Argumentative Essay: Plastic Surgery, Teenagers, and Societal Pressure

This essay delves into the complex issue of plastic surgery, specifically examining its impact on teenagers and the societal pressures that influence their decisions. The author argues that teenagers should not be allowed to undergo plastic surgeries before reaching the age of maturity due to the significant risks involved, both physical and psychological, and the potential for regret. The essay highlights how societal beauty standards, often perpetuated by media, can negatively affect self-esteem and body image, leading young girls to consider cosmetic procedures. It explores the potential health hazards, including nerve damage and emotional distress, associated with plastic surgery. The essay emphasizes the importance of maturity and informed decision-making, suggesting that teenagers lack the emotional and mental stability needed to make such life-altering choices. It concludes by advocating for educating young people about the importance of self-acceptance and critical thinking regarding media portrayals of beauty, ultimately asserting that cosmetic surgery should be a choice made only by those capable of fully understanding its implications.

Running head: SOCIOLOGY
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Plastic Surgery should be allowed after one reaches an age to make a wise decision
The established notions of beauty standards and ideals are very stereotyped compel girls
to constantly battle with their self-worth and beauty to meet the accepted and established
standards. This seems to be a factor which is making girls resort to plastic or cosmetic surgery to
make changes to their appearances to meet beauty standards. However, it is also to be noted that
plastic surgeries are also performed as post-surgery treatment or for the treatment of scars or
damages to the skin tissues caused due to accidents. Teenage girls should not be allowed to
undergo Plastic Surgeries before they reach the standard age of maturity or 18 in most of the
countries and they are capable of making their own decisions in life as the procedure involves
great risks and changes, which are permanent in nature, which must be thought about and
implemented on the body making use of wisdom.
The desirable features of beauty are defined by stereotypes and beauty ideas, which are
very harmful for girls as they are made to doubt themselves for not being beautiful enough to
meet those standards (Ashikali, Dittmar and Ayers). Women are far too objectified by
mainstream culture and media, which are very influential to make teenagers, at their most
vulnerable age desire to meet the external standard rather than compromising their uniqueness.
The portraiture of girls and women in women celebrate a prototype which is destructive for body
images which do not conform to the prototype. Even in Disney movies, the princesses have small

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waist, exaggerated and well defined eyes, sharp nose, well defined breasts and hips, which not
only set unrealistic standards of beauty but also make girls question their own beauty (Ashikali,
Dittmar and Ayers). These social conditioning make young girls resort to plastic surgery to alter
their features just to beautify themselves as per stereotyped images and ideal notions of beauty,
which involve great risks too (Harris-Moore).
Furthermore, plastic surgeries involve great health hazards, not only physical but mental too.
The risks which are involved in a plastic surgery cannot be entirely be predicted beforehand.
Teenage girls might want to beautify themselves according to the set ideas or even need surgery
for damage caused to the skin and its appearance by an accident or prior surgery (Crerand and
Magee). What is not entirely known is that the intended cosmetic surgery may as well yield
worse outcomes. Plastic Surgeries often cause nerve damages, especially if it’s facial plastic
surgery, which are most likely to affect the stability of facial reflexes and expressions. Plastic
Surgery also involves psychological risks due to pre-operative and post-operative situations
which cause emotional turmoil in the patients who desire or need to undergo the operation to
achieve perfection in physical appearance (Nerini, Matera and Stefanile). The immense societal
pressure which girls feel a necessity to meet the ideal beauty standards make them go through
anxiety, depression and many other psychological challenges which make them perceive
themselves differently and find it difficult to face the reality and accept their own selves (Nerini,
Matera and Stefanile).
Arguably, plastic Surgeries involve great monetary spending to achieve desirable outcomes.
Social Pressure make young girls find Plastic surgery as an option to achieve the desirable
changes but the procedures are not only risky but also expensive to carry out because they
struggle with their self-esteem and often get bullied too (Lee). The procedure involves great

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expenses which girls are willing to spend and often go beyond their capacity to afford just by
coming under peer pressure, as they wish to achieve the identity they desire or find perfect as per
beauty standards in the society, which are often much distorted. Girls, should come of a certain
age before making decision of undergoing a cosmetic surgery because affording the same, might
be a pressure. It is thus, very important to think it through, if making such expenses are worth the
outcomes, which are expected out of the procedure.
In addition to that, teenage girls experience great emotional, psychological and physical
changes during their adolescence and teenage years, which makes it more important to consider
such drastic steps before implementation of the same. Teenage girls do not possess the emotional
and mental stability which are essential to make drastic decisions such as to get a plastic surgery
done or not. Even if a girl needs to undergo a plastic surgery after an accident or operation to
treat the scar, the decision and suggestiveness to a great extent lies with the doctor, which
involves medical supervision. However, if it’s a choice to alter the features to conform to the
ideal beauty types, it necessitates consideration and the ability to make right decision (David).
Maturity, in such cases are very important, which girls should at least be of eighteen years of age
to decide on the same. The outcomes of the plastic surgeries might not be very pleasant, which
may cause great distress and regret. One must have awareness and ability to deal with the
outcomes of their choices and thus handle the circumstances rather than getting into post-surgery
trauma and depression.
By and large, it is very important for teenagers to be able to distinguish between what they
desire for themselves. Teenagers often lack the understanding of the world, as they suddenly
learn about very many things about the world but seldom about the adverse effects and outcomes
(David). Girls should rather be taught that they are beautiful just the way they are rather than

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getting dictated by media and culture about the expected standards of beauty, especially how
women get depicted in media (David). Women are objectified and made objects of desire by
reproducing a body image which is very harmful for self-esteem. Girls must come of age to
achieve the maturity and understand how these images are impactful and influence their choice
(Farshidfar, Dastjerdi and Shahabizadeh). However, if they still are willing to pursue cosmetic
surgeries to alter their features, increase positivity and self-worth, it is their choice entirely but
when they are eligible to make those fatal changes to themselves and nobody else is accountable
for those, but themselves.
Therefore, it can be concluded by saying that Cosmetic Surgeries involve great risks, for
which teenagers are often very vulnerable to make the right decisions. It is very important for
them to acquire knowledge and awareness about the changes which they intend to make based on
societal expectations and established ideas of beauty. Hence, they must come of age to make the
right decision.

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Works Cited
Ashikali, Eleni-Marina, Helga Dittmar, and Susan Ayers. "The effect of cosmetic surgery reality
tv shows on adolescent girls’ body image." Psychology of Popular Media Culture 3.3
(2014): 141.
Crerand, Canice E., and Leanne Magee. "Cosmetic and reconstructive breast surgery in
adolescents: psychological, ethical, and legal considerations." Seminars in plastic
surgery. Vol. 27. No. 01. Thieme Medical Publishers, 2013.
Davis, Kathy. Reshaping the female body: The dilemma of cosmetic surgery. Routledge, 2013.
Farshidfar, Zahra, Reza Dastjerdi, and Fateme Shahabizadeh. "Acceptance of cosmetic surgery:
body image, self esteem and conformity." Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences 84
(2013): 238-242.
Harris-Moore, Deborah. Media and the rhetoric of body perfection: cosmetic surgery, weight
loss and beauty in popular culture. Ashgate Publishing, Ltd., 2014.
Lee, Sharon Heijin. "Beauty between empires: Global feminism, plastic surgery, and the trouble
with self-esteem." Frontiers: A Journal of Women Studies 37.1 (2016): 1-31.
Nerini, Amanda, Camilla Matera, and Cristina Stefanile. "Psychosocial predictors in
consideration of cosmetic surgery among women." Aesthetic plastic surgery 38.2 (2014):
461-466.