However, less than half of parents support procedures even for mental health or bullying concerns
By Lori Solomon HealthDay Reporter
FRIDAY, Feb. 28, 2025 (HealthDay News) — Few parents say their teen has asked about nonsurgical cosmetic procedures, according to the results of a C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital National Poll on Children’s Health released on Feb. 17.
The survey included a national sample of 989 parents of children aged 13 to 17 years, with responses collected in August 2024.
According to the results of the survey, very few parents say their teens have asked about nonsurgical cosmetic procedures (7 and 1 percent for girls and boys, respectively). Half of parents (51 percent) say teens should be allowed to get nonsurgical cosmetic procedures only for valid reasons, while just under one-third of parents (31 percent) think teens should be prohibited from them under any circumstances and 18 percent believe teens should be allowed to get them for any reason as long as they have parental approval. Parents also differ in what they believe are valid reasons for nonsurgical cosmetic surgery. The most parental support was seen for thinking the procedure may improve the teen’s mental health (37 percent say valid; 38 percent say not valid). There was slightly less support seen for the teen wanting to look good for a special occasion (33 percent valid; 54 percent not valid), the teen being self-conscious about their appearance (33 percent valid; 50 percent not valid), or the teen being bullied due to their appearance (30 percent valid; 47 percent not valid).
“When considering cosmetic procedures, it’s important for parents and teens to be well informed so they can have realistic expectations about what the procedure will actually achieve and if it’s worth the risk,” Susan Woolford, M.D., a codirector of the Mott Poll, said in a statement.
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