Childrearing
Plastic Surgery Is A Lousy Response To Bullying
In case you didn’t sense it, I’m being sarcastic. I actually feel horribly for Ilse, who has been taunted non-stop by her peers, but I don’t think that plastic surgery is the answer. To me, it means the bullies have won. Let’s remember that Ilse is just 14 years old, and going under the knife is a big deal no matter what age you happen to be. I’m not against plastic surgery, but is a 14-year-old mature enough to make such a life-altering decision?
According to reports, Ilse begged her mom for an otoplasty – an operation to pin back her ears – starting at age 10. So her mom contacted the Little Baby Face Foundation, a New York-based charity that provides free corrective surgery to children born with facial deformities. Her wish was granted – and then some. Dr. Thomas Romo, III, the organization’s founder, also performed rhinoplasty (a nose job) and mentoplasty (a chin job).
Yeah, I had to do a double-take when I read that. The truth is, I viewed the “before” pictures of Ilse, and she looks perfectly fine to me. Her ears stick out, sure, but it hardly looks like a “facial deformity.” As for her nose and chin? Pretty typical, if you ask me. Obviously Ilse didn’t like them, and I’m not judging her for that. But I don’t understand why her parents and surgeon felt it necessary to give her an entire makeover at age 14.
Ilse’s surgery comes almost one year after Nicolette Taylor, a 13-year-old New Yorker, had a nose job in response to bullying. And last April, 7-year-old Samantha Shaw from South Dakota had her ears pinned back, just like Ilse, as a “preventative measure” to bullying. (Uh, okay.)
The truth is, I’m torn on the subject in many ways. I can’t imagine how Ilse must’ve felt after all those years of being bullied, and so who am I to judge her for going under the knife? She says she feels “beautiful” now, which is heartwarming and will no doubt have a huge impact on her confidence levels and how she sees herself. The part I can’t wrap my head around, however, is that she had way more work done than necessary, especially at such a young age.
(Photo: Masson/Shutterstock)