Here at our Victorville plastic surgery practice, it’s not uncommon to receive visits from parents with children who happen to have unusually large or protruding ears. Upon consultation and assessment, the parent will most likely admit that such physical flaw has made the child more prone to bullying, particularly at school.
Bullying is a Serious Business
In New York City high schools alone, it has been found out recently that 1 in 5 students are bullied. Furthermore, the Health Department revealed that roughly 18 percent of the students in the area are either bullied in school or over the Internet. This should not come as a surprise as children with deformities from accidents or congenital anomalies tend to be shunned, pushed around, teased, or left out by their peers. What’s worst is that parents or guardians may not have have clues about what’s happening.
What is Involved in Otoplasty?
By and large, otoplasty by Dr. Tehrani aims to correct protruding or disfigured ears in children and adults. Shape, position or proportion of the ear may be corrected. The goal of the surgery is the creation of a natural-looking ears in proportion to other parts of the face.
Otoplasty Can Help Reduce Bullying in Children
The positive benefits of ear surgery to children are varied but they can be narrowed to the following:
It helps boost a child’s well-being. Since the child will most likely have fewer incidents of teasing, feelings of adequacy will return. Self-acceptance will most likely follow.
It can boost confidence. The child will be more confident to interact with his or her peers and participate in school activities.
It can reduce bullying. Since there’s no physical flaw that will be the subject of teasing, bullying will be reduced and consequently stopped.
Best Time to Take Your Child to Our Clinic
Children’s ears are fully developed by the time they are 4 or 5 years old. Thus, we recommend that your child be brought to our clinic at around this age. Also, at around this age, your child is still about to begin school thus he or she will be spared from bullying and its psychological benefits. Furthermore, the cartilage in the ears at 4 or 5 year old are extremely pliable, making it easy for reshaping.
Otoplasty at Tehrani Plastic Surgery
Let us help your child build confidence and become the person that he or she wants to be minus the bullying. Contact us at (760) 240-2444 or fill out this contact form to schedule an appointment with Dr. Tehrani. We look forward to your visit!