Cosmetic surgery requests among children and young people are increasing amid peer bullying and social media pressure, ear, nose and throat (ENT) diseases and facial plastic surgery specialist Dr. Yasin Kulaksız said, warning that social media filters and parents’ misguided approaches can contribute to the trend.

Speaking to Anadolu Agency (AA), Kulaksız emphasized that children and young people have recently been turning to cosmetic procedures at increasingly younger ages under the influence of social media and peer pressure.

He said that when evaluating children's requests for cosmetic procedures, it is first necessary to determine whether they are based on a genuine physical problem or shaped by social media trends and peer influence.

Kulaksız said they have recently seen an increase in cosmetic surgeries due to peer bullying. "The main reason for this is, fundamentally, that the generation has changed,” he said. "We now have a generation that is more critical and feels confident enough to say anything.”

'Barbie’s nose’

Kulaksız said social media and online communication have further intensified the problem, noting that people can more easily say things online that they would not say to someone’s face.

He also stressed the importance of families taking the right approach when their children are subjected to peer bullying, saying that parents often fail to protect their children from bullying or provide the right support in response to what they are experiencing.

Kulaksız said requests for cosmetic surgery vary depending on age and the nature of the complaint. Problems related to protruding ears generally emerge around the ages of 5 or 6, while concerns related to the nose are more common between the ages of 15 and 18, during the high school years.

He said some children who come to them do not actually have any physical problems.

"It may be entirely related to emotional distress, wanting to belong somewhere, following a trend or wanting something that is popular at the time,” Kulaksız said. "For example, some want a nose like Barbie’s – a very narrow, curved and petite nose. In such cases, the child should not undergo surgery and should instead be referred elsewhere.”

Kulaksız said surgery may be considered if a child or young person genuinely has a physical problem, has realistic expectations and wants a natural appearance. Surgical intervention may be considered with parental consent when a person wants to breathe better and have a naturally appearing nose, he added.

Peer bullying

Kulaksız warned that trying to solve peer bullying on social media through cosmetic surgery could create new problems, citing the experience of social media personality Taha Duymaz, who died in the Feb. 6, 2023 earthquakes.

He said Duymaz was bullied because of his nose and subsequently underwent rhinoplasty. Later, his ears became the target of bullying, leading him to undergo ear surgery, after which he faced depression and other problems.

Kulaksız emphasized that this example shows peer bullying cannot be eliminated through surgical intervention.

Distorted perceptions

Kulaksız said social media filters also distort children’s and young people’s perceptions of their own appearance, with filters making skin appear extremely smooth and noses very small, curved and flawless.

He said achieving such images through surgery is often impossible or extremely difficult, adding that filters used on social media create an unrealistic perception of beauty and can leave young people dissatisfied with their real-life appearance.

Noting that a significant portion of the photos and videos shared on social media are altered using filters, photo editing and various applications, Kulaksız said these platforms are also used as marketing tools.

For this reason, he stressed that it is unhealthy for children to compare their physical appearance with the images they see on social media, noting that how people look in real life differs from the images created by social media filters.

Families’ approach

Kulaksız said families’ attitudes are also important when children request cosmetic surgery, noting that parents can display two different but equally misguided approaches.

Some families try to fulfill unrealized desires from their own youth through their children, he said, adding that such parents may support their children’s requests for cosmetic procedures without questioning them.

On the other hand, Kulaksız said some parents dismiss all of their children’s concerns by saying, "This is just a temporary phase; it will pass when you grow up,” without listening to them at all.

He emphasized that this approach can lead children to undergo cosmetic surgery independently once they turn 18, leaving their families completely outside the process.

The right approach, he said, is to assess the child’s concerns objectively and have a specialist determine whether there is a genuine physical problem.

Kulaksız added that psychological support should also be sought when necessary and that families should stand by their children if they have realistic expectations and a desire for a natural appearance.

He stressed that families should neither unconditionally accept everything their children want nor dismiss the problems they are experiencing, emphasizing the importance of sharing responsibility and supporting the child throughout the process.

Kulaksız concluded that children’s requests for cosmetic surgery should not be assessed solely in terms of physical appearance and that peer bullying, social media, psychological well-being and family attitudes should all be considered together.