Diana and Alan Migow had had rhinoplasty many years ago to get better-shaped noses and planned to gift their 17-year-old daughter Trina with a new nose. Their daughter was pretty, but had a snub nose that she was extremely unhappy about. Although she was initially scared about the procedure, after some serious thought, Trina decided to get a nose job in March, right before spring break. Her rhinoplasty went smoothly and she is more confident and self-assured after her cosmetic surgery, according to her parents.

Plastic surgery has become a family affair over the years. Experts say children are more likely to consider it if another family member has had it done. And some parents are even giving it to their kids as graduation presents. It’s not a set of brand new wheels or a new dress for the prom that’s on many parents’ gift list – its cosmetic surgery that they are thinking of for their children as they graduate. Some of the common cosmetic procedures range from ear pinning and nose jobs to less invasive procedures such as microdermabrasion and Botox.

Plastic surgeons say that graduation as well as other big life changes acts as catalysts for cosmetic surgery. A surgeon sites an example of a patient who wanted to have her ears pinned back because she wanted to wear her hair up for prom and graduation.

There is a slow, steady rise of teens getting cosmetic surgery, with an average annual increase of about 2.5 percent over the last four years. Breast augmentations among young women ages 18 to 19 rose about 12 percent between 2005 and 2006.

Plastic surgeons have some advice for all those kids who would like to invest in cosmetic surgery – think things through before opting to go under the surgeon’s scalpel. According to plastic surgeons, parents are now gifting their children with a new cosmetic look because the child has everything else and this is the only new ‘thing’ that they don’t have. But cosmetic surgery needs to be considered with some seriousness, not with the same seriousness as buying a new graduation dress.

But before you gift your child with a new nose, plumper breasts or laser-resurfaced skin, you need to know a few things. Patients under 18 need parental consent before getting breast augmentation and parents need to be actively involved in the decision-making process before finalizing any cosmetic procedure. Parents also need to ensure that their child is getting cosmetic surgery for the right reasons.

Also important to keep in mind is a child’s maturity and readiness for change. Experts say that some young people looking to have cosmetic surgery may suffer from body dysmorphic disorder, a preoccupation with a perceived defect in one\'s appearance.