More and more teenagers are opting to have cosmetic surgery. Cosmetic surgery for young people, 18 years and younger, increased by almost 10 percent between 2000 and 2005, according to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons.  Rhinoplasty represented 61 percent of the cosmetic procedures. Here are some snapshots of teenagers who have had cosmetic surgery.

Betty Pierce is a cute looking 16-year-old. She had rhinoplasty or nose surgery a year ago to get a smaller nose. “I never liked my big nose and wanted a better looking nose,” says Betty, adding that her face was swollen and bruised after the surgery but within a few weeks she could see the improvement. “I got a lot of praise from people when I got back to school,” she says. Though Betty feels that she did the right thing by having rhinoplasty, she feels that if she had enough self-confidence she wouldn’t have been so bothered about her appearance and could have done without cosmetic surgery.

Eighteen-year-old Anne Goldberg decided to have breast reduction surgery because her double D size made her the butt of jokes at school. It was also difficult for Anne to run, walk and play like other teens of her age because of large breasts. “All my friends were sporting cute little tops and I couldn’t be part of the fashion because tiny T-shirts never fit me. I couldn’t even get into a bathing suit,” explains Anne. Apart from the scarring, Anne is happy after the breast reduction surgery and doesn’t feel left out anymore.  

Angel Whitman, now 18, had a nose job when she was 15. She is thrilled to bits about how her nose looks after rhinoplasty. “Plastic surgery may not be the answer to all your problems, but it can solve a small portion of it,” says Angel, adding that if you don’t like what you see on the outside, you’re not going to feel good on the inside.