More Teens Now Seeking Breast Augmentation
Bismarck Tribune (ND) (2008-05-19) P. 1C; Lefkowitz, Melanie; Whitehouse, Beth
Research shows that more breast augmentation surgeries are being performed on young women. According to the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, breast enlargements among women 18 and younger has jumped nearly 500 percent over the last 10 years, and account for about 20 percent of all surgical procedures.
Plastic surgeons agree that cosmetic surgery is now common among teenagers who see augmentation as a way to fit in with their peers. "There are girls and women who are devastated by the fact that they don't have breasts and their friends do," says Woodbury, N.Y. plastic surgeon Dr. Stephen Greenberg.
"They don't play gymnastics and they don't go on dates or they can't wear certain clothing, and I hear these things every day." Greenberg attributes the trend to the media attention cosmetic surgery receives and the fact that girls have seen their parents or favorite celebrities undergo procedures, which has increased their comfort level with the concept.