A new children's book to be released on Mother's Day is causing quite a stir around the country. My Beautiful Mommy is a book written by a plastic surgeon and aimed at 4-7 year old girls. It depicts a girl experiencing her mom go through a rhinoplasty and tummy tuck. Its aim is to educate children as to what is happening when their mommy goes to a plastic surgery consultation and subsequently undergoes the above surgeries. The program Happening Now interviewed me and psychiatrist Dr. Keith Ablow about our thoughts on this book.
Here's my take: With the vast amount of plastic surgery being performed today, it's unfortunately inevitable that some children will be exposed to their mom (or dad) having work done. Because of that, I do think that some tool to help parents explain what's happening is a beneficial thing. I do not agree with how this book portrays plastic surgery, however, because it stylizes and glamorizes plastic surgery and makes it somewhat 'sexy' to have it done. The doctor looks like the cartoon Superman and the mommy looks like a supermodel who always wears belly shirts. IF we need to expose our children to plastic surgery, we should do so in a more medical, reconstructive, and restorative way. Instead of "Mommy is having plastic surgery to be prettier," it should be "Mommy is going to the doctor to treat the loose skin on her tummy to make it like it used to be."
Maybe I should write a book called My Mommy is Beautiful With or Without Plastic Surgery.
Thanks for reading.
Michigan-based Plastic Surgeon
Anthony Youn, M.D.:
