7 page research paper

WRD 104

Professor Rothman

January 15, 2021

Research Project Proposal

The topic for this research paper is about the positive effects of minors seeking cosmetic surgery through parental consent. The age of consent for cosmetic surgery is 18. A minor is allowed to have cosmetic surgery with parental consent, but there is a lot of controversy around this idea. Examples of a cosmetic surgery include a tummy tuck, a Rhinoplasty, a breast augmentation, a face lift, etc. Some parents consent to a nose job or ear pinning surgery for their children due to bullying or low self esteem. Many people argue that going under the knife for a reason that is not life threatening is unnecessary and puts a person’s life at risk. Other people would rather see their children more confident and happy with the way they look rather than have them wait until they are older. I want to research about the benefits of minors receiving cosmetic surgeries and the reasons why they choose to have it done in the first place. I want to research the studies that were done about the minors who received drastic cosmetic surgeries and what places in the world have the highest rates of underage cosmetic operations. In all parts of the world, there are different beauty standards that are increasing the number of surgeries being performed. Younger generations are now considering changing the way they look in more dramatic ways. My main question is to find out why parents are open to allowing their children to change their physical appearance. Is it worth it for a child to go under the knife to better “fit” the beauty standards of society? Is the younger generation more self conscious? What does having cosmetic surgery at a young age teach them? The main goal is to learn and research the pros and cons for cosmetic surgery. I want to know who the youngest person was to receive cosmetic surgery and what the surgery was. I would like my audience to have a better understanding of why parents go through with signing consent for their underage children to have cosmetic operations. There are also videos about parents explaining some of these reasons. One mother allowed her underage daughter to receive lip fillers. It was simply for the reason of “beautifying” herself. Majority of parents that I have already read about signed consent for their underage kids to receive nose jobs. Many of these reasons were for self esteem boosts and are all related to confidence issues. These confidence issues tend to stem from the media. I believe this topic is urgent for audiences to consider because it is a growing business throughout the country and world. It’s important to bring more awareness to the negative effects of society's beauty standard. These standards are now affecting younger and younger people. I feel like this is going to be a growing problem as we continue to judge and base beauty solely on looks and physical features. I think it is important to determine whether patients receive surgery to satisfy their own interest or to meet the expectations of someone else. Cosmetic surgeries may reduce psychological burdens in minors undergoing operations. The main focus for this whole research paper is the positive outcomes that this age group experiences thanks to having cosmetic surgeries. Additionally, for all surgeries, an appropriate consent form is required. A surgeon will have to educate both the minor and the parent about the risks, benefits, and the potential complications associated with a procedure. Both parties understand each of these things and what they entail. I want to research about cosmetic treatments that teenage girls and boys have for childhood obesity, such as Striae treatments. These are laser treatments that minimise the appearance of striae that have developed around shoulders, hips, and abdomen after losing a considerable amount of weight. This is just one example of a cosmetic procedure that is non-invasive and has a positive therapeutic outcome. I will focus on both genders in this research as well. I will discuss the importance of maturity in minors for the decision of cosmetic operations.