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Teens seeking plastic surgery now a risky trend: Doctors

Dubai - The youth's idea of "perfection" is often anchored on the unrealistic beauty standards they find on social media.

Doctors are seeing a plastic surgery trend among teenagers who want to "look perfect" - and they say it's largely driven by social media.
Teens are becoming impulsive and since their behaviour is yet to be firmly developed, it affects their mental health in their quest to look perfect, doctors said in a panel discussion on Monday during the opening of Beverly Hills Sunset Surgery Centre International (BHSSCI) at Valiant Clinic, City Walk.
"This is becoming a problem, and while we as doctors can say no, parents also need to put their foot down and tell their children that they cannot do this surgery," said Dr Andrew Ordon, a long-time co-host of the Emmy Award-winning talk show The Doctors.
The youth's idea of "perfection" is often anchored on the unrealistic beauty standards they find on social media, according to experts.
Dr Odon said there were cases where teenagers needed reconstruction surgeries.
The Dubai facility will be led by Dr David Matlock, president, CEO and chief medical officer at BHSSCI in California and head of panel in Dubai, alongside Dr Ordon, Dr Raj Kanodia, Beverly Hills' rhinoplasty surgeon, and Dr Warren Lent, whose expertise has been broadcast on shows such as Dateline, Good Day LA and Extra, and many more.
Services offered at the centre fall under plastic surgery procedures, including liposuction, tummy tucks, fat grafting, implant removal and replacement, cosmetic dentistry services such as Hollywood smile, composite restorations, zirconia and ceramic implants, bridges and crowns, and specialised cosmetic dermatology treatments for acne, cool sculpting, micro-needling, scar correction and dermal fillers, amongst others.
According to PricewaterhouseCoopers, the UAE's aesthetic care market is forecast to reach Dh1.5 billion by 2021, while the country's female high-end aesthetic care is expected to grow 23.1 per cent between 2016 and 2021.
Hair removal, Botox, facial treatments and fillers are among the most in-demand non-invasive procedures, while liposuction, rhinoplasty, abdominoplasty and female physical enhancement are the most sought-after invasive procedures.
Commenting on changing regional trends, Dr Marc Ruemmler, general manager of Valiant Clinic, said: "The Mena region has experienced significant growth in demand, with long-term historical trends for aesthetics resulting in an increased acceptance of cosmetic procedures."
"Medical tourists who seek plastic surgery services find Dubai's unmatched technology, safety and convenience, along with its position as a leisure destination, attractive," he said.
Drawing on his experience as a cosmetic surgeon to some of the world's most popular celebrities, Dr Matlock said: "Plastic surgical procedures such as general plastic, head and neck facial plastic, cosmetic gynaecology, dermatology, and cosmetic dentistry are highly popular among aesthetes in pursuit of physical perfection."
"Undergoing cosmetic surgery is not something patients are ashamed of anymore, it has become a sign of beauty, power, success, health and youth. Societies, too, have become more comfortable with plastic surgery as they view it as part of self-improvement," he said.
He, however, said the problem starts when people are not satisfied and this develops into body dysmorphia, an abnormality in the size or shape of a part of the body.
"Many surgeons do say no to such patients but then if I say no, someone else will say yes," he said, adding that unnatural results are giving plastic surgery a bad name.
asmaalizain@khaleejtimes.com