Billings says that in 1992 there were false accusations about breast implants, which made the public more hesitant to get surgically enhanced breasts. The FDA proved the fears and certain risks to be false, Billings says. There are variations of reasons why college students get cosmetic surgery, says Patricia Vita, nurse for Beverly Hills Advanced Surgery Institute. Vita says that it is mostly based on appearance because first impressions are everything. College students usually look into plastic surgery to enhance what they already have or to make corrections of their self-perceived flaws, she says.
Society plays a significant role in the increase of young people wanting to change their bodies.
Kristyan Kouri, a sociology professor, says that it s part of our culture and cultural perception to look a certain way. Kouri also says that we need a variety of images that women can attain and that it is not healthy for people to have to alter their bodies to have the right look. At the USC School of Medicine for Plastic Surgery, the practitioners strongly emphasize the fact that they will not do cosmetic procedures on people under the age of 18. The more popular cosmetic surgeries, such as breast implants and rhinoplasty are considered by thousands right out of high school, usually as a graduation present. Billings says that cosmetic surgeries for students under the age of 18 are almost impossible, although reconstructive surgeries for people under the age of 18 are more accepted.