In 2007 there were about 11.7 million cosmetic procedures done. Liposuction took first place as most wanted and most done procedure in men and women. About 400 thousand women in 2007 received breast augmentation as well. Recently, a West Boca teenager died on the table while undergoing breast augmentation because of a birth defect. This was so unexpected to all her friends and family, that she still has her unworn prom dress hanging in her closet. Due to this untimely death of a Florida teenager so close to us, The Spartacus wanted to know how plastic surgery related to MCDS.

Many students at Miami Country Day School believe that cosmetic surgery is completely unnecessary, unless needed for reconstructive surgery, such as being badly burned or in a car crash. “I don’t think it is a great idea. Any plastic surgeon should speak to the patient about why they want to do it,” Dr. Vogel stated, “Teenagers are still figuring out who they are, they will have a better position at an older age.”

Why are so many teenagers deciding to go under the knife? Dr. Vogel believes the reason is Media. “We have an American society that portrays people in a certain way and it is an easy fix. A way to solve this unhappiness rather than fixing it the hard way and [getting plastic surgery] usually does not make them feel better about themselves.” Television has created an image for young men and women as well, such as the popular MTV show, MADE. MADE’s sole purpose is to make people that are unhappy with the way they are living their life and change them into the people that they think they are supposed to be. The participants go through rigorous training to become the person they want to be, when all they need to do is be themselves and stop pretending to be someone else.

A few females in the high school completely agree with plastic surgery as a whole, such as an anonymous sophomore saying: “I think plastic surgery should be a need in every woman’s life.” Yet, for all those girls that want plastic surgery, most of them want to keep it a secret from most other people. “It is usually pretty obvious when you walk into a room looking different, people just assume. If it was possible to keep it a secret, I definitely would,” another anonymous student expressed.

For those that are considering plastic surgery, Dr. Vogel has a few things that you should take into consideration before you go under the knife. “Talk with your parents about [plastic surgery]. Talk with a counselor about how you are feeling first and talk about doing something else to make yourself feel better before you make your decision. And remember, there are usually less drastic ways to improve yourself.”