Plastic Surgery for Children

[Ozzieshunni]

I know this topic has cropped up on here from time to time, but I just watched this news video about a little girl who had her ears pinned back in order to avoid bullying. I suppose what worries me is that her mom was so adament that her daughter would be bullied later in life and the little girl says she wasn't really bullied at all. It makes me think of my parents having two of my teeth "fixed" because they were smaller than the rest and my smile "didn't look right." I remember them asking me if I wanted to do it and I had said no but then the dentist and my parents really pushed me showing me pictures of before and after shots of people and I consented (I was like 16). What do you think? Would you do something like having your children's ears pinned back as a preventative measure for bullying or has society gone too far searching for physical perfection that we have forgotten inner beauty?

Here is the link to the story if anyone is interested: https://news.yahoo.com/video/health-15749655/bullied-child-gets-plastic-surgery-24902719

 

[Lightworker]

Hmm I find this one tough as I can picture my ideological tendencies being changed if I was the one in the actual situation. I am naturally inclined to saying "no" because the parent is reinforcing the belief that her child has to conform, thereby avoiding the lesson of being unique and happy. Conversely no parent wants to see their child hurt and will act to prevent it. Its a toughie.

 

[Jess137]

In my experience, kids are made fun of no matter what at one point or another. I think that children need to be taught to love themselves as they are, and be confident in themselves. And that you are not defined by what others think of you.

 

[Blah11]

I'm not going to lie, if amelie had squint teeth i'd get her a brace and if she had really sticky out ears, I'd ask her if shed like them pinned back. I imagine most would say yes. I wouldnt let her get nose jobs and stuff though.

 

[annawrigley]

Kids find anything to pick on, I find its the kind of person you are rather than what you look like. I was a totally "normal" looking child but I got picked on for my 'posh' accent And because I didnt defend myself people carried on, as soon as I learnt to laugh it off and not care, they stopped. There were people in the 'popular' group who looked like they would be bullied, overweight or whatever, but they didnt cos of the way they put themselves across. Its about confidence not appearance IMO.

However, if a child of mine came home in tears because people had been picking on them for having sticking out ears, and begged for me to fix them, I would be torn

I thought her ears looked weird pinned back

 

[Ozzieshunni]

Anna, I did too!!!!! They didn't look right! She looked so much cuter before.

 

[KaceysMummy]

This is so bizarre - I don't think she needed to get her ear pinned back tbh, I think maybe if she had stopped tucking her hair behind them they wouldn't even be that noticeable I think it was maybe more for the mums benefit.
I do agree that kids will find anything to pick on others about - would the mum have got a her nose job if she had a big nose? Her ears can be covered by her hair.
I suppose its one of them situations you couldn't really understand unless you were in that situation yourself...

 

[BlackBerry25]

I see nothing wrong if someone has an actual abnormality. If it's avaliable and not a cosmetic issue like a boob job or a face lift, etc. I have no problem with it.

Takes a lot of thought.

 

[XfairyhopesX]

Awwww i saw this!!! and i for one would def let her, i couldnt cope with the thought she'd be bullied... which i think she would, i dont class that as plastic surgery, i had dark circles when younger (still have a little) and i had laser surgey over a number of years in my teens, my mum and dad! fully supported and even took me to the ops !! xx

 

[annawrigley]

Anyone wonder if she might now be teased for being "the girl who had plastic surgery"?

 

[ttc_lolly]

I think it's one of those where you can't really judge unless your in the situation

We kind of are, because my LO's right ear is quite noticeably bigger and more sticky-outer than her left. So instead of having 2 stick out ears she has just the 1 and they are unsymmetrical. I have thought about going to see my GP to see if plastic surgery would be an option, and I won't lie it is partly I worry she may be bullied but there's also the aspect of her not looking symmetical iykwim? And if she ever needed to wear glasses they'd sit wonky on her little head!!

My OH is dead against it though, as are all his family. His sister has the exact same ears as my LO, so I'm guessing she inherited from OH's gene pool but she has never been bullied in her life so I'm not sure really - I just can't make my mind up if it's important enough to warrant surgery especially as she's a girl so when her hair grows it'll not be as noticeable.

I might be biased but my LO really is so gorgeous anyway I don't think it makes a slight bit of difference in the grand scheme of things xx

 

[Luke's_mummy]

Getting ears pinned back IS NOT plastic surgery. In this country it is done on the NHS, so surely that means that its not plastic sugery. OHs brother had it done at 11, he is so much happier for having it done! I can't believe people think that this is pastic surgery, that like saying having your ears pinned back is the same as having a bood job, or a face lift. Of course its not, you don't see those getting done ROUTINELY on the nhs.

The pinning back of ears is NO diffrent to getting braces. I don't know how people can sit here and say I'd hate it, I'd be torn if my child asked me to do it ect, when I'm sure the exsact same people wouldn't hesitate to get braces for their child. It frustratits me that people will say where can we draw the line. Its simple, ears pinned back + braces fine. Boob jobs, nose jobs ect are not.

To reitterate, how can something be classed as plastic surgery and wrong if children are routinely refered for it if there is a problem and not only is it done free of charge on the NHS but this child in the US had it done for free by a charity! A charity wouldn't just go around handing out unnessacary plastic surgery.

 

[ttc_lolly]

Getting ears pinned back IS NOT plastic surgery. In this country it is done on the NHS, so surely that means that its not plastic sugery. OHs brother had it done at 11, he is so much happier for having it done! I can't believe people think that this is pastic surgery, that like saying having your ears pinned back is the same as having a bood job, or a face lift. Of course its not, you don't see those getting done ROUTINELY on the nhs.

The pinning back of ears is NO diffrent to getting braces. I don't know how people can sit here and say I'd hate it, I'd be torn if my child asked me to do it ect, when I'm sure the exsact same people wouldn't hesitate to get braces for their child. It frustratits me that people will say where can we draw the line. Its simple, ears pinned back + braces fine. Boob jobs, nose jobs ect are not.

To reitterate, how can something be classed as plastic surgery and wrong if children are routinely refered for it if there is a problem and not only is it done free of charge on the NHS but this child in the US had it done for free by a charity! A charity wouldn't just go around handing out unnessacary plastic surgery.

Just wanted to point out that physically it is classed as plastic surgery. Also people are referred for breast implants, tummy tucks, excess skin removal etc on the NHS too. They are purely for cosemtic reasons. With my daughter's ears being slightly wonky, hers could pose a problem when wearing glasses but if I were to go ahead and have her larger ear pinned back it would still be for cosmetic reasons mainly.

 

[Luke's_mummy]

that like saying having your ears pinned back is the same as having a bood job, or a face lift. Of course its not, you don't see those getting done ROUTINELY on the nhs.

I do know that those things are done OCCASIONALY on the NHS, but if you look at the quote above you'll see that I said ROUTINELY. Although occasionaly people ARE refered for things like tummy tucks it isn't routine and it isn't for children.

 

[sophxx]

i dont see a problem if my lo needed his ears pinned back then he can i would also get him braces and if he had need clef plate surgeroy he would have had that done to

the only problem i would have would be breast implants sex changes and things along those lines before turning 18

 

[Tegans Mama]

i dont see a problem if my lo needed his ears pinned back then he can i would also get him braces and if he had need clef plate surgeroy he would have had that done to

the only problem i would have would be breast implants sex changes and things along those lines before turning 18

Regarding cleft palate surgeries - most of those are done to combat feeding issues now, and not as plastic surgery. Granted they do follow on surgeries which ARE plastic surgery, but I think that is different to pinning back ears!

Personally I would wait until my child was older to see if they wanted any "minor" imperfections fixing because to me, my child is beautiful no matter what and the majority of children are bullied for something.

I want to throw something into this too though - my daughters spinal defect is quite extensive. When she is older (maybe 10 plus) if she wants it doing, the plastic surgery team at the hospital she goes to will offer her a *corrective procedure* involving skin grafting/excess bone removal to try and make it look more "normal". Is it ok for her to have this done, or is it surgery for vanitys sake?

 

[sophxx]

my friends lo had plastic surgery on his cleft plate not cos he had feeding issues as he breats feed fine and they were no worries but because they wanted and decided it was the best for him for when he went through school and was a adult

my friend from school had plastic surgery when she split boiling water over her hand she had to have skin grafts i would have no rpoblem with that either x

 

[Blah11]

but the little girl in the video did want her ears done. I think 7 or 8 is old enough to make a decision like that really. maybe I'd wait a few extra years. I defo wouldn't do it to a toddler.

 

[ttc_lolly]

that like saying having your ears pinned back is the same as having a bood job, or a face lift. Of course its not, you don't see those getting done ROUTINELY on the nhs.

I do know that those things are done OCCASIONALY on the NHS, but if you look at the quote above you'll see that I said ROUTINELY. Although occasionaly people ARE refered for things like tummy tucks it isn't routine and it isn't for children.

But ears being pinned back aren't done just routinely either.

It's still cosmetic surgery braces to correct teeth are done usually to stop the wonky teeth pushing the other teeth out of joint so it's not purely for cosmetic reasons

 

[PeanutBean]

Luke's mummy, it is still plastic surgery but that doesn't necessarily make it bad. Getting skin grafts to damage the body after severe burning or a dog mauling is plastic surgery too, it's just a term not a judgement of the procedure.

I didn't see this so can't comment on that case. I wouldn't do it unless there were genuine reasons to do it, for example the 'defect' got in the way of the child's ability to eat or something like that. I had a brace but very badly squashed teeth lead to damage in future when wisdom teeth come in and through not being able to properly clean teeth. You're more likely to be teased having a brace though (or at least that's how it was when I was young) and bullying never came into it for me one way or another. It's also kind if minor compared to actual surgery.

I'm in the camp of promoting acceptance of variation and in trying to think of hypothetical situations where I might do it I found that I'd have taken a different course of action earlier on to prevent that scenario ever happening in the first place.