Children as young as 14 are demanding plastic surgery to make them look like models and pop stars, a top Bradford consultant revealed today.

Top of the shopping list for the wannabe models are breast enhancement surgery and 'nose jobs'.

And Professor David Sharpe, consultant plastic surgeon at the Cottingley-based Yorkshire Clinic, said he is being forced to turn away more and more youngsters who are desperate to follow in the footsteps of their teen idols.

Last year he refused surgery on 30 youngsters under the age of 18 - most there with the consent of their parents.

Prof Sharpe said a 14-year-old had asked for nose surgery and a 16-year-old wanted breast enlargement after being offered a modelling contract - both of whom were refused surgery.

"Under normal circumstances I am not happy doing breast implants on anyone under 21," he said.

In fact, Prof Sharpe, a former president of the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons, does not carry out surgery on 50 per cent of those who approach him.

He added: "Children can become affected by fashion and the media and become subject to an inappropriate understanding of their bodies."

And with a 25 per cent increase in cases in the past five years, Prof Sharpe said: "Surgery for youngsters can be worthwhile and bring benefits in some cases. But when it is used for the augmentation of fashion it is frivolous and sad."

The image of young pop stars like Britney Spears - who has vehemently denied having breast implants - is thought to increase the pressure on young girls in particular to match up to their standards.

Chris McKee, who lectures on altered body images at the University of Bradford, believes the world of pop and glossy magazines have a lot to answer for.

She said: "I think there is a cultural influence which drives younger and younger people to want the perfect body."

Teen and women's magazines were main culprits, showing models' and pop stars' physiques to be the norm. She added: "This can make them want to measure up to perfection."

But Prof Sharpe stressed in the case of physical abnormalities - such as asymmetrical or grossly-enlarged breasts - which can lead to psychological problems, he was happy to operate and such procedures were often funded by the state.

Many people wanting "unnecessary" operations need counselling rather than surgery, he said. Some may suffer from dismorphobia - a pathological dislike of their own body, and operations, he argued, would not help them.

Prof Sharpe condemned the growing number of institutions "advertised in the back of magazines" which offer free consultations on plastic surgery.

"The people who visit these places are vulnerable and need proper advice. They often employ consultants who are paid on commission which means they are effectively trying to sell operations.

"People may not think about the implications of surgery, particularly the young. For example if breast enlargements are carried out, further surgery might be required."

Lindsey Bishop, from Transform, which specialises in plastic surgery and has a base in Leeds, said five per cent of its clients were under 20 but stressed it would only operate on under-18s in "exceptional circumstances" and with their GP's support.

She said their had been a rise in the number of youngsters requesting surgery and added: "We had a 14-year-old wanting surgery to her nose and a breast enlargement operation and there was no way we would do that."

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