Spring Break
Comestic surgery continues to be popular
A. Neely Eisenstein, Chief Copy Editor, aeisenst@smu.edu
Issue date: 12/4/06 Section: The Mix
Dr. Caplin recently had a 17-year-old girl ask for a breast enlargement.
"I told her to come back in a year. She scheduled her appointment on her 18th birthday," said Dr. Caplin.
The use of certain types of breast implants is not allowed in women under the age of 18. According to Dr. Caplin, many young girls want the procedures done during the summer, after high school graduation and before their first semester of college. Even after they've reached the age of 18, very careful screening is necessary to make sure the young women are mature enough to make the decision, said Dr. Caplin.
"If they are doing it for the wrong reasons then you don't want to operate on them," said Dr. Caplin. Many of the surgeries turn out to be positive experiences for young girls. Whitney Welch, another SMU student, had a breast lift and implants, as well as liposuction on her stomach and love handles in June 2006.
"I really hated seeing myself in the mirror and I hated going clothes shopping," said Welch.
She decided to have her surgeries three years after having her son, Jonathan. Welch said her breasts got a lot bigger when she had Jonathan and after she stopped breast-feeding, they had a horrible texture to them.
Welch also said she was not fond of the "pooch" under her belly button and she could not get it to go away.
"I was 20 years old with the body like a 40-year-old woman. It just wasn't natural," said Welch.
Ms. Welch's mother also had her breasts lifted and implants, as well as a tummy tuck, within the same week as her daughter.
The total cost of Welch's surgeries was $8,300. Her stepfather paid for her surgeries as well as her mother's.
Ms. Welch said her mother was big on hiding the fact that she had surgery, but said of her own experience, "It's my body. If I want to fix it I will."
Courtney Coffin, a senior at SMU, had gastric bypass surgery (also known as stomach stapling) at the age of 19. After her freshman year of college, Coffin, five feet and 10 inches tall, weighed 246 pounds. She is now 21 years old and weighs 140.
"I told her to come back in a year. She scheduled her appointment on her 18th birthday," said Dr. Caplin.
The use of certain types of breast implants is not allowed in women under the age of 18. According to Dr. Caplin, many young girls want the procedures done during the summer, after high school graduation and before their first semester of college. Even after they've reached the age of 18, very careful screening is necessary to make sure the young women are mature enough to make the decision, said Dr. Caplin.
"If they are doing it for the wrong reasons then you don't want to operate on them," said Dr. Caplin. Many of the surgeries turn out to be positive experiences for young girls. Whitney Welch, another SMU student, had a breast lift and implants, as well as liposuction on her stomach and love handles in June 2006.
"I really hated seeing myself in the mirror and I hated going clothes shopping," said Welch.
She decided to have her surgeries three years after having her son, Jonathan. Welch said her breasts got a lot bigger when she had Jonathan and after she stopped breast-feeding, they had a horrible texture to them.
Welch also said she was not fond of the "pooch" under her belly button and she could not get it to go away.
"I was 20 years old with the body like a 40-year-old woman. It just wasn't natural," said Welch.
Ms. Welch's mother also had her breasts lifted and implants, as well as a tummy tuck, within the same week as her daughter.
The total cost of Welch's surgeries was $8,300. Her stepfather paid for her surgeries as well as her mother's.
Ms. Welch said her mother was big on hiding the fact that she had surgery, but said of her own experience, "It's my body. If I want to fix it I will."
Courtney Coffin, a senior at SMU, had gastric bypass surgery (also known as stomach stapling) at the age of 19. After her freshman year of college, Coffin, five feet and 10 inches tall, weighed 246 pounds. She is now 21 years old and weighs 140.
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