Too Young to Nip and Tuck

When you hear plastic surgery, you don’t expect to her 7-year-old in the same sentence. One family thought the best way to avoid bullying for their daughter, Samantha Shaw, was to do plastic surgery on her little ears. The beautiful girl went through a surgery in New York to pull back her “cupped” ears. The surgery was performed free of charge thanks to the Little Baby Face Foundation. Studies have shown children with cosmetic abnormalities are less popular, which “can impact their developing self identity”. The plastic surgeon performing the surgery, Dr. Steven Pearlman stated “ears that stick out is not a cosmetic issue”.  The child’s ears stick out excessively and her right ear is also effected by what is known as lop ear, which means it folds over. Samantha herself never claimed she has been bullied or teased by others. Her mother’s concern was to avoid future problems all together.

Even though the issue is never black or white, it is a decision that involves many factors besides the actual ears of a child. The severity of the flaw, the child’s temperament, the parents’ ability to deal with the issue are important factors that may lead to the decision to perform or avoid surgery. It is doubtful that if a child is not popular, then they are doomed for life. Kate Hudson, Jennifer Garner and Will Smith are a few of very famous movie stars with big ears that stick out. Now this does not mean they were not teased as children or that they were popular as children, but chances the ears alone will not make or break a child. If it’s not the ears, then it could be her glasses, her braces, her weight, the way she wears her hair or how she walks. We try to protect our children as much as we can, but sometimes we do the most harm by keeping them from experiencing life’s turmoils and disappointments.