Things To Think About When Your Daughter Asks For Breast Augmentation Surgery
When you ask your teenage daughter what she wants for her birthday or as a graduation gift, cosmetic surgery might be the last answer you expect to hear. Once you pick your jaw up off the floor, it's important to thoroughly evaluate this request. Many teenagers ask their parents to pay for breast enhancement surgery — and many parents are obliging. As a parent, and especially if you are the father of a teenage girl, this subject may make you uncomfortable. However, you'll feel better if you keep the following things in mind.
Breast Augmentation Isn't Just About Looks
While your first instinct might be to think that your daughter wants bigger breasts to impress the boys at school, there are many reasons that girls opt for breast augmentation beyond merely the visual factor. More than one-third of girls 17 years of age or younger who had breast augmentation surgery in 2014 did so because of breast asymmetry. Breast asymmetry means that a woman's breasts aren't the same size, which can cause the woman to feel embarrassed; the asymmetry may even be evident when the young woman is wearing clothing. When you keep in mind that your daughter may be dealing with this type of issue, you can develop more of an understanding for her request.
The Surgery Doesn't Mean She's Sexually Active
The average father may hardly want to admit that his daughter has begun wearing makeup, let alone asking for breast augmentation. However, it's important to realize that just because your daughter wants this cosmetic procedure, it doesn't mean that she's sexually active. While some young women certainly want the surgery to stand out visually, others opt for the procedure for a different reason. A teen with small breasts may be shy or introverted, and having the procedure done may help her feel more confident about herself. This may especially be the case if your daughter has micromastia, a term that describes having very little breast tissue.
This Is A Common Procedure
You should also realize that breast augmentation is common — you might not realize it, but many women, including some that you probably know, have had this procedure. Nearly 280,000 women had breast augmentation in 2015, making it more common that other leading cosmetic surgeries such as liposuction, nose reshaping, eyelid surgery, and tummy tucking. When you understand the popularity of this procedure, it may help you to realize that your daughter's request isn't all that unusual.
