20 Sep 2007, ST, Urban
Surgery of any sort is no simple matter. So how do kids and parents make the big decision to go under the knife? NOELLE LOH gleans some wisdom from experts
TEENS
Be certain
Psychologist Koo Shen Lin of Mount Elizabeth Hospital says teens can be a fickle bunch - just check what's been playing on their iPods now to see how fancies come and go. You need to know that plastic surgery is permanent, not something you can change at a whim.
Be reasonable
Knowing how much - or little - a procedure can do for you is important. Doctors will not usually agree to requests that are unrealistic and not beneficial to the patient. You should also have reached developmental and skeletal maturity before considering surgery, points out Dr Ivor Lim of the Plastic and Hand Surgery clinic at Camden Medical Centre.
Know what you are getting into
How you eventually look may be glamorous, but the recovery process isn't necessarily so. Psychologist Koo also points out that teenagers need to be able to know how to deal with their peers' reactions towards them getting cosmetic surgery.
PARENTS
Don't be quick to say no
Plastic surgeon Chua Jun Jin, who runs a clinic at Mount Elizabeth Hospital, points out that children are becoming more knowledgeable about what can be done to enhance their looks. Koo says if you simply put your foot down and forbid surgery, kids may see such outright rejection as a sign of you being too authoritative and distance themselves.
Sit down and talk
Find out the reasons behind the child's desire to get plastic surgery and, together, weigh the pros and cons. After all, experts reckon that plastic surgery can greatly boost self-esteem. It also helps you to assess if your child is mature enough for the procedure.
Seek advice you can trust
Doctors often discover hidden, sad pasts behind patients who come in with cosmetic surgical requests, Dr Lim says. Under all instances, the decision to carry on with the procedure is at the discretion of the surgeon.
---------------------------------
TOP 5 PROCEDURES
CREATING DOUBLE EYELIDS
Popular among Asians, it turns the single eyelid into one with a double fold and is regarded by most as a way of making eyes look bigger and brighter. It involves cutting skin above the eyes to achieve the desired fold, and requires stitches. However, a new scar-free method known as clipping, which involves stitching of the skin to create a fold, has been developed. This process takes about 30 minutes, compared to the cut method that takes up to an hour.
Cost: Between $1,800 and $4,000
NOSE JOB (RHINOPLASTY)
Asians who tend to have less sharp facial features often go for this procedure. It involves re-contouring the nose with a silicone implant to create a higher bridge. Surgeons can also give better definition to the pit of the nose, as well as shave off the sides of the nose to make it look less bulbous. The surgery usually takes between one and two hours.
Cost: Between $4,000 and $7,800
CHIN AUGMENTATION
To give patients a stronger chin, doctors can either insert a silicone implant, which takes up to 40 minutes, or inject a synthetic filler, which takes five minutes, into the chin area. At Dr Woffles Wu's clinic, teenage patients are usually recommended the latter because it lasts only six months and thus acts as a trial to see if they really want the procedure.
Cost: Between $1,700 and $5,800
PINNING BACK EARS
Day surgery that involves shifting the position of the ears to the side of the head so they don't stick out so much. The procedure, which leaves no visible scars or bruising, takes about 30 minutes.
Cost: Between $5,000 and $8,000
REMOVING FACIAL BLEMISHES
Procedures range from removing moles and freckles to the reduction of acne scars. Apart from plastic surgeons, such services are provided by aesthetic medicine practitioners such as the Sloane Clinic in Raffles Place, which uses non-invasive procedures.
Cost: Between $100 and $850 per session
Surgery of any sort is no simple matter. So how do kids and parents make the big decision to go under the knife? NOELLE LOH gleans some wisdom from experts
TEENS
Be certain
Psychologist Koo Shen Lin of Mount Elizabeth Hospital says teens can be a fickle bunch - just check what's been playing on their iPods now to see how fancies come and go. You need to know that plastic surgery is permanent, not something you can change at a whim.
Be reasonable
Knowing how much - or little - a procedure can do for you is important. Doctors will not usually agree to requests that are unrealistic and not beneficial to the patient. You should also have reached developmental and skeletal maturity before considering surgery, points out Dr Ivor Lim of the Plastic and Hand Surgery clinic at Camden Medical Centre.
Know what you are getting into
How you eventually look may be glamorous, but the recovery process isn't necessarily so. Psychologist Koo also points out that teenagers need to be able to know how to deal with their peers' reactions towards them getting cosmetic surgery.
PARENTS
Don't be quick to say no
Plastic surgeon Chua Jun Jin, who runs a clinic at Mount Elizabeth Hospital, points out that children are becoming more knowledgeable about what can be done to enhance their looks. Koo says if you simply put your foot down and forbid surgery, kids may see such outright rejection as a sign of you being too authoritative and distance themselves.
Sit down and talk
Find out the reasons behind the child's desire to get plastic surgery and, together, weigh the pros and cons. After all, experts reckon that plastic surgery can greatly boost self-esteem. It also helps you to assess if your child is mature enough for the procedure.
Seek advice you can trust
Doctors often discover hidden, sad pasts behind patients who come in with cosmetic surgical requests, Dr Lim says. Under all instances, the decision to carry on with the procedure is at the discretion of the surgeon.
---------------------------------
TOP 5 PROCEDURES
CREATING DOUBLE EYELIDS
Popular among Asians, it turns the single eyelid into one with a double fold and is regarded by most as a way of making eyes look bigger and brighter. It involves cutting skin above the eyes to achieve the desired fold, and requires stitches. However, a new scar-free method known as clipping, which involves stitching of the skin to create a fold, has been developed. This process takes about 30 minutes, compared to the cut method that takes up to an hour.
Cost: Between $1,800 and $4,000
NOSE JOB (RHINOPLASTY)
Asians who tend to have less sharp facial features often go for this procedure. It involves re-contouring the nose with a silicone implant to create a higher bridge. Surgeons can also give better definition to the pit of the nose, as well as shave off the sides of the nose to make it look less bulbous. The surgery usually takes between one and two hours.
Cost: Between $4,000 and $7,800
CHIN AUGMENTATION
To give patients a stronger chin, doctors can either insert a silicone implant, which takes up to 40 minutes, or inject a synthetic filler, which takes five minutes, into the chin area. At Dr Woffles Wu's clinic, teenage patients are usually recommended the latter because it lasts only six months and thus acts as a trial to see if they really want the procedure.
Cost: Between $1,700 and $5,800
PINNING BACK EARS
Day surgery that involves shifting the position of the ears to the side of the head so they don't stick out so much. The procedure, which leaves no visible scars or bruising, takes about 30 minutes.
Cost: Between $5,000 and $8,000
REMOVING FACIAL BLEMISHES
Procedures range from removing moles and freckles to the reduction of acne scars. Apart from plastic surgeons, such services are provided by aesthetic medicine practitioners such as the Sloane Clinic in Raffles Place, which uses non-invasive procedures.
Cost: Between $100 and $850 per session
No comments:
Post a Comment