Is Elfin Ear Surgery Safe?
July 26th, 2011
A procedure to make “Elf Ears†has become popular among body modification artists. While they are not prohibited from performing this type of procedure, they are not allowed to use any anesthesia or provide any pain medication for their client. This unusual “cartilage sculpting†continues to gain popularity amongst sci-fi enthusiasts, but it is very risky surgery. The cartilage is cut, re-shaped and sewn back together to make the pointy tip. It has been called cosmetic surgery, but it clearly lies outside the practice of licensed medical doctors. Risks of this basically irreversible procedure include infection and deformity of the ear, which is often caused by poor technique or poor healing.
The procedure only costs about $600, but the price to deal with serious complications may have a long lasting impact that will require more than money to fix.
Of Course, 8 is Too Young for Botox ® UPDATE
May 12th, 2011
UPDATE: The mother of the 8-year-old has lost custody of her child, after an investigation was launched by San Francisco Human Services, according to ABC news today.
Has the intense need for perfection led some parents to extremes in seeking Botox ® injections for their young children? The short answer is, yes! Today Good Morning America featured a story about a mother giving her 8-year-old Botox injections to gain a competitive edge for children’s beauty pageants! I find this extremely disturbing and quite alarming to further find out that sadly this seems to be a rather common occurrence in the pageant circuit.
According to Allergan, for Botox ®, the protocol is as follows:
Botox ® Cosmetic is a prescription medicine that is injected into muscles and used to improve the look of moderate to severe frown lines between the eyebrows (glabellar lines) in people 18 to 65 years of age for a short period of time. IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION FROM ALLERGAN
Botox ® Cosmetic may cause serious side effects that can be life threatening, for hours to weeks following an injection of Botox ®
I have to believe that no reputable physician would inject a child with a cosmetic treatment of this nature. Besides being unethical, there can be serious consequences for the child, both physical and emotional. While Botox has been proven to be safe for adults over 18, it is certainly off-limits for children. The practice seems abusive to me and I can’t imagine any sane parent subjecting to a child to these injections.
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