There is no point in 17-year old Lindsay Lohan, star of the movie 'Queen of Mean' and 'Freaky Friday' to deny that she has had implants and how 'hurtful' it is when media talk about it. The shape of her breasts say it all. More to the point is - are surgeons in good conscience performing major surgery on teens? If so, what does this say about the times we live in?

With Mary-Kate Olsen now in a clinic reportedly because of aneroxia and Lohan's new breasts, it seems like body obsession is something that starts young. But unlike aneroxia, with surgery, you need a doctor to help you out - so what are the guidelines for performing cosmetic surgery?
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The decision by the board was taken after the parents came in armed with a note from a psychiatrist saying their child's small breasts were harming the girl's mental and emotional stability.
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Louise Duranceau, the then head of the Quebec Association of Plastic Surgeons, said many girls have self-image problems related to breast size. An operation presumably would give a girl more confidence.
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A parallel case in England betrayed the same logic. Fifteen-year-old Jenna Franklin, from Nottinghamshire, was offered breast implants by her parents for her 16th birthday. Jenna's mother, Kay Franklin - who twice had her own breasts enlarged - had said that if she could alleviate some of her daughter's 'hang-ups,' she would.
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'There are so many young girls who are depressed or bothered about the way they look, so if you can do something about it, that's great,' Jenna's mother told the Express.
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For her part, Jenna was interviewed on BBC and Channel 4 television, and quoted in all the British tabloids, saying she needed implants to be successful. 'Every other person you see on the television has had implants,' she said. 'If I want to be successful I need to have them, too.'
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But surgeons both in England and Canada agreed that 15 is too young. Regardless of whatever hang-ups a girl might have, girls more often than not are still growing at that age. Dr. Anthony Erian, who the Franklins chose to perform the surgery, told the BBC that Jenna's breasts were not fully developed. 'I also think we have to wait to see what God gives us,' said Erian. 'If Jenna's breasts don't grow larger by age 18 or 19, then we can think about it.' In Canada, girls can get the operation on their own at 16, or even earlier with their parent's consent. In Canada, the debate has centered on the impact of allowing girls to use surgery to overcome their insecurities, at taxpayers' expense.
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Quebec's Duranceau said it sets a dangerous precedent. 'It opens the door for people to exploit the situation shamelessly'' she said: 'A girl should wait until she's at least 18, and until she can pay for it herself.' Others said it was pathetic that girls were encouraged to pay so much attention to their appearance. 'To put your self-esteem and self-confidence in a pair of breasts, that's sad,' said therapist Ginette Ayache. 'Not only does it have nothing to do with the true value of a human being, but it puts women's health at risk.'
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And health was the bottom line for others who had undergone breast implants in the past, and now, knew better. 'How can a 15-year-old judge the risks, risks not only for a few years but for her entire life?' said Manon Doyer, who headed the Quebec class-action suit against Dow Corning in 1994, after her silicone breast implants ruptured. 'Knowing the risks, I would never have had mine done.'
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Doyer added that today's saline breast implants, while an improvement on the silicone-gel implants of her day, still carry risks for many women, who later must have them removed. Imagine the effect on a girl's mental health then, she said. 'How will a girl feel when she not only has small breasts, but small breasts with scars? A lot of women have small breasts and love their bodies just the same. And for a 15-year-old girl? It raises serious questions about the girl, her psychiatrist, her family, and especially the government.'
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