Back to School List: Top of List are Cosmetic Procedures at the Obi Plastic Surgery Clinic

Cover of “The Literary Digest” - September 1919 - painting by
Norman Rockwell.

While most teens are out shopping for clothes, backpacks and school supplies for the impending new school year, one of the growing trends in back-to-school items has become cosmetic surgery and other aesthetic procedures. With ever-growing societal pressures and the frequency of peer bullying reports, many parents have set out to discover new ways of easing their teenager’s burden of these social situations. Only this week, one of Dr. Lewis Obi’s patients who underwent a rhinoplasty 30 years ago, flew her teenage son in to schedule a similar procedure prior to his new school year.

Whether it’s a 9-year-old boy seeking ear surgery after being bullied and teased by classmates or it’s teens seeking treatment for acne scarring, unsightly noses or lop ears, parents will do just about anything to make their child’s adolescent years tolerable.

“85% of teens and 20% of adults struggle with acne that can be a troubling source of insecurity and self confidence," says Patient's Guide CEO and cofounder, Jasson Gilmore. Non-surgical medical treatments such as the Fraxel laser help smooth scarring by creating microscopic fissures deep within the skin to trigger a natural repairing process. Dr. Gregory Altshuler and his team with Palomar Medical Technology has pioneered much of this this technology which resulted in the Icon Laser System used at the Obi Plastic Surgery Center. Such a non-surgical choice is probably more acceptable to most parents than typical cosmetic surgery."

Laser Skin Resurfacing for Acne Scarring

Most plastic surgeons agree that teenagers should not have major surgical enhancements until they have reached a fully-developed and mature age. Such plastic surgery could inhibit or negatively affect their natural maturing process. That being said, cosmetic and laser treatments are less invasive and won’t negatively impact a teen’s development as would an invasive surgical procedure.