Would you allow plastic surgery to avoid bullying?

[Holly dolly]

I'm on the fence too. My ears stick out and I was made fun of all the time as a kid. Plus my teeth are crooked. My parents had no money and it showed.

However...now I'm more comfortable with who I am...

[Umm_Ibraheem]

Haven't read all the comments I chose "other" because it truly depends on the circumstances, type of surgery the degree of bullying and if its a physical deformity (cleft lip etc). I wouldn't flat out say YES or NO as it really depends on the circumstances and if my child's quality of life is severely affected.

[hollyecat]

As a mom of a cleft lip and palate kid, I have learned the amazing value of plastic surgery. Of course he has had and will have more surgeries. Some are medical and some are cosmetic. However, unless it was a real deformity or glaring issue, I would never OK my CHILD to have plastic surgery.

[qsefthuko]

Like a previous poster I would like to say no but don't know for sure just what I would choose to do if it was my child hurting.

[Sarahknavy]

If my child was deformed or had a growth or large birth mark, I would allow plastic surgery. This little girl was pretty. Nothing was wrong with her.

[NevadaMama]

As someone who was bullied mercilessly throughout middle and high school to the point of being allowed to graduate early, I would say yes - but that it depends on the circumstances. If my DD ends up with the same deformity I had, I would absolutely let her have it corrected.

When I went through puberty, my right breast grew and my left did not. I was a D cup on one side and barely a nipple on the other. I had the exact condition as the woman in the first photo here - http://www.ideallook.com/bs_cor/cor_gal.html

For a couple years I was able to hide it by wearing baggy clothes, and stealing push-ups pads out of bras at the mall. Then one day in gym class, we were jogging around the track and I lost one of the pads. A group of girls cornered me in the locker room and discovered my "secret". I went to a small school so by the next day the entire school knew and my life was never the same. The bullying was horrible. My mother took me to a psychologist who recommended a plastic surgeon. However, this was 15 years ago, and no plastic surgeon would touch me until I turned 18. Some even said that I might "grow out of it". My mom ended up taking me to a place that made breast protheses for cancer patients and spent a couple hundred dollars on a custom bra and silicone prosthetic. One day after gym class the same group of girls cornered me again and took the prosthetic. My mom had to come to school and they searched their lockers but never found it. I was excused from ever having to take gym class after that, and because I was an honor student the school worked with me to let me take extra classes instead of gym and study hall so I could graduate early. When I turned 19 my dad's insurance finally approved the plastic surgery and I had the deformity corrected. I really felt like my whole life turned around after that, and that I could finally become the person that I had been covering up for years.

Even though my DD is only 2, she is already a very shy and sensitive person, although extremely bright and gifted - I can foresee school being difficult for her. We will probably homeschool anyway, but if she does attend school and ends up with the same congenital abnormality that I suffered with, I will do everything I can to get her plastic surgery. I have always been a pretty strong person with a "backbone", but even though my DD is still very young I don't see that in her, she is such a quiet, gentle soul. I cannot imagine her dealing with the things that I had to deal with, and I definitely wouldn't want her to.

[thoennes6]

Originally Posted by 5PrincessMommy My baby has a lipoma (a fatty cell, benign tumbor) on her face. I will definitely allow for it to be removed. Most likely hers would be considered purely cosmetic.

My daughter has a dermoid cyst on her eyebrow that we will have removed when she is old enough. It will be considered cosmetic as well. I don't think I could say for other things unless we were in that situation. Sure I would love to say no never, but I just don't know.

[tusheez]

I hope if and when they want plastic surgery they are old enough to make the decision themselves. But if they are under 18 and there was a good reason, a life changing accident or medical reason then Yes I would allow plastic surgery. I have never had to deal with a bully. But if my daughter or son were so unhappy with something on their body and were constantly bullied about it then with counselling and a supportive doctor again yes I would allow them to have plastic surgery. I have had 4 cosmetic surgeries done.

[wonton]

I voted other because for me it would depend on the surgery and the kid.

I was ruthlessly taunted, teased, bullied for about 5 years and it ripped to shreds what little self esteem I might have had (I mean how much self esteem does the average 4th grader have).
I was a really sensitive kid too so that didnt help.

I had acne starting around 5th grade and if surgery could have fixed that, it would have been amazing.
Obviously it cant but if it could you bet your bippy Id help my kid.

Bullying can have life long effects and really stunt a person's growth if they arent able to "learn and grow" from it. Emotional wounds that have never fully healed, they changed my personality to some degree.

My parents didnt really take it seriously until it was too late and the damage was done.

It just depends I think.

[magoose]

I would, depending on the surgery and the level of teasing/bullying. DS1 has big ears. They stick out. My in-laws like to point it out all the time. I don't even notice it anymore. I think he'll grow into them as he gets older, but if he ever came to me wanting to fix them because of bullying, as much as it would break my heart because I think his ears are sweet and precious, I don't see a big issue with it.