the right reasons.
Many plastic surgery procedures are just that — surgery. They involve anesthesia, wound healing, and other serious risks. Doctors who perform these procedures want to know that their patients are capable of understanding and handling the stress of surgery
Some doctors won’t perform certain procedures (like rhinoplasty) on a teen until they are sure that person is old enough and has finished growing. For rhinoplasty, that means about 15 or 16 for girls and about a year older for guys.
Girls who want to enlarge their breasts for cosmetic reasons usually must be at least 18 because saline implants are only approved for women 18 and older. In some cases, though, such as when there’s a tremendous size difference between the breasts or one breast has failed to grow at all, a plastic surgeon may get involved earlier.
Things to Consider
Here are a few things to think about if you’re considering plastic surgery:
- Almost all teens (and many adults) are self-conscious about their bodies. Almost everyone wishes there were a thing or two that could be changed. A lot of this self-consciousness goes away with time. Ask yourself if you’re considering plastic surgery because you want it for yourself or whether it’s to please someone else.
- A person’s body continues to change through the teen years. Body parts that might appear too large or too small now can become more proportionate over time. Sometimes, for example, what seems like a big nose looks more the right size as the rest of the person’s face catches up during growth.
- Getting in good shape through appropriate weight control and exercise can do great things for a person’s looks without surgery. It’s never a good idea to choose plastic surgery as a first option for something like weight loss that can be corrected in a nonsurgical manner. Gastric bypass or liposuction may seem like quick and easy fixes compared with sticking to a diet. Both of these procedures, however, carry far greater risks than dieting, and doctors should reserve them for extreme cases when all other options have failed.
- Some people’s emotions have a really big effect on how they think they look. People who are depressed, extremely self-critical, or have a distorted view of what they really look like sometimes think that changing their looks will solve their problems. In these cases, it won’t. Working out the emotional problem with the help of a trained therapist is a better bet. In fact, many doctors won’t perform plastic surgery on teens who are depressed or have other mental health problems until these problems are treated first.
What’s Involved?
If you’re considering plastic surgery, talk it over with your parents. If you’re serious and your parents agree, the next step is meeting with a plastic surgeon to help you learn what to expect before, during, and after the procedure — as well as any possible complications or downsides to the surgery. Depending on the procedure, you may feel some pain as you recover, and temporary swelling or bruising can make you look less like yourself for a while.
Procedures and healing times vary, so you’ll want to do your research into what’s involved in your particular procedure and whether the surgery is reconstructive or cosmetic. It’s a good idea to choose a doctor who is certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery.
Cost will likely be a factor, too. Elective plastic surgery procedures can be expensive. Although medical insurance covers many reconstructive surgeries, the cost of cosmetic procedures almost always comes straight out of the patient’s pocket.
Your parents can find out what your insurance plan will and won’t cover. For example, breast enlargement surgery is considered a purely cosmetic procedure and is rarely covered by insurance. But breast reduction surgery may be covered by some plans because large breasts can cause physical discomfort and even pain for many girls.
Plastic surgery isn’t something to rush into. If you’re thinking about plastic surgery, find out as much as you can about the specific procedure you’re considering and talk it over with doctors and your parents. Once you have the facts, you can decide whether the surgery is right for you.
Liposuction For Teenager
Eighteen is a momentous age for the youths of our nation. Eighteen is when you can vote, when you become legally separate from your parents or guardian. Eighteen is when you can buy your own house, get married, sue somebody or be sued by somebody, and invest in the stock market.
Eighteen is, more or less, the age in which you are legally recognized as an adult by almost every state in the country. As a result, it’s also the age when you become eligible for cosmetic surgery, like liposuction.
The 12 year old that got liposuction
There is one infamous example of someone who received liposuction at an age under 18- Brooke Bates, a 12 year old in Texas, was morbidly obese, at 220 pounds with only 5 feet and 5 inches in height. Her parents refused gastric bypass, thinking it risky, and allowed their daughter to persuade them into plastic surgery.
A family friend, Dr. Robert Eresk, agreed to do it because the father’s terminal cancer allowed Bates to guilt him into the procedure, and the family spent $25,000 on the procedure.
Why it’s too young
This is a dangerous story that sets a dangerous precedent. Brooke Bates was only 12 years old at the time of her liposuction procedure, an age at which the body is nowhere near fully mature. This can cause all kinds of complications, like hemorrhaging and internal bleeding in a body which is mature and fully capable of handling the anatomical shock that results from liposuction, let alone the body of an adolescent like Bates.
Teens do get liposuction
Of course, some teens do get liposuction. According to the ASPS (American Society of Plastic Surgeons), in 2012, there were 236,000 recorded cases of American teenagers receiving liposuction treatments.
So clearly, these do occur, but they’re rare, composing only 1.6% of the entirety of America’s annual cosmetic surgeries. Additionally, there are instances in which children have liposuction procedures in order to remedy some form of chronic medical condition, like removing excess skin.
3000 Got it last year from corrective surgery
In 2019, more than 3,000 teens or otherwise underage patients received liposuction as a form of corrective surgery to resolve complications from other medical issues. This use of plastic surgery, called liposuction revision, can be hugely beneficial for very specific medical circumstances, like complications that can be resolved with fat grafting or skin tightening. If you or your child has some form of medical condition which you think can be resolved using liposuction revision surgery, speak with your primary care physician today.
Not a cure for childhood obesity
It should be noted that one very serious medical condition liposuction is not a cure for is childhood obesity. Obesity in someone so young is often the result of genetics, that much is true, but it’s also often the result of poor lifestyle choices.
Getting liposuction is a short-term solution, and the real fix behind such a predicament is simple dieting and exercise. If your child is suffering from childhood obesity, speak to your primary care physician and a dietician.
Younger people can lose weight quickly
Luckily for anyone who does suffer from such an affliction as childhood obesity is at good odds to overcome it- because of the incredibly fast rate of a burgeoning metabolism, and the active lifestyle which younger people tend to lead, as well as their tight skin, the youths of the world lose weight far more easily than their older counterparts. As a result, it is heavily advised that a youth seeking to shed excess weight take on regular dieting and exercise rather than turn to cosmetic surgery for the answer.
Higher metabolism
Teens in particular have higher metabolism than any other age group on average, turning calories into muscles rather than fat much of the time. Teenage girls, age 15-18 need 1,200-3,000 calories a day, depending on their musculature and other factors, and teenage boys ages 15-18 require a whopping 2,100 to 3,900 calories a day.
Compare this to someone ages 40-45 (2,200-2,800 for Men, and 1,800-2,200 for Women), and the results speak for themselves. Teens have a metabolism that just doesn’t quit.
Faster recovery from workout
Then there’s the reason that the military envies the young, and recruits them at such a green age- the teenage body is well suited to regular abuse. Teens simply recover from workouts faster than those older than them.
The youngest age most weight trainers accept is 17, and these trainees often only 36 hours of cooldown, as opposed to older trainees (30-40 years of age) who typically require two days or more before they can continue training.
Weight loss shouldn’t have saggy skin
The term “Youthful” has been applied to skin for centuries, meant to capture the taut, smooth nature of younger skin. This skin looks and feels nice, sure, but its true benefit comes from how the tight nature of young skin prevents sagging from weight loss.
In a person’s younger years, their skin remains tight enough that losing significant amounts of weight in a short time span doesn’t result in large swaths of flabby skin hanging off of their body.
FAQ
Some of the more frequently asked questions that revolve around the issues of obesity and liposuction surgery include:
What is the legal age to have liposuction?
The legal age for liposuction is, as mentioned earlier, eighteen years old. While there are cases wherein the person who received the liposuction was younger than that, like the case of Brooke Bates, it’s relatively uncommon, and you should only consider liposuction as a real option for cosmetic purposes once you’re 18 years old.
American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery
The American Society for Plastic Surgery’s aesthetic arm has released an official stance on the topic. They believe that people younger than 18 are “not well suited for operation”, and they caution parents and teenagers alike to “keep in mind that plastic surgery is real surgery, with great benefits, but also carries some risks.
Teens should have realistic expectations about plastic surgery and what it can do for them. In addition, certain milestones in growth and physical maturity must be achieved before undergoing plastic surgery.”
How old is too old for liposuction
Health is far more important than age when considering if one is too old for liposuction or other plastic surgery procedures. There is no determined maximum age for someone who’s seeking liposuction as a form of cosmetic surgery, but if the patient has failing health or is otherwise incapacitated for medical reasons, it is strongly advised that they do not undergo liposuction or any other form of plastic surgery.