Back to school, with a new look: Why are more teenagers choosing plastic surgery?

During the summer vacation months, there is an increase in the number of teenagers seeking plastic surgery. The long period without school allows for undergoing the surgery and the initial recovery stages away from the school routine, but this also has a distinct social and aesthetic aspect.

For many teenagers, returning to school is perceived as an opportunity to turn a new page — to arrive at the school year with a different look, to feel better about themselves, and sometimes to impress their surroundings, explains Prof. Lior Heller, a specialist in plastic and general surgery at the Shamir Medical Center.

Most requested surgeries — "asymmetry" corrections

Among the most requested surgeries among teenagers are rhinoplasty, otoplasty, and breast surgeries. According to Prof. Heller, even within these categories, changes in trends and preferences can be identified. "In the field of breast surgery, for example, there has been a noticeable decrease in recent years in the demand for breast augmentations, and at the same time, an increase in the number of inquiries for breast reductions and surgeries intended to correct asymmetry," he said. This change, according to him, "reflects to some extent also shifts in the perception of beauty and body ideals among the younger generation."

The plastic surgery expert says that the rise in demand for breast reduction stems from a combination of changing aesthetic trends and considerations of comfort and lifestyle. According to Prof. Heller, large breasts are less fashionable today compared to the past, and it is possible that the rise in BMI indices also influences the trend. However, he adds that it is not just a question of appearance: "For some girls, large breasts can make physical activity and daily conduct difficult. There are also girls who ask to undergo breast reduction for very practical reasons, for example, ahead of military service in a combat role, where comfort of movement and the ability to perform intensive physical activity take on special significance."

The influence of social media: "It's hard to ignore them"

Media and social networks currently have a significant influence on how teenagers perceive their bodies and the appearance they desire, says Prof. Heller: "The daily exposure to influencers, celebrities, and images that have often undergone editing or filtering creates aesthetic standards that are hard to ignore. Quite a few young people come for a consultation equipped with a picture of an influencer, celebrity, or even a friend and ask to look like them."

But here, according to him, comes one of the points where expectation management is required: "Body structure, facial features, and proportions vary from person to person, and therefore a look that suits one person is not necessarily possible or suitable for another," he says. "Teenagers may arrive for a consultation with very high and sometimes even extreme demands, partly due to the images they are exposed to online. When a patient dictates exactly how she expects to look or demands a result that is medically and aesthetically unrealistic — for example, that a breast after reduction should not sag at all, or asks to go from an A cup to a DD cup — it is a significant warning sign."

The plastic surgery expert clarifies that in such cases, the surgeon may decide not to perform the surgery: "Beyond the medical data, the personal and professional impression of the patient, her level of maturity, and the expectations she places on the surgery are an integral part of the decision-making process."

The important role of parents: "Guide towards reasonable expectations, do not dismiss automatically"

Prof. Heller says that parents have a particularly significant role when it comes to teenagers. "On one hand, they must be the responsible adult in the room — to help moderate extreme demands, to ask the right questions (risks and possible complications, what is the complication rate, what scars are expected to remain, and what are the limitations during the recovery period), and to guide towards reasonable expectations from the procedure and its results. On the other hand, it is important not to automatically dismiss the teenager's desire, but to show sensitivity and listen when a certain feature in the external appearance causes them real distress," he emphasizes.

He further adds that the role of parents does not end on the day of the surgery: even during the recovery period, they must ensure that the girl or boy adheres to the doctor's instructions, allows the body to recover, and does not rush to return to full activity — for example, going out to a party just two days after the surgery. "It is also important to understand what the return to routine will look like: when it is possible to return to school, when it is possible to return to physical activity, and when it is possible to conduct oneself again without limitations. According to the professor, there is no surgeon who has no complications at all. Therefore, precisely a promise of a risk-free surgery or a claim that the surgeon "never has complications" should arouse suspicion. "An open and honest conversation about the risks is an essential part of making a responsible and realistic decision," concludes Prof. Heller.