How Young is Too Young for Plastic Surgery?

Last month, I talked about dolls who look like people — and people who look like dolls actually – all in the spirit of fun. And to mark what seems to be a growing trend.

But then there's the Human Barbie, self-named by Sarah Burge, who boasts over 100 plastic surgery procedures — she even beats Heidi Montag.

Who knows where her body dysmorphia comes from (the 51-year-old was a former Playboy model). But as a mother, she's passing it down to her children.

The publicity hound made news this month when she put a voucher for liposuction in her 7-year-old daughter's Christmas stocking. Seven!

And that's not the first time. For daughter Poppy's seventh birthday, she gave her a voucher for breast implants – along with a pole dancing party.

Burge claims she's just helping to fulfill her daughter's dreams, and that her other daughters, ranging from 17 to 27, have had Botox and cosmetic procedures, too, set by her own million dollar example.

Fortunately, Sarah Burge's daughter won't be able to cash in the vouchers for the plastic surgery procedures until she's 16 (the legal age for boob jobs and related surgeries in the UK), but that doesn't apply to injectibles and non-invasive procedures.

An academic article back in 2003 warned of growing concerns: 

  ... the physiological and psychological reasons to delay these procedures, including concerns about body dysmorphic disorder and research findings regarding changes in teenagers' body image as they mature.... The lack of persuasive empirical research on the mental health benefits of plastic surgery for teenagers is highlighted."

Not only changes in body image, but actual physical changes need to be considered. Having cosmetic produces before the body has physically matured mean that, a nose job for instance, can significantly alter between say 16 and 26.

The Human Barbie's story alone is amazing enough, but it's not isolated.  For instance, "beauty-pageant obsessed" mum Kerry Campbell takes her 8-year-old daughter for Botox injections regularly .

The Toddlers & Tiaras culture perpetuates this mindset of cosmetic work, not to mention inappropriate dress for pre-teens. I know I said no judgments, just opinions, but…OK, here's my opinion:

My stomach lurches at the fact that there's even something like Toddlers & Tiaras on TV. And it's on The Learning Channel! Frankly, I'd've thought that whole terrible JonBenet Ramsey mess would have precluded something like this.

A Huffington Post article reported other aspects of the TV show's effect:

Toddlers and Tiaras, which chronicles child pageant stars and the often-pushy parents who lavish time and money on the tot's pageant 'careers', most recently drew controversy when a 3-year-old girl competed dressed as Julia Roberts' prostitute character from "Pretty Woman." A previous scandal involved a 4-year-old whose mother dolled her up in fake breasts and butt padding to perform a bit as Dolly Parton."

I asked Dr. Doris Day, a prominent dermatologist in NYC, what she thought of the idea of young girls getting Botox, teenage plastic surgery, and the like. There was not a moment of hesitation,

I think it's wrong morally, ethically, and medically," Dr. Day said, "and you can quote me several times over."

Frankly I'm surprised that mothers who came of age in the era of Women's Lib would even entertain anything like teenage plastic surgery or Botox for their daughters. Dr. Day, who has two children,18 and 20, says she finds herself saying no to patients "all day long."

It sends the wrong message," she said, and reinforces the wrong behavior. Botox should not be like taking a pill, she explained, but part of a decision that's an integral part of your overall skin care routine which includes cleansing and sun protection, of course, but also considers diet and exercise and your lifestyle in general. Even community service! And that's what she tries to impart to her daughters and her patients.

Now that's a holistic approach! Brilliant.

But while someone like Dr. Day is saying no, there's always someone who'll say yes. And they're not always doctors, she points out. This accounts for so many celebrity plastic surgery disasters – they're not used to having people say no to them.

Nevertheless, the celebrities are of age – hopefully.

As one of the articles in The Sun via Care2 pointed out :

 … there are no criminal laws preventing parents from doing this. If this is becoming a trend among beauty pageant parents …, serious consideration is needed to protect children so they can actually be children – not frozen version of themselves with a lifetime's worth of crippling self-esteem."

Not to mention the fact that mindsets like these are fertile ground for the growing problem of sex trafficking which The Body Shop among others fight so diligently against. Good grief, a child's face is one of the most beautiful things there is — plain and simple.

More plastic surgery cautionary tales:
Why Do Stars Lie about Plastic Surgery?
Waif or Porn Star?
POLL: How Do You Really Feel About Plastic Surgery?