Mackenzie Langan knew exactly what she wanted for her 18th birthday: breast reduction surgery.
The soon-to-be 18 year old had been uncomfortable with her 34-H bra size for a variety of reasons including constant back pain, chafing, and occasional bleeding caused by bra straps, all on top of the negative impact she felt her breasts were having on her social life.
“I think that the worst part about this for me is socially,” Mackenize told reporters. “Being known freshman year as ‘the girl with the giant boobs,’ having guys date me because I have boobs … And it gives me a lot of self-confidence issues because I feel like I can’t trust people.”
Breast reduction surgery is becoming a lot more common among teens. The American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery claims in 2010, at least 4,600 breast reductions were performed on teenage patients, a 157% increase since 1997.
What’s causing this increase? Prevalent theories include girls going through puberty earlier, the obesity epidemic, and the increase of hormones in today’s diet, while others claim the increased popularity is simply an effect of how safe and easy the surgery is.
Dr. Brian Labow of Boston Children’s Hospital was the surgeon who performed the reduction operation on Mackenzie. He says there’s a lot more to these surgeries than just cosmetic reasons: “It’s not just teen angst,” Labow said. “[These patients] clearly don’t have the same quality of life. It is a big deal.”
Would you support your daughter if she requested an operation like this?