( Dec. 21, 2010 ) — Most teenage girls would say that a car is their perfect Sweet 16 present — a big red bow on the hood of her new Mercedes, slick and sparkling clean. However, modern times have teenage girls asking for a big red bow, not on a new ride, but on a new nose. Or even a new set of breasts. Minors are not allowed to smoke cigarettes and drink alcohol. Why? Because it is unhealthy and poses many health risks that their young bodies are not yet ready for. At least that’s what all the adults say. So does that mean 16- and 17-year-old bodies are ready for rhinoplasty? How about a healthy dose of Botox? These days, teenagers can get cosmetic surgery as easily as they can get piercings or tattoos. They need nothing more than a parent’s signature. But surgically altering your body is not the same as getting a piercing, which can be taken off, or a tattoo, which can be surgically removed. Cosmetic surgery is not reversible; it can be altered, but your body will never look the way that it naturally did before undergoing the procedure. So although teen stars like Glee newcomer Charice Pempengco are getting Botox at the age of 18 or having their lips plumped with collagen at the age of 14 like Ali Lohan, that does not mean that teenagers should come to school the next year sporting a new nose. Why? Because our bodies are not ready for that yet. You cannot stop people from getting cosmetic surgery, much like how you cannot stop people from drinking alcohol. (Prohibition failed more than 90 years ago.) Just because your parents let you drink, it does not make it more acceptable, or legal. So just because your loving, gracious parents understand your insecurities and hand over thousands of dollars for that set of C cups for your birthday, that does not mean that it is or should be acceptable. It is not just teenagers’ bodies that are not ready for cosmetic surgery — it is also their minds. Teenagers have no clue what they are doing to themselves, such as when they think dyeing their hair bright green makes a statement. But, according to the government, 21 is a good age to start making decisions to permanently disfigure your body. So after the club-hopping and heavy-drinking birthday bash, go ahead, go under the knife.