It’s not uncommon for younger teens to express interest in changing the shape or size of their nose. With parental consent, rhinoplasty can be performed on younger teens, and it offers tremendous benefits for the right patients. While rhinoplasty is a great choice for some teens, there are some important factors to consider before making the final decision.
Assessing Physical and Emotional Maturity
When it comes to teens undergoing rhinoplasty, one important consideration is physical development. The nose may begin to show cosmetic irregularities in the early teen years, but it’s often the case that the nose continues to develop and eventually becomes more proportionate by the late teens.
If rhinoplasty is performed before the patient is done developing, it may produce unnatural or asymmetrical results when the nose eventually reaches full development. A good rule of thumb is to consider whether the potential patient’s feet have stopped growing. If it’s been at least a year since they changed shoe sizes, then they’ve likely reached skeletal maturity. This tends to be around age 15 for girls and age 17 for boys.
Two other important factors to consider are whether the patient is emotionally mature enough and whether the patient seeking is rhinoplasty for the right reasons. Cosmetic nose surgery should not be chosen to look like someone else, regardless of age. In fact, the best results are those that are subtle and highlight the patient’s natural features.
Patients should be realistic in their expectations and also understand that this procedure does require a recovery period. They should be mature enough to follow their surgeon’s post-operative instructions to ensure a positive outcome. Most importantly, they should pursue rhinoplasty for themselves, not because of pressure from their parents or peers.
The Benefits of Cosmetic Nose Surgery for Teens
Cosmetic nose surgery can offer tremendous benefits for teens. When entering their most important years for emotional development, rhinoplasty can give them the confidence to fully embrace school and actively engage in related activities. It’s not just about vanity; when students feel their best, they can perform to the best of their abilities.
A study conducted at Ruhr-University Bochum explored how plastic surgery can have a positive impact on self-esteem and quality of life. The study examined 544 patients who underwent cosmetic surgery and 264 who were interested in cosmetic surgery but chose not to undergo a procedure. Overall, the patients who elected to have cosmetic surgery showed positive outcomes across many areas, including, “anxiety, social phobia, depression, body dysmorphia, goal attainment, quality of life, life satisfaction, attractiveness, mental and physical health, well-being, self-efficacy and self-esteem (Margraf et al. 2013).”
This demonstrates the transformative emotional effects that rhinoplasty can provide. When performed during the teen years, cosmetic nose surgery can help young men and women embrace this important period of their emotional and educational development.
Those considering rhinoplasty can take the next step by scheduling a consultation with board-certified facial plastic surgeon, Dr. Jeffrey Schmidt. Dr. Schmidt is committed to patient satisfaction and closely collaborates with patients to address their unique needs. Contact his office today to get started.
