The case of model Tatiana Murillo, the ‘Colombian Barbie’, who gave her 12-year-old daughter a nose job has sparked controversy. (Getty Creative)
This story begins long before Colombian singer and model Tatiana Murillo gave her daughter the money for a nose job. It should be said that it all starts from the moment this “influencer” who calls herself the Colombian Barbie decided to change her face, body and even her skin tone.
It is very good. Everyone has the right to do whatever they can to feel good. But this also gives us clear indications of the importance given to looks in a family, for example, so we shouldn’t be surprised at the decision to have his daughter undergo surgery to change her face.
Tatiana Murillo shared this combination of photos in a TikTok video, which she accompanied with the following message: “You have become the human Barbie of Colombia and I will make you the most iconic Barbie in the world. I love you brunette. How about the change?” / TikTok capture
It’s not surprising, but nonetheless striking, that a decision is made that could affect your daughter’s future, for one simple reason: the bones of a person going through puberty are still being formed, which is the outcome the operation someone has when they are 12 probably looks different when they are 18.
The facts
In August 2021, Tatiana Murillo posted a video on her TikTok account celebrating her daughter Sofía’s twelfth birthday. The girl opens a box and smiles in surprise: Inside are wads of money and a Barbie-shaped cupcake showing a bandage on a bleeding nose.
The news immediately went viral. The singer was met with criticism, comments alluding to the curious gaze of a lady who accompanies the girl in the video, as well as comments supporting the idea of the gift. Murillo who was interviewed in many shows of the conversation, made it clear that it was all about the money to have an operation within two years because it was recommended by his doctors.
It seemed that in all the scandal there were signs of reason who insisted on following the instructions of the specialists. Additionally, Murillo repeatedly stated that her daughter had a deviated septum that made it difficult for her to breathe, and she suffered from bullying in particular at school, which made her deeply yearn for this change.
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Although everything seems to indicate that there was nothing crazy about the proposal, the argument to wait two years was watered down after eight months, because finally Sofía Vélez Murillo, daughter of Colombian Barbie, was operated a few days ago change your nose at the age of twelve.
The Doctors’ Verdict
Beyond controversy and speculation, any reflection should be based on concrete facts and, of course, knowledge. The doctor Carolina Landetathe specialist in aesthetic medicine explains that the nasal bones are really fully developed by the age of 18 and most doctors therefore recommend surgery from this age.
“However, it must be taken into account that interventions can be resorted to in the case of breathing difficulties, patients with very closed turbinates or an otorhinolaryngological problem or pathologies of the nasal area. We do not recommend cosmetic surgery, which may involve surgery on bones that are not yet developed.
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“A 12-year-old boy or girl is in full growth, the nasal or facial bones are not yet developed, so it is best not to operate on them before the age of 18 for the sake of simple aesthetics. What’s happening is that at the time of this surgery, we don’t really know how much more those bones are going to grow. If it’s an anatomical problem, I understand that, but I would recommend surgery for aesthetic reasons at the earliest from the age of 17,” says the expert.
Nowadays, aesthetic surgeries at the age of 15 or 16 have become common. In fact, in many Latin American countries where beauty is considered an almost paramount value, this is usually a gift for quinceañeras, but for Landaeta this option is not the most recommended.
“Social media, the Bullying, they also influence the making of these decisions, but it is necessary to examine the extent of the problem if it is something that affects the boy or girl deeply, and if he has the maturity to understand the procedure and its risks before we risk performing an operation that may be lost over time”.
In this way, healthy children, organization of the American Academy of Pediatrics, highlights that rhinoplasty is one of the most common surgeries among adolescents, and sets the age limit at no earlier than 14 years for girls and 15 years for boys, in which the nose grows by 90%. In addition, it underscores this A good candidate for this type of cosmetic surgery is someone who is aware that the appearance of their nose will not affect their popularity or alter their personality. but who has realistic goals like integration with their peers?
It is necessary to emphasize the importance of parental consent, which should have the right criteria to make the right decision for their child. In Murillo’s case, her daughter’s experience of cosmetic surgery — she’s had more than 12 — may reflect what she didn’t like about herself, Landaeta says, adding, “It’s possible that she feels that the girl.” different than she is or that she doesn’t look like herself and probably reminds her of how she looked before her surgeries. This means there may be a psychological condition that needs to be checked.
Additionally, and more importantly because it comes from a family context, the global impact is that a 12-year-old girl, the daughter of an ‘influencer’, can have surgery. This Parameters that are already fragile are then further reinforced with the discourse that success is subject to a certain physical appearance and the younger one bows to these aesthetic norms, the better..
In this regard, Dr. Landaeta from the emotional dangers of girls thinking from a young age that they aren’t pretty enough or that they don’t fit a certain pattern. “Let’s imagine that this starts at a young age. The fact is that age also plays a role in the treatment of adults. For example, to use preventive botox, I require the patient to be at least 30 years old, no earlier.”
Also other disadvantages of rhinoplasty in teenagers, a article dr Toni Arcas, a specialist in oral and maxillofacial surgery, makes other points related to the importance of waiting.
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“Adolescents can be overly self-critical at this stage of life. Brain development and hormones make adolescents vulnerable to impulsive decisions, compare yourself to others, want to “fit in” and feel somehow lacking. Waiting before making a major change to your face may mean surgery isn’t necessary as you’ll soon feel like yourself.”
In addition, he warns that it is possible for an adolescent not to realize too early that they may change a feature of their face that they could be proud of in the future, because what seems undesirable at a certain age can be unique and one of a kind even a pride of the company. And it’s consistent with what Landaeta mentioned: you might want to have another surgery later, when the bone has reached full development.