In respect to celebrities, plastic surgery has always been a “thing.” Whether it’s getting a breast augmentation, a rhinoplasty, or some other undisclosed “work” it is constantly going on. There is a new trend that has become prevalent in recent years; young women getting plastic surgery as young as 16 years old. Of course it is the woman’s decision (or their parents in this case) to get work done, but when these women are young “role-models” to other young girls I wonder what kind of affect it may have. Are these moguls sending the wrong message to our youth?
The most popular example of getting plastic surgery young is the infamous Kylie Jenner. She first plumped her lips at the ripe age of 16. Since then, not only have her lips gotten plumper but the rest of her face seems entirely different than it was before. Of course, she and most other stars give the same half-assed disclaimer. “I didn’t like my face or I didn’t like this feature of myself so I changed it. I am not telling anyone that they should also have plastic surgery!” But, what good does this “disclaimer” really do? Young girls are seeing that with money, fame, and power they can make themselves look however they want.
My fear is not that young girls are going to beg their parents to have some sort of plastic surgery, but that their self-esteem will go down the drain. Obviously similar topics have always been prevalent such as girls seeing women in a magazine and wanting to be like them, but this is different. Kylie Jenner is a girl, around their age, who felt the same way too but had the money and affluence to pursue changing herself, where as most young girls do not. This idea that if you want to change your appearance you can as long as you have the money to do so, is detrimental. Young women in the limelight from ages 16-20 should be promoting self-love and self-acceptance because their demographic is young women around the same age. If they can accept themselves for how they are, then young girls receive the message that they can too.
Unfortunately, young women are receiving the totally opposite message. For example, the “Kylie Jenner Lip Challenge.” Young girls were sticking their lips in tiny bottle openings to try and achieve Kylie’s plump pout. These girls were videoing themselves doing it and most of the attempts went horribly wrong. Many girls were left with painful bruised and swollen lips. Kylie’s response was not very noteworthy either still implementing this unachievable attainment of perfect beauty that most young girls want.
Most importantly, we should not be persuading our youth to look up to a young woman who is still insecure and immature herself. This only continues the pattern of young girls looking up to someone who still has not figured out herself yet. We should be teaching young women to be comfortable in their own skin and accept themselves for who they are. We are all beautiful in our own way, inside and out.
