Kylie Jenner and Young Cosmetic Surgery

Those famous for being famous continue to draw curiosity and write headlines, especially young Kylie Jenner and her plumped lips. Young people believing cosmetic intervention before the age of 20 is not only desirable but necessary suggests a problem, one many plastic surgeons, the arbiters of such procedures, find potentially importunate.

Dr. Steven Camp of Fort Worth and Dr. Richard Baxter of Seattle discuss the issue of young people coming in for facial rejuvenation before their faces have even had a chance to peak. Is it right for teens to receive lip injections? Find out in this latest PSC Uncut.

Following the Famous

The splash famous people make on the lives of the rest of us is significant, even if only a subconscious effect. Even those who deride celebrity worship and interest find themselves affected and aware of its aspects. As great as it would be for all famous people to exude intelligence and strong character, the ability to be famous for being famous has set the bar lower than in the past.

“It’s natural for the general public and especially younger people to look to people of fame and notoriety for fashion trends, advice, and interest,” says Dr. Camp. “I think sometimes we lose perspective in plastic surgery as to what our mission is. At a very young age, doing something that has some invasiveness to it, such as an injection, you have to ask yourself the question, ‘Why are we doing this?’”

Dr. Camp brings up an interesting point regarding Kylie Jenner and the like. When a very young patient comes in looking for a lip injection before the age of 20, yes a surgeon will meticulously and precisely deliver a result, but that’s not the question. The question is, should this be offered to someone who may not require it objectively?

Is Kylie Jenner Pushing a Look?

Teens always get the bad rap for putting too much weight on vanity, and for good reason. Finding yourself amongst a group of others trying to find themselves, too, is difficult, and looking to others for guidance is an easy avenue to take. For those looking to Kylie Jenner for advice, there may be a misunderstanding of lip injections pervasively passing through her fan base.

“She relates to an age group where they’re very sensitive to body image. I think that’s a very treacherous thing to get into,” admits Baxter. “It really is going to influence other people and drive people to do things that maybe aren’t right for them.”

Plastic Surgery and Emotional Maturity

As often noted by plastic surgeons, the best patients are those who’ve done everything in their power to enact the changes they want made, and are also emotionally mature regarding surgery, something Baxter regards highly. “What I’m looking for in the patient is emotional maturity,” he says. “Is this something that that individual is appropriately motivated for?”

“The reality is for a lot of plastic surgery – and certainly good plastic surgery – it’s a matter of taste that fits within a range of expectations,” explains Camp. “When we look at somebody in their teen years doing something that was invented to combat facial aging, it certainly begs the question, ‘Is this appropriate?’”