Australian schoolgirls as young as 16 are nagging their parents to pay for lip fillers for their school formals
- An Australian child psychologist revealed children aged 16 are wanting lip fillers
- Inspired by Instagram and the Kardashians, the girls want them for school formal
- The age of consent for fillers depends on the clinic and getting parental consent
- But some places, like The Manse Clinic, will only treat people over the age of 18
Girls as young as 16 are 'begging' their parents for lip fillers ahead of the high school formal season.
Australian child psychologist Michael Carr-Gregg described parents who allow their children to have cosmetic surgery at that age as being guilty of 'weapons-grade stupidity'.
One 17-year-old schoolgirl from Sydney's southwest told The Daily Telegraph she was granted permission for the procedure after 'months' of nagging her parents.
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High school girls as young as 16 are 'begging' their parents for lip fillers ahead of the school formal season, inspired by the Kardashians and photos on Instagram (stock image)
'I felt like my lips were too small and my older sister got a lip injection and then I saw Kylie Jenner,' she told the publication.
The 21-year-old Keeping Up With The Kardashian star has openly dabbled with cosmetic treatments, particularly lip fillers, since she was in her late teens.
'What message are we sending young women about what is important in life?' journalist Allison Langdon told the The Today Show on Tuesday morning.
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The Kardashian sisters have been open about their use of cosmetic surgery over the years
Kylie Jenner (left) and Kim Kardashian (right) have had a number of treatments done
'I think it's outrageous parents would let them go to a cosmetic surgeon.'
While some children under 18 are legally permitted to have reconstructive surgery - usually on their nose if they are suffering from breathing issues - the rules around cosmetic injections is different.
Dr Kien Ha, who is based in Adelaide, said that some doctors will perform injections on children aged 16 or below if there is parental consent and the child is deemed to be of 'sound mind'.
Their 'facial skeleton' must also be fully grown before any fillers can be administered, otherwise the results are likely to be affected by growth and movement as they get older.
Dr Kien Ha, who is based in Adelaide, said that some doctors will perform injections on children aged 16 or below if there is parental consent and the child is deemed to be of 'sound mind'
'It has been estimated that up to 30 per cent of Australian children will seek some form of cosmetic procedure to alter their physical appearance at some point in their childhood,' Dr Ha wrote in his blog.
'Children are hyper-aware of differences between themselves and their peers. It is essential for parents to educate themselves about the kinds of body image issues their children may be struggling with.
'Keeping an open line of communication with your child and your child's physician will help your child address and hopefully resolve any issues they may be experiencing.'
Dr Naomi McCullum (pictured), who works out of her exclusive Sydney clinic called The Manse, said part of her job is 'weeding out' people who aren't going to be happy with their end results
But not every cosmetic surgeon is willing to tamper with very young faces.
Sydney-based owner of The Manse Clinic, Dr Naomi McCullum, only treats women and men over the age of 18 for injectables.
'It's a tough decision for me to make for the clinic as I sure would have wanted lip fillers at 16 if it was available back then,' she told Daily Mail Australia.
'But we just have to draw the line somewhere, especially about informed consent.
Dr Naomi remembers a time when 'younger teens' would come into her clinic asking for lip fillers but she would simply ask them to rebook on their 18th birthday (woman pictured is over 18)
'It's a medical procedure and we want to make sure that in all cases the patients understand the risks, which although rare, can be serious. So we choose take a conservative approach on age.'
Dr Naomi remembers a time when 'younger teens' would come into her clinic asking for lip fillers but she would simply ask them to re-book on their 18th birthday.
'Give them something to look forward to,' she said.
'We now check ages when patients are booking and also check all patient IDs at their first appointment to confirm they are 18.'
- www.dailytelegra...
- Dr Ha | Issues Surrounding Cosmetic Surgery in Children
- Best cosmetic clinic Sydney for injectables, skin and laser | The Manse
- The Today Show on Twitter: "“What message are we sending to young women as to what is important in life?” There is a worrying rise in teenage girls getting LIP FILLER ahead of their school formals so they can get the "perfect lo ...
