Teen daughter wants nose job and I said no

[wewillseee]

My dd (16) has decided she needs a nose job. Last year she skateboarded into a lamppost (typical) and broke her nose, she now has breathing problems and the break is still fairly obvious. I don’t know whether someone so young should have plastic surgery but my family friend who is a plastic surgeon says her nose will have finished growing and if it bothers her she should do it. My DH says he’d pay for it but I’m still not sure. Opinions?

We had ds1 nose down privately and the insurance covered it

The surgeon said it would have been covered by the NHS

eauso
If you have breathing issues - the NHS will sort it for you
as its cheaper for them than dealing with the apnoea you'll get otherwise

Why was it not set properly in the first place? Poor girl. Of course she needs treatment to repair.

I'd support her. Even if just cosmetic - we fix wonky teeth and pin back sticky out ears - why go through life with a crooked nose if you don't have to?

NHS might do it as its not cosmetic, her breathing is affected. Can't understand why it wasn't fixed at the time

Really?

She wants a medical procedure to help her BREATHE and you have said no

Why?

I came in here to say that of course you don’t let a teenager get a nose job, until I read that she had broken her nose!

If you broke your nose and it was visible, and you had issues breathing, you would get it fixed, right? So get your DD to a gp and check if the nhs will cover, if not, get it done privately. Poor kid walking about with a broken nose.

Of course let her do it

Of course you should let her! It's just correcting it after an accident.

My friend's son had his broken nose corrected last year on the NHS and he didn't even have breathing difficulties.

Why are you prepared to let her suffer and also have the cosmetic issue of a broken nose too? How strange.

@NooneElseIsSingingMySong

I think it’s worth asking the GP for an ENT referral. Very different to have a repair following damage compared to a full reconstruction.

This. And if not private. Of course you should -you say DH is happy to pay -why wouldn't you?

I had a deviated septum fixed under the NHS, as an adult.
I wish it had been recognised when I was young as things like cross-country were horrible in the winter (trying to run, but forced to have my mouth open, which gave me a sore throat). I also used to wake with a headache every morning.
Are you perhaps thinking that because lots of famous people use the excuse 'deviated septum' as a reason for a nose job that other people will judge you and her?
If it was my daughter, I'd go ahead - I know what a massive difference it can make.

I was with you from your title and through her age - I’m against cosmetic surgery too young, certainly under 18 and without counselling first.

BUT

This doesn’t sound cosmetic but medical (breathing difficulties). I had an op (not a nose job but I call it one jokingly, it didn’t change my noses external shape) at 13 for a deviated septum, it wasn’t pleasant! I’d take medical advice for the breathing difficulties and help her prepare mentally. It’ll hurt but it’ll be totally worth it if her breathing improves, bit of an essential function!!

One person out of 103 voters has said you are being reasonable. They probably voted without reading your post. Take the message!

My DB broke his nose when he was younger and had a crooked nose for years plus breathing issues from it. He had it sorted out and am sure it was NHS. His breathing problems are gone and his nose looks much nicer. Mine's massive and I've been self conscious about it my whole life and wish I'd saved up and had it done when I was younger. So if it was my DD I think I would let her. It's at least worth speaking to your gp about.

Of course you should let her.

@ladyflower23 I'm the same. My nose is quite big and bumpy with large nostrils, I feel so insecure about it. When I was 19 I started saving up for it and was doing a pretty good job of it, I then spent my n/job money on a car (so wasn't totally wasted but I still wonder what if I had got my nose sorted).

My daughter is young but already I can see she's gonna have my unfortunate nose and already spoken to her dad that if she wanted a nose job I'd help contribute towards it.

I was bullied horribly for it all throughout primary and secondry school and I'd hate for my daughter to go through the same.

My father had his nose broken more than once through martial arts. He was asked by a doctor about breathing as it was noticeably bent and it being fixed not only helped his breathing but also reduced fatigue he had attributed to old age and things like cholesterol score dropped possibly from being more active. I am absolutely against unnecessary surgery but as my dad had shrugged off symptoms for years this could impact on her quality of life for years.

Never really been able to breathe through my nose, think l must have broken it as a child, told l have got a c shaped septum. I had it operated on but still struggle to breathe through it. So would say let her get it done if success rate is pretty much guaranteed

That’s needs doing she has breathing problems,

She has breathing problems. She's not asking for big boobs or a butt.

If she'd been in a major incident like a fire and been scarred would you feel the same? Although it's plastic surgery I think this is about her health rather than vanity so I wouldn't hesitate.

100% yes.

I have had plastic surgery twice on my hand due to partly cosmetic and partly ‘ease of life’ reasons. Can she not get it on NHS? Tell her to see her GP! I had the second surgery at 16 and I was able to recover from it really fast and it totally improved my confidence and life

Surely this is a medical problem and should be discussed with your GP and then a specialist? It’s not your place to make this decision. She could see the GP herself at 16.

Definitely