BEVERLY HILLS, CA—Children who do not receive corrective cosmetic surgery before puberty run a serious self-esteem risk “from which they may never recover,” claims a study released Monday by a team of leading Beverly Hills plastic surgeons.
According to the report, pre-teens forced to grow up without plastic surgery are 10 times more likely than their surgery-enhanced peers to feel hideously ugly during life’s most crucial period of social and sexual development, causing them to go without dates, become sullen and withdrawn, and be incapable of giving or receiving love.
“Without appearance-enhancing surgery during the formative 5- to 12-year-old stage, children grow up feeling unloved and worthless,” said Beverly Hills cosmetic surgeon Dr. Stan Gaines, co-author of the report. “Their enormous, misshapen noses and flat, lifeless, collagen-deprived lips make them virtual pariahs at school. It’s sad to say, but for most of these children, the chances of growing up to marry a doctor or lawyer are virtually nil.”
The report, compiled by seven Beverly Hills doctors over a five-year period, was the result of extensive research and hundreds of interviews with children, both with cosmetic surgery and without.
“In all cases, the children whose parents refused to provide them with cosmetic surgery expressed feelings of disappointment, rejection and a profound lack of parental love,” the report stated, “not unlike children who are deprived of birthday ponies.”
Dr. Fima Abalhu, Beverly Hills liposculpturist and report co-author, said: “My heart goes out to these children. They will grow up knowing that their uncaring families did not make any effort to ensure their well-being. Many will never have the self-confidence necessary to wear a string bikini or embark on a modeling career.”
Among the serious long-term psychological damage outlined in the report: an unwillingness to go in or near the pool; lack of confidence in tanning, in some cases leading to pale, lackluster skin tone; lack of interest in spending money on clothes; and unenthusiastic participation in gala award-show celebrity photo-ops.
“I have seen these children stand unsmiling and dejected in full view of the paparazzi,” Gaines said. “No doctor—and no parent—should ever have to see such a thing.”
The report also found that a whopping 96 percent of non-cosmetically-altered children interviewed had frequent thoughts like, “I hate Mommy,” and, “Daddy never buys me anything I want.” Even more serious, such children were found to run a 200 percent greater risk of associating with the help.
While cosmetic surgery is important for all children, it is especially critical for girls, the study said: Over 85 percent of participating 10-year-old girls who did not receive breast enhancements felt dissatisfied with their breasts.
“Without surgery, these girls have no chance of developing breasts before their bodies mature sexually, which often can be as much as four or five years later,” Gaines said. “We’re talking about girls who are 8, 9, even 10 years old, who have absolutely no breasts whatsoever.”
“The conclusions of this study are clear,” Beverly Hills eyelid specialist Dr. David Willoughby said. “Millions of children are going without surgery vitally necessary for them to feel attractive and desirable amongst their peers. If you or someone you know has children who still haven’t received any rhinoplasty, liposuction, prominent-ears correction or any other cosmetic surgery, for God’s sake, talk to them right away. And get them to one of our seven convenient area locations for a free consultation before it’s too late.”
