Teen Plastic Surgery

Posted by Lori Henry Jun 29, 2007

Advertisers are becoming increasingly focused on young women. But instead of enticing them to buy make up or hair products, they’re now tempted with plastic surgery. Breast enlargements and other forms of cosmetic plastic surgery are sometimes given as grad presents to young women as they move on to college or university.

If that’s not disturbing enough, now “beauty” companies are honing in on that trend and focusing advertisements towards these teenagers.

On March 28th, 2007, the Southland Times ran an ad from the Youth Beauty Appearance Clinic. The copy read, “Be the belle of the ball” and ran beside a young woman wearing a grad dress.

The unsettling thing about the ad was that this model’s body was labelled with phrases such as “firming and lifting cheek,” “firm and lift thighs and buttocks,” and “breast enlargement and lifting.”

A local high school teacher saw the ad and made an issue out of it, calling the ad negative and socially irresponsible.

In her letter to the Advertising Standards Authority, she stated, “These girls are in the prime of their lives and should not be exposed to such negative influences" (Stuff Media, 2007).

The beauty clinic was surprised that their ad had garnered controversy and told the ASA complaint board that they only provided non-surgical, non-invasive, effective and affordable treatments. Hmmm, breast enlargements are pretty invasive and surgical in my books…

Southland Times withdrew the ad after the ASA complaint board voted in favor of upholding the teacher’s objection.