Plastic Surgery controversy: Is 7 years old too young?

Bullying, whether physically or verbally has always been a prominent problem at school. Young kids are especially susceptible to schoolyard bullying, especially those who are considered “different” from everyone else. What one must also understand is that bullying not only affects the child, but in most instances also the parent of the child. So how far will one parent go to prevent their kid from getting bullied?

Meet Samantha Shaw, a 7 year old South Dakotan girl who traveled with her mom to New York to receive surgery from Dr. Steven Pearlman for her cup ears and a slight fold in her right ear. Shaw has received remarks about her unusual ears, not only from kids her age, but also adults. Shaw’s mother believed that to avoid the more serious bullying that is sure to come, this surgical procedure must be taken as a preventive measure.

The surgery consisted of pinning back her ear, which thanks to the help of the Little Baby Face Foundation was completely free. Although the surgery is not considered life threatening to the young girl, Shaw’s mother admitted the Shaw did feel a bit ill due to the anesthesia.

The news of Samantha’s surgery sheds light on a staggering statistic: within the last decade, the number of young children and teens receiving plastic surgery has gone up by an alarming 30 percent.

With the news of a 7 year old getting plastic surgery becoming more publicized, more people are taking sides. On one hand some are lashing out against the idea that kids as young of an age as 7 must go under the knife to be socially accepted. Others see nothing wrong in giving a little girl a sense of confidence in herself through a boost in her appearance. All things aside, Samantha is said to be recovering and very happy with her new ears.

Picture from Jeff Kubina via Flickr.