I weep for this girl. I don't know what message she got from her parents but she obviously felt she wasn't good enough. I will never ever ever ever let my teenage daughter get plastic surgery for breast augmentation (and let's be real and read between the lines here, regardless of what her parents are saying to the public, that's what it was). When she's over 21 and can pay for it herself, that's a different matter if she wants it -- even though I would be telling her not to.

My mother used to say EVERY time she saw me with too much makeup in high school -- you don't need it, you're so pretty without it. I thought she was insane, was annoyed every time she said it, but it greatly matters that she kept trying. That message (and others) came through. I will do the same with my daughter.

These children are learning this from their parents. It is in the same vein as girls and young women being more likely to become anorexic if their mother was constantly "dieting." My husband and I recently trimmed down by eating healthier and increasing exercise, not dieting. But there is at least one little girl in my daughter's second grade class who is already talking about needing to diet because that is what her mom says (mind you, the mom and girl are both skinny so I'm not sure what other self image issues we're looking at here). This is confusing to my daughter who also has a friend, in the same class, who is obese and her mom lets her eat whatever she wants. I'm hoping my daughter will have a healthy attitude about her body as she grows older. So far she has a good, healthy sense of self-esteem (she likes herself but can acknowledge her flaws). We'll see.

I think girls (and increasingly boys - eating disorders are on the rise for them too) are barraged by media and peer influence that is, well, unhealthy. I would *not* support my child getting plastic surgery but I am aware of the insidious nature of low self-esteem and an unhealthy obsession with looks after working with teenagers for years. I have no illusion that I am the only influence -- hoping to have many conversations with my kids over the years to get my message through and then hope to be able to support them should they struggle with any of the scary issues around body image distortion.

"More than 16,000 breast reduction surgeries occurred in boys."

One would imagine that "lose weight and exercise more" would be a better solution than surgery for teenagers.

Your article is very misleading. An 18-year-old girl is not a "teen," she's a legal adult who can make whatever choices she wishes, without anyone's approval.

ESB, be realistic. Who do you think paid for the 18-year old's plastic surgery?

I think plastic surgery is GREAT for those issues that truly divide you from your peers, such as inverted nipples, breast reduction for guys, tacking the ears closer to the head, etc.

On the other hand, simple vanity surgery should be required to wait until the child becomes an adult. I personally dislike vanity plastic surgery, but we should all be free to make the choices we make.

The problem starts with the person paying the bills for these surgeries.

WorkingMomX - Do not judge what you do not know about these parents. Asymmetrical breasts and inverted nipples are a real problem that can easily be corrected. Having breast that are two different cup sizes (practically if it is say an A verse C) is very disconcerting for that person and usually very noticeable to everyone else. Who are you to judge what is best for another persons. You do not have a clue as to issue or the discussions that went into this family's decision for this surgery.

You don't know that these parent made this young lady waited until (not child mind you) she was completed her growing or that they insured they had the best plastic surgeon was well qualified in his field. This was a reaction to anesthesia and could have well happened if she had been having a tonsillectomy. It had nothing to do with the type of surgery that she was having.

I don't agree with plastic surgery for teens, but at 18 you are leagally able to decide those things for yourself. If my daughter chose to take that route, I wouldn't be happy, but there is a point where life will become hers to live.

Most people agree that media images of both men and women are causing adolescents to strive for unhealthy extremes, but I don't see much being done about it. It seems to me that if we know the root of a problem we as a community should strive to make a difference. We talk to our kids about media influences, marketing and unrealistic representations of people and activities. For anyone who has older elementary aged girls, check out the Dove Real Beauty website. I completed the activity book with my 4th grade girl scouts and I think they learned a lot from it. I was a great starting point for some great conversations. Even at 9 and 10, some of the things that these girls told me about themselves and others was eye opening for me.

I know a good many adults with outrageous buck teeth, jug-handle ears, and other "flaws" who are competent, in good jobs, well-respected by their peers, married with children, and all-around well-adjusted, great people. I am sure these features caused them some pain in adolescence but that is a fleeting few years. These so-called "flaws" could be easily addressed with orthodontics or minor surgery but these adults choose to remain who they are. Anyone see the Jockey underwear commercial about being yourself? That's a great message.

You don't stop being a parent when your child becomes "legal".

I wonder if we'd even be reading about this girl if she had surgery for removing a tumor, her appendix, or gall bladder? It's the anesthesia that killed her.

What gets me are all the stomach reduction procedures. That's a life-long decision that sometimes fails (look at Carnie Wilson) or has drastic consequences (death, stroke, additional surgeries, etc.). I think pyschology should play more of a role there -- there's a reason people over-eat, not necessarily because they're hungry.

I spent a small fortune fixing my kids teeth. Is that so different than plastic surgery?

Right or wrong, breasts are a big deal for women. Having grossly uneven breasts or weirdo nipples can impact a persons life. It's not fun to feel like you have to hide. Locker rooms, swimming pools, even Doctor visits become situations you want to avoid because your deformity is apparent. If it were my daughter I probably would have paid for it.

If this had been strictly augmentation I would have been less understanding. But it wasn't.

If this gal had breast cancer or a malignant tumor would you feel differently about her having re constructive surgery?
While it is unusual for such a young girl to have such issues, it does happen.

I'm sorry this happened to this girl, but I'm not ready to jump on the condemnation bandwagon about it.

Even leaving aside the somewhat asisine referall to 18 as legal adulthood (ok, yeah, sure, you can vote and go fight in Iraq, but you can't drink, can't sign yourself out of FCPS schools w/out your parent's permission, can't rent a car...and so on and so forth) - the bigger issue at stake, I think, is the fact that teenagers simply aren't done growing yet. Metabolically, hormonally, whatever, most of us do not look the same now as we did at 18. So 'correcting' a flaw at that age is likely to cause many more and potentially irreversible flaws down the road. Even in the best cases, these teens are unquestionably setting themselves up for a lifetime of 'maintenance' cosmetic surgery (breast lifts, liposuction, etc.) since the effects of these procedures 30 or 40 years down the road is unknown.

When I was a senior in high school, I was dating a girl whose breast sizes differed by one cup size and she was already talking about plastic surgery. She did not go under the knife at the time, and I have no clue whether or not she ever did, but plastic surgery is definitely on the radar screen for girls of that age.

I also know a woman who had plastic surgery when she was 17. She had breast reduction surgery because her breasts were killing her back. Would those of you who say, "My daughter will never get plastic surgery," refuse such a procedure for your daughter? How would you resolve her spinal issues, then?

I cannot believe all the condemning remarks against the young lady AND her family. What she did was attempt to get an inverted nipple repaired, as I understand they can be VERY painful, and her other breast corrected. It was not just plastic surgery for breast augmentation. Sheesh, people! Grow UP and get a life. Would YOU be reacting this way if it was YOUR daughter in this situation?

Wow. I had (well, still have) asymmetrical breasts. Different by almost two cup sizes.

While bathing suit shopping is still basically a nightmare, everything else is pretty easily solved with well chosen clothing combined either with a silicone breast enhancer (so much more light and comfortable now than in my teens when they were pretty much full-on mastectomy replacements), or wearing a Miracle-bra with the insert taken out on the side with the larger breast.

Did no one show her these options and explain she still had maturing to do? And that pregnancy would probably alter her breasts anyway somewhere down the line?

Sad and foolish.

I had plastic surgery when I was 17, a breast reduction. I had one breast that was size E and one that was an F. Unrestrained, they hung down to my waist. I couldn't wear a seatbelt in a car properly, I couldn't buy bras in a store, I had to have some of my clothes custom made, which was difficult on our family budget, and I couldn't play most sports. The back pain was unbearable some days, and my shoulders had some nerve damage from the bra straps. When my first boyfriend saw them for the first time, his exact words were "What am I supposed to do with all this?" The surgery was the right decision for me at the time.

There are risks to these, and any other kinds of surgery. I had some complications after the surgery and I had to later deal with issues like explaining scars in intimate situations. But I always said I would do it again, if given the option.

I saw my problem as a serious impediment to having a normal life, and some of my reasons were unquestionable. But some were just a major inconvenience. But I can see how young people can become so focused on a flaw that it seems completely unbearable, and that parents with means can want to resolve those issues. But I can also say, that once you grow up and are given the chance to get to know the world a little better, to see the hardships that other people are surviving through, your perspective changes and your problems shrink down to a more appropriate size... without surgery.

I think this is a misleading article - #1, she died because of the reaction to the anesthesia, not because she was having plastic surgery. She would have died if she was having surgery to take out her tonsils. And it was a surgery to make her breasts bigger, she was correcting a problem. I think this is a big difference and should be noted...

Alex -

I don't have the inverted nipples, but as I noted above, I have a pretty noticeable breast asymmetry.

As I grew older and it became more apparent, my parents - both of whom are medical professionals - sat down and talked about it. While they have always been about healthy body image, they said they were more than willing to look into corrective surgery for this.

They didn't do this because they felt I was flawed. My mother started to realize when we went clothes shopping that it was getting harder and harder to buy clothes and have them fit appropriately. You try wearing something with a sexy décolletage neckline (because, let's be serious, when you're a teenager, you want to try it at least once) when your breasts are uneven and see how stupid it looks.

We discussed the pros and cons and long term ramifications. In the end, we went with the silicone enhancers and Miracle Bras (which had come out recently - when I move double the stuffing to my smaller cup, it isn't perfect, but makes the condition almost unnoticeable). Because I felt the risks outweighed the benefits.

But honestly, I wish someone had explained to her that it's okay. And that men won't find it repulsive - I was never promsicuous, but the few men I have been intimate with enough to be naked have all thought it was "fun", believe it or not.

Besides, so many women in movies and magazines and stuff all use "chicken cutlets" to help enhance. Less expensive than surgery by far - you just have to get solid bras to keep them in place...

I have to say as someone with very large breasts, I wish I would have had a breast reduction when I was 18 instead of looking to have on now that I am 30 years old with two children to think of.

The girl could have died from having her gall bladder taken out. She is also 18 and that means, whether some of you "hover" parents like it or not, she was an adult.

I don't get it. At 18, your breasts aren't even done growing yet. Mine grew until I was 20 or so, and now that I'm pregnant they're completely different.

I understand wanting to fix something that makes you feel different or uncomfortable, but at least wait until you're done growing. And honestly, LOTS of women have inverted nipples, and nearly all women have asymmetrical breasts (although we don't know how asymmetrical they were).

Unless there's an actual medical problem (such as back problems caused by large breasts), I can't imagine paying for my kid to have unnecessary surgery - whether it's breast surgery, nose surgery, whatever. It sends the wrong message, and it seems like people forget that ALL surgery carries risks, such as the risk of reacting to the anesthesia.

I don't agree that this was *obviously* breast augmentation. I haven't researched inverted nipples and asymetrical breasts, but I agree with Elly, that we don't know the process that lead up to the decision to have surgery.

If my kids have buck teeth, I will get them braces; if they want contacts instead of glasses, I'll get them fitted; Lasik? I'll look into it if they want. My daughter wants bigger breasts just because? I would not fund that decision. But why? Is it because it more sexual? Maybe?

But what about breast reduction? I had 2 friends who where uncomfortably big breasted. Backaches, difficulty in PE, difficulty sleeping. Would that be acceptable?

What if your teenage son was overweight and lost it through diet and exercise, but now has flabby skin around his breasts and stomach? Would it be be acceptable to you for him to have plastic surgery?

My mother had a deviated septum and the doctor suggested getting the bump in her nose smoothed out. She said no. But what would I do? I was never teased about having a big nose, but wearing glasses is uncomfortable. I think I might have said OK had I been in the same situation.

That said, I am trying very hard to instill good health habits in my kids, and help them like their bodies they way they are. I already hear my 7 yr old talk about being fat, trying to get her hair to look just so, etc. Like the other posters, I try through words and actions to tell her she's beautiful the way she is.

One snippet of childhood sticks in my mind - when I was just starting to date, my dad drove me and as we got there I realized I forgot to put on mascara. My dad told me I didn't need that stuff, I was pretty without it. Moments like that really helped shape my opinion of myself.

prarie dog - The difference between this and all of the examples you gave is that, as far as we know, this was not medically necessary AND it was surgery - which, unlike getting contacts or braces, carries huge risks. You have to weigh the value (medical, emotional, personal) against the risk (cost, physical risks, etc).

It's up to each adult with the money, and to each parent for their kids - but in my opinion, the risks of surgery are too great to take on for something that is cosmetic. I think this was cosmetic - they said it was surgery to correct asymmetrical breasts, not breast reduction, specifically - so I think that this was a really bad decision by the parents (I'm assuming they paid for it).

I saw a photo of this young woman, wearing a very low-cut top, that indicates her breasts were not at all unattractive. She is posed with a friend of even more "advantage", also showing off ample cleavage.

I had inverted nipples until my first pregnancy. It was no big deal. They did not look odd and had the advantage of not poking out even when it was cold! My doctor had already told me it was not an issue. Inverted nipples are not REALLY inverted - just kind of flat, by the way.

So this young woman's decision was really about a boob job- cosmetic surgery. Unless she planned to prominently display her breasts naked in public, there was no reason on on Earth for surgery. The surgeon should be ashamed to take on such patients.

Her doting parents provided her with a Lexus to drive to school so likely they were well-off and could indulge her whims. Thank heavens most of us can't!

Elly, I agree 100%!

I feel horrible for the girl's family; regardless of the reasons they paid for the surgery, they still lost their child. Even assuming the surgery was done for the best and most necessary of reasons, you know those parents will second-guess themselves for the rest of their lives. Talk about anguish.

I have struggled with breast issues all my life. Mine are tiny, practically just a nipple. I was known as "Mosquito Bites" throughout middle and high school - and that kind of cruelty can wreck your self-esteem. Clothes still don't fit me properly. Even the AAA-cup bras wrinkle in the cups unless I stuff them, so I don't bother wearing one.

You better believe I'll be getting enlargements someday - not so people will notice my large, perfect breasts, but so they *won't*.

Um, inverted nipples aren't really a big deal. I had no idea til one day while in college while bra shopping my mom made a comment that I'd have to get that fixed to breast feed (do I really?). No one had previously complained about them or even pointed it out. I knew they were different than ones in pictures, but not terribly.

I really would not subject my poor boobies to a knife for something as simple as inverted nipples. They're kind of like outie belly buttons I guess. Not average, but not freakish either.

I would be all for a teen getting plastic surgery if it was truly something that needed to be corrected. it's easy to come on a blog and say oh no, it's unneccessary, love yourself the way you are ,blah blah blah. But to a person it may make a world of difference. Too bad these blogs turn into a holier than thou fest.

Take a look at the 'awful plastic surgery' website and see how people ruin their faces and bodies with that stuff. There's even the 'cat woman' who is having her face made over to look like a cat. Totally nuts if you ask me. A teenager who wants plastic surgery (and the parents that pay for it) obviously have problems. They should be seeing a shrink, not a plastic surgeon.

Funny - you never hear stories about the kids in the Physics club wanting nose jobs.

This sort of sensationalism seems to be the nature of news these days. We don't know all of the medical details of this girl's life. It is too easy to judge someone.

Elective surgery always has risks. And, I would never tell someone else just to "get over" their perceived flaw. There's a fair amount of suffering that people endure for imperfections that others might think is no big deal. My view of someone else doesn't diminish her difficulties.

These issues of appearance being discussed may not be a big deal to you folks (who have experienced them as well) but they were obviously a big deal to this young lady. Who are you to judge her for that? Not all of us are immune to peer pressure and the pressure to look good. Consider yourselves lucky (or better than those who aren't -- which is what is coming through in some of the posts I'm seeing) if you are.

The fact is, it is well and good to say that you don't support teen cosmetic surgery but the truth could be very different for people whose teenage daughters cry and feel bad about their appearance. (Not all girls have the self esteem to simple want to wear silicone enhancers. Some may simply not want to -I wouldn't.)

And, let's be real here, this was an 18 year old. There is nothing that these parents could have really done to prevent it (we don't know who paid for this; I assume it was the parents but it is possible -though improbable- that she saved up for the surgery). Other than not pay what are you going to do? Kick her out of the house? For having breast surgery? I guess that would be your right but . . . count me out.

These are not black and white issues and there is no right/wrong answer. Though many on this board would have you believe that is the case.

I don't think 18-legal or not is a good age for surgery. Your body is not completely yet formed. I was a late developer, I went from an A cup to an D cup between 18 and 21. Now at 25 I can see how ridiculous it would have been for me to have done such a thing as a surgery, although I never thought about it- I just thought I wasn't as luck as the all the other girls.

Every single woman has asymmetrical breasts. Some may be more noticeably asymmetrical than others, but for most, there are non-surgical ways to correct this. Inverted nipples aren't a big deal, either. I don't know where you're looking that says they're painful, but it is a purely cosemetic decision to correct them.

I feel horrible for the parents, but they supported and paid for the surgery, and it should NEVER have happened. I agree with those who say that she may have died all the same while having an appendectomy or non-elective surgery. But she did not -- she had unnecessary cosmetic surgery at a very young age paid for by her parents. Her death is the result. It is terribly tragic, and it did not have to happen.

I'm amazed at how few people think that parents can have any impact on a child once they are 18! My parents paid for college and gave me a roof over my head until I was 22 which sure impacted their ability to influence my decisions regardless of who was funding the activity. Would many of you feel the same if your kid wanted to tatoo their face at 18? Decisions such as these last a lifetime, something that many people with tatoos would tell you are best not made when a teen.

Does anyone know if she had had the surgery at an actual hospital, would she have survived? Was the complication always fatal or just fatal because the facility couldn't deal with it?

You do not have to have inverted nipples surgically repaired in order to nurse--you can use nipple shields if need be.

Besides, your breasts do change during and after pregnancy. If you have questions, consult a lactation consultant (you can find them at any of the local hospitals).

You do not have to have inverted nipples surgically repaired in order to nurse--you can use nipple shields if need be.

Besides, your breasts do change during and after pregnancy. If you have questions, consult a lactation consultant (you can find them at any of the local hospitals).

If you never had to talk to a pediatric plastic surgeon, consider yourself lucky. consider yourself very lucky, ok? consider yourself freaking blessed.

I was teased every day through school about my weight and appearance. It did not matter that I was a straight A student or talented in just about everything I tried (except sports, of course). It was hell, and the teachers did nothing to stop it. My parents never told me I was pretty because they weren't going to lie to me. They told me to try as hard as I could to lose weight. The truth is that even if my parents told me I was fine, the other kids would have brought me back to reality. Boys (and now men) rarely want to go out with conventionally unattractive, overweight women, regardless of their own looks. They will always think of an unattractive woman as a friend and tell her how she's the most wonderful person, but unless she can be physically attractive to them, the women they date, choose to love, and ultimately marry will be the ones they find attractive. It is distressing that this young woman died trying to look as beautiful as possible, but until the message society sends lines up with how men actually behave when it comes to choosing a partner, things will only get worse.

Posted by: somebody | March 28, 2008 11:39 AM

Dream on. Dating a fat, unattractive women is the equivalent of a woman dating a homeless, unemployed man. Just the way it is, never will change.

If you saw a picture of her you would know that it was NOT breast augmentation. How cruel and rude people can be.

I think it's interesting that she is identified in the original post as "an 18-year-old high school cheerleader," as opposed to a student, girl, or young woman. Does anyone think the cheerleader aspect of this influences your level of judgement (or sympathy) for her?

All of you are so incredibly judgmental, about a situation you know very little about personally. It is easy to have a blanket opinion until something like that happens to you or someone in your family. Try being a little more open minded.

I had a friend in highschool that had asymmetrical breasts. One was a size A cup the other a DD. No kidding. She had surgery after senior year to reduce one and increase the other. She is now a nice normal B/C.

Not everyone is doing this to get bigger boobs.

Why do you all assume she wanted to go through a pregnancy and nurse, therby correcting the problem? There are lot of women who have higher ambitions. Going through a pregnancy and producing a child is a stupid way to correct it.

I am constantly intrguied at the public reaction to the words, "plastic surgery." It really raises people's BP. I am just recovering from a second plastic surgery on a facial feature. It took two painful surgeries to work out all the kinks, but I would not take them back. The experience has completely changed my life, and I am not a shallow or overly girly person, I don't have self-esteem problems, I just had a operable problem with a facial feature. People need to stop judging the intent of adults to seek plastic surgery - the world isn't drive n by Hollywood.
Teenagers, however, well, that's a different conversation. I would have qualified to have this surgery in my teens. My parents supported it, but I just didn't get around to it until I was older. I was pretty busy with college and traveling and friends and summer jobs... so I think kids really need to get their priorities in order. It's a very sad situation, could have happened in any surgery, but inverted nipples? Gimme a break. The new "deviated septum." Hahaha. I am a vocal proponent for plastic surgery, but it still is serious surgery that should take place, not in a doc-in-the-box, but in a hospital with board certified, top notch physicians.

Lucille Ball was terribly self-conscious about her inverted nipples. Her husband Desi Arnaz was REALLY into Lucy's unusual nipples. The sex was great.

That is one of the reasons Lucy stayed with Desi long after he became a womanizing boozer.

ewww Jake, that's kind of like hearing about my grandparents "doing it"

If you never had to talk to a pediatric plastic surgeon, consider yourself lucky. consider yourself very lucky, ok? consider yourself freaking blessed.

Posted by: | March 28, 2008 11:28 AM

DITTO 11:28 am! ..Two weeks ago I would have said "I would never let my child have cosmetic surgery"....now I have a kid facing thoracic/cosmetic surgery that MUST be fixed before he is fully grown to have any hope of success and I am terrified of the anesthesia, poor outcomes and potentially the problem being an indicator of a much worse genetic condition. Never say never ...it may haunt you.

I read these comments and so many are filled w/ hatred that I can only conclude that these individuals have deeply rooted insecurities masked by self-rightousness. At 18, young people are keenly aware of differences that would be considered abnormal. There are risks with any surgery and those risks should be discussed at length, however, I do think that when a young adult can correct something that is obviously distressing that is reasonable (correcting something to look "normal" not ridiculous) and they have the means to do it, they should be able to do it without world condemnation.

the comment thread does seem to be really outrageously judgemental. none of you has any idea who spoke to this young girl about her options and how they reinforced that she was fine the way she was. maybe they did. maybe she made the decision that this was important to her.

i know a girl who had grossly uneven and misshapen breasts when she was young. she also had social and mental problems. she got the "fixed" at 16, and all her social problems and some of her bi-polar tendencies vanished. it made an amazing and positive difference in her life, and she is now almost 30 and says it was the best decision she ever made.

i myself have a slight facial deformity that i almost had corrected when i was 17. i decided against it, but had circumstances been a little different i might have done it. i still think about it sometimes to this day, although it doesn't seriously impact my life.

all i can say is that none of you were in her shoes. none of you know what she went through physically or emotionally or socially because of her problem. none of you know what her feelings and personal priorities are (and we are allowed to have different prioroties from each other). i don't see how anyone thinks they can judge her or her family without knowing them or their situation.

If she kept her clothes on, who could tell about her 'deformities' anyway? Oh, that's right -- she was a cheerleader. They were usually the loose, wild and crazy students, right?

Wow! I never noticed how many perfect parents, who know everything, there were out there!

I think people are confusing the need vs. want of plastic surgery. Need as in fixing a dog bite or a laceration from a bad fall or sports accident, having reduction surgery because of back issues (Soleil Moon Frye anyone?), cleft pallette, etc. Want as in nose jobs for a perky nose, boob jobs because everyone else is doing it, etc.

Someone mentioned braces -- sometimes that's not cosmetic!! I needed them to correct a tooth that grew in completely turned around and to fix an over bite.

Rose G I think I love you :) Where does the concept of reasonability go here? What if the issue was a cleft palate? Really bad teeth? A burn accident?

This is just another level on the line from hair cutting/styling/coloring, nail cutting/painting, body shapers, high heels, jewelry, make up, piercings, tattoos, dental braces and more. We are taught constantly to do things to your body to make you "prettier" and "more normal."

Plastic surgery should be taken more seriously because of the invasiveness, expense, permanancy and so on of it all. But it's just as legitimate a form of body altercation as any.

I'll agree SOME bodies might still be growing in the late teens. But I was pretty much done by the time I was 14, my breasts grew in six months at age 11 to a size D- I've never NOT had stretch marks.

Not to mention sterilization- I seriously contemplated that in my teens as well.

Someone mentioned braces -- sometimes that's not cosmetic!! I needed them to correct a tooth that grew in completely turned around and to fix an over bite.
***
WDC- how was that a NEED? Did it threaten to kill you?

Physical differences can be a HUGE issue to someones comfort level, both personally and socially. Experience that every day of every year and then say it's not worth the risk.

There are an awful lot of parents who would apparently pay for their teenager to do this. I am shocked. You can call me judgmental if you like, you can warn me about "never say never", but I firmly stand by in my belief that if she'd been told none of us are perfect and she was a wonderful, beautiful, lovable person just as she was, this would probably not have happened.

And just so you know, there's plenty of information out there on the web talking about how her surgery was breast augmentation -- not nipple/symmetry correction.

fr beta:

>...Not everyone is doing this to get bigger boobs.

And this young lady wasn't doing it for that reason, either. I cannot believe the APPALLING viciousness of some posters on this board, they're blaming her for what happened. Like I said before people, grow UP. MYOB.

Alex, it's called a BLOG. We mind our business and other people's. If you don't like it, don't come to the party.

My overbite will not kill me but I still wish I had gotten braces when I was little. My parents offered to straighten my teeth when I was a teenager but I refused because I was afraid I would be more of an outsider than I already was.

Now, I have come to realization that I might end up doing it anyways. Not because it will kill me but because my mouth doesn't close properly. And not being able to close my mouth properly can make it inconvenient for example in cold weather because I can't protect my teeth from the cold. It also makes it a little harder to eat and actually have my mouth closed properly.

I don't think you need to apply the definition of "will it kill me if I don't do it?" in order to determine whether or not it is cosmetic. Likewise, just because my back isn't broken doesn't mean that I didn't wish insurance covered a reduction. I can live with my upper back and shoulder hurting... I just wish I didn't have to.

I actually think part of the problem is that plastic surgery is perceived as safe, when of course - it's surgery.

I really feel for the family. Even if they HAD wanted an entire image-driven, perfect-breasted child (and I doubt it would be that black and white), I am sure they did not want her dead.

This girl got surgery for inverted nipples! Puleez. Inverted nipples are great! I like to put honey in my girlfriend's inverted nipples and then suck it out. Delicious! She died for nothing... dumbass.

I prefer asymetrical breasts. Feels like I'm with two different women!

One day I might want to be with an older, more voluptuous woman, then the next day I can be with a nice young college girl!

It's great! Satisfies both urges.

me as a teen i had breast augmentation because i needed it. other teens dont need because they are good like they are. i would not reccomend any teen 2 get it yet until at least 20yrs of age.

It seems to me that most of the commenters here who have asymmetry in their breasts either support the young woman's decision in the correction, or have somehow been lucky enough to find a partner that can look past the asymmetry. From my personal experience I have discovered that most men do NOT find it attractive, and are occasionally repulsed by it.

It has been overlooked here that this damage a woman's lifelong self-esteem severely, and this can cause her to have unhealthy relationships with men.

Nobody can judge how having asymmetrical breasts can affect them unless they go through it themselves. But then again, if we didn't have people giving their opinions on matters they have no experience with, the this would not be a comment board, would it?

i think all teens should get plastic surgery because..well if your ugly u deserve to fix it

i think all teens should get plastic surgery because..well if your ugly u deserve to fix it

i think all teens should get plastic surgery because..well if your ugly u deserve to fix it

i think all teens should get plastic surgery because..well if your ugly u deserve to fix it

i think all teens should get plastic surgery because..well if your ugly u deserve to fix it

um well... i believe that if your pretty well then you cant help it like someone like my daughter ambre and she is beautiful and i cant help it if some of her peers are just jelous of her and want to get cosmetic surgery i mean i really cant help it you can only blame the parents there the ones that gave you the ugly skin that your child is in except for me because my daughter is sooo incredibly beautiful and she just cant help it because she got it from me and im smokin hot

I think it was just time for her to go unfortunally. she was a very lovely person.