by Kristi Runyon ,  WTVQ | 2010-06-29

Teens and Cosmetic Surgery
Many teens attempt to improve their appearance (and acceptance) by using make-up and wearing the “right” clothes. A small number of teens seek change through cosmetic surgery. According to the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, more than 36,800 cosmetic surgery procedures were performed on Americans 18 and under last year.

Rhinoplasty, or nose reshaping, is the most common cosmetic surgery for teens, accounting for 17,040 procedures in 2009. It may be done to straighten a crooked nose, remove a bump, reshape the tip or decrease the size of an overly large nose. Sometimes the surgery is done to fix a nose misshapen by trauma (which can cause breathing problems).

Otoplasty (ear reshaping) is the second most common cosmetic surgery among teens. In 2009, nearly 9,660 of these procedures were performed in the U.S. The procedure may be done to pin back protruding ears, change the size of the ears or fix misshaped ears.

Some other cosmetic surgery procedures that may be done for teens include: correction of breast asymmetry, breast augmentation, breast reduction, liposuction and chin augmentation (enlargement).