Young people, feel the constant pressure to look best and with celebrities setting ridiculously high standards, it’s easy for them to feel like cosmetic treatments are the only way to achieve beauty.

These 2014 statistics from the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASAPS) show some incredible numbers for the 13-19 year old age range in the USA having cosmetic treatments:

• 160,541 had minimally invasive (non-surgical) cosmetic procedures
• The most popular minimally invasive procedure was laser hair removal clocking up a total of 71,650 teens
• Botox injections were performed 19,170 on this age range and hyaluronic acid fillers were administered 3,210 times

This is rather an alarming amount for such a young age group, but it is worth bearing on mind that this number will also include people that may have had treatments due to birth defects, scars or sports injuries e.g. broken noses. The more reconstructive side of plastic surgery.

However, the vast majority is going to be teenagers who have actively spoken about wanting these cosmetic procedures done.

Most well accredited practitioners will put a blanket ban on treating anyone under the age of 18 for purely cosmetic reasons. At the clinic we stick to this unless there is a medical reason for treatment such as excessive underarm sweating or migraines.We and most other aesthetic clinics will not treat anyone under the age of 18 for interventions such as lip fillers or Botox for muscle relaxation.

If a young person from the age of 18+ really wants a cosmetic procedure doing because it’s effecting how they feel about themselves, then there is nothing wrong with that at all. What we do oppose to is when it’s taken too far. Beautiful young ladies end up wanting every surgery and injectable treatment under the sun to try to fit into an unrealistic stereotype depicted by the media. Cosmetic treatments should be seen as something to help to improve your appearance, not to make you look like a completely different person, or outlandishly unnatural.

We love what we do because every day we get to help people feel better and love themselves more, in the end that’s the most important thing!