Norman Rockwell | Girl at the Mirror

These are just a few of the question’s we’ll explore with this guide to the good, the bad and the ugly of plastic surgery for kids.

High School Surgical

High school can be a tough time during a teenager’s life as they try to discover who they are while still trying to fit in and make friends. This makes the question of cosmetic surgery a tough one - on the one hand, you want to teach a child to be happy with who they are but sometimes certain pronounced facial features can make a teenager feel uncomfortable or self-conscious. For instance, acne scars, nose bumps and “dumbo” ears are all sources of anxiety for many teens that can be relatively easy to fix with cosmetic surgery.

In these cases, deciding on whether or not the operation is necessary depends on how adamantly the teen feels about it. Something like acne scars can be unsightly and embarrassing for a teenager and if it has been causing a good deal of anxiety, it’s completely understandable that they may want to try cosmetic surgery. However, other procedures such as liposuction are not only unsafe, but also undermine values such as eating healthy and exercising.

So before deciding on a procedure, it is important to be certain that your child isn’t compromising values for vanity.

Talking to your Teen

To make sure that your teenager is mature enough for cosmetic surgery, it’s important to open up communication about the subject. Make sure your teenager knows the potential risks, has realistic expectations and is doing it for the right reasons. Sometimes kids feel pressured to ask for cosmetic surgery because of teasing or insults instead of actually feeling the change is necessary. Make sure that this is something the teen sincerely wants for his or herself.

Similarly, making sure that the teen is realistic about what to expect for the results can prevent disappointment and depression. Teenagers can sometimes work up unrealistic expectations about how they will look post-operation. Talking to your teen about expectations before the operation will allow them to weigh the potential outcome with the risks of the surgery which will contribute to a much more informed decision.

While it’s important to always have open communication with your child, it is doubly so when considering a surgical procedure.

Common Procedures

Listed below are some of the most common cosmetic procedures for those under 18.

Rhinoplasty - Rhinoplasty involves any reshaping of the nose. The most common rhinoplasty is dorsal bone reduction, the straightening out of bumps on the nose. Though some people reshape the nose in other ways, such as reducing nostril width, most other procedures should wait until the child is over the age of 18 because of safety concerns, and most doctors won’t perform any rhinoplasty until a teen is at least 16.

Ostoplasty - This procedure involves pinning back extended ears, sometimes referred to as “dumbo” ears. And because this surgery is considered very safe and simple, children as young as 5 have been known to get it. Like rhinoplasty, it’s one of the most common cosmetic surgeries for youngsters and is fairly controversy-free.

Scar revision surgery - Though no scar can be eliminated completely, scar revision surgery can make them much less noticeable. In teenagers with severe acne, scarring can occur both by depressing the skin and thickening raised tissue. Because some of this scarring can become quite unsightly, scar revision surgery remains a viable option for teenagers who wish to reduce the damage caused by severe acne.

Breast asymmetry correction -  This surgery is meant to correct assymetry in breast size, such as if one breast is larger than the other. The operation involves either reducing the size of one breast or enlarging the other. It is important to note that this is not breast enhancement, as you must be at least 18 years of age for most kinds of breast augmentation. However, in certain cases where there is a noticeable disproportionality in breast size, it can be a completely legitimate procedure to get.

Gynecomastia - Gynecomastia is a fairly common procedure for overweight teenage boys that involves reducing overly large male breasts. The enlargement of the male breast occurs due to abnormally large mammary glands in male teens. Though the problem is exacerbated by obesity, gynecomastia can occur in average size teens as well, though it is usually less severe.

Conclusion

Making that final decision to get cosmetic surgery for an adolescent is a complex issue and before jumping to a conclusion one should always consult with a doctor. But most importantly, the boy or girl receiving the surgery needs to be mature and knowledgable about the subject. Plastic surgery is not something to rush into - it should be carefully weighed by the parent, doctor and teenager together so that the final decision is an informed decision.

The information in the article is not intended to substitute for the medical expertise and advice of your health care provider. We encourage you to discuss any decisions about treatment or care with an appropriate medical professional.

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How Chiropractic Care Works

The human body holds a complex musculoskeletal system, with the bones and muscles working much like levers and pulleys to facilitate desired movement. This is connected to the body’s neurological system, since nerve impulses control the muscular movement that pulls on the bones. When the skeleton is misaligned, pain results because nerves and muscles become pinched or strained, and because the misalignment often creates excess pressure on the joints. Chiropractic adjustments work by realigning the skeleton, thereby relieving the nerve, muscle, and joint problems.

How Does Chiropractic Care Help Moms-to-Be?

When a woman is pregnant, the musculoskeletal system is required to accommodate the excess weight of the pregnancy. Although some of this weight is distributed evenly throughout the body as maternal fat stores, the majority of the weight is gained in the abdominal region and is made up of amniotic fluid, the fetus, and placenta. With gravity pulling against this extra weight, the body has to work harder to stay upright because so much weight is in one area. As the body tries to compensate for this shift in its center of gravity and to deal with the weight, the musculoskeletal system gradually becomes strained and pulled out of alignment. This is made worse by the fact that hormones released during pregnancy cause the joints to become looser so that the bones in the pelvis eventually can shift enough to allow the baby through the birth canal. The result is pain, most commonly in the lumbar, pelvic, and neck regions. Seeing a chiropractor during pregnancy can alleviate these problems.

Another benefit to chiropractic care during pregnancy that often is not discussed is an easier delivery. When the pelvis of a mother is misaligned as a result of the pregnancy, the baby sometimes can have a more difficult time turning into the correct position for birth because the pelvic bones are misaligned and therefore in the baby’s way. While this does not mean the baby cannot be birthed, it can result in problems such as shoulder dystocia, which can mean longer, harder labors and which can become life-threatening for both mother and baby without intervention. By contrast, an aligned pelvis during delivery ensures that the baby can turn correctly and thereby encounter minimal resistance through the birth canal.

There Are Benefits, But Is It Safe?

When done correctly, chiropractic care poses minimal to no risk to the mother and baby. However, because there are multiple chiropractic techniques, a pregnant woman should make sure that the ones her chiropractor employs are low pressure (i.e., that the bones are shifted gradually back into place rather than quickly popped into alignment). This is because the hormones of pregnancy make the joints particularly loose, which can result in overcorrection.

The main side effects of chiropractic care for pregnant women are the same as for non-pregnant individuals. These side effects may include headaches, tiredness, and soreness in the treated region. This is mainly because the shift back into alignment can put the treated region into stress until the muscles, nerves, and bones become adjusted to their new, correct placement. These are usually temporary. However, chiropractic care also can be considered safer than other treatments (especially during pregnancy) because it is a natural remedy and therefore does not have the complications that drugs or surgery could have.

Are There Other Things to Consider?

Pregnant women are advised not to lie on their back for long periods of time because the weight of the baby can press on main arteries that supply blood to the child. For this reason, pregnant women should make sure that their chiropractor adjusts them carefully in positions that take this into consideration. Many chiropractors also have special tables with a place cut out for the belly so that the mother does not need to lie flat on her back.

Women who already have hypomobility of the joints previous to their pregnancy should be particularly careful of the type of chiropractic adjustment they receive during gestation. The hormones of pregnancy can worsen this hypomobility and can make the risk of injury from a hard adjustment higher. For this reason, some chiropractors are hesitant to work on pregnant women, particularly those with this condition.

Because medications can affect how the body reacts to the chiropractic adjustment, pregnant women need to discuss any medications they are taking with the chiropractor. This includes prenatal vitamins and supplements. Pregnant women also need to discuss any previous physical conditions, pregnancy-related and otherwise, that may affect the effectiveness of the adjustment or which may cause injury if left unknown to the professional. The current obstetrician seen should be aware that chiropractic care is being sought so that medications and recommendations from the obstetrician do not conflict with the chiropractic care.

The Bottom Line

Although a pregnant woman may experience some minimal side effects from a chiropractic adjustment, the benefits of chiropractic care that is correctly given outweigh the risks. As long as the chiropractor is well-informed of the pregnancy and other medical conditions and treatments, chiropractic care is a safe, effective, natural remedy to pain related to pregnancy misalignments and can help the mother to deliver more easily.

The information in the article is not intended to substitute for the medical expertise and advice of your health care provider. We encourage you to discuss any decisions about treatment or care an appropriate health care provider.

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Secondly, it can’t be too easy to parent or get a message across properly, shouting from the top of the stairs. Instead, the mother in this scenario should confront her daughter in a more civilized manner but still with clear authority. Yelling will likely not resolve too many problems. Sometimes, it can work for the moment, but it also can worsen the issue in the future. Instead, this mother may want to try a little creativity, authority and consistency.

Creativity

Creativity, in combination with authority and consistency, can play an important role in getting kids to do tasks such cleaning their rooms. Who says chores have to be boring? Why not make them fun?

For preschoolers and toddlers, try having races to the toy box. If a toy grocery cart or wagon is available, the children can pick up more toys at once. Racing with the cart or wagon can be fun. With older kids you may have to try something else.

Often, the reason behind older kids not cleaning is because there is not an exact place for everything. Try taking the kids each on their own separate shopping trip. Allow them to pick out organizational items for their room. To make it more fun, allow them to personalize those items with paint or fabric.

Think about your child’s favorite activity and try to incorporate that in cleaning the room. For instance, if your kids enjoy dancing, you can turn on the music. To get your kids to clean their rooms let them know they can dance while cleaning.

Creative ideas do not have to be limited to those above. They may even need to be updated periodically as your kids get bored. Sometimes all that is needed to motivate kids to clean their rooms is a fresh idea that hasn’t been used before. Also, this could act as an opportunity for creative play with your child. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, creative play is essential.

Authority

Another important factor when you want to get your kids to clean their rooms is authority. Be sure your child knows that you mean business. If you tell your kids to clean their rooms in a joking tone of voice, they won’t take you seriously. Do not be mean. Just be firm and serious.

If they are not complying, get on their eye level. This is mainly for use with kids who still are not complying, even after you’ve made the chore fun. Let them know that they can either have fun with it or not, but their chores do need to be done. In order for them to take you seriously, your voice should be firm but not angry.

Consistency

If you have instructed your kids to clean their rooms, you must show them you mean business. Stay in close proximity to the rooms until they are clean. With older children, check back every couple minutes.

By being consistent and authoritative, the kids should know you mean business. It is possible to be fun and serious at the same time. When you are trying to get the kids to clean their rooms with fun and creativity, it should be evident that whether they choose to have fun with it or not, their rooms still need to be cleaned. When combining creativity, authority and consistency, the kids should know you mean business and get their rooms clean.

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