Revealed: One in THREE young girls think they are expected to have plastic surgery to prevent aging

A third of young girls believe they are expected to undergo cosmetic work or plastic surgery to prevent aging, a shocking survey has revealed.

Nearly half think they will worry about their appearance as they get older.

The Dove study, which involved almost 10,000 girls aged 10 to 17, found that some young teenagers are already concerned about wrinkles.

Dermatologists warned that the findings show how girls are pressured ‘to look a certain way from a very young age’ through social media, creating a ‘toxic culture of unrealistic beauty standards and pressure’.

The poll comes after it was revealed earlier this year that children as young as 10 are using anti-aging products.

Pre-teens are begging parents for moisturizers that cost around £50 a jar because they have complicated skincare regimes, according to experts.

Ingredients such as retinol, a form of vitamin A, are popular.

While it is helpful for aging skin, it can cause redness, flaking and rashes on children’s faces.

Other products can clog the pores of teens with oilier skin, worsening acne.

Dr. Emma Wedgeworth, from the British Cosmetic Dermatology Group, said young girls’ skincare routines were ‘completely unnecessary’.

Instead, kids just need to wash their faces with a gentle, fragrance-free cleanser and use a light moisturizer and sunscreen in the summer, she said.

Not only is it pointless and potentially harmful to younger skin, but it can also have an impact on mental health, argued Professor Phillippa Diedrichs, psychologist and body image expert at the University of the West of England.

‘If young girls feel pressure to use skincare products that contain highly active anti-ageing ingredients, this could be detrimental to their body confidence and self-esteem in the long term, not to mention their skin health,’ says Professor Diedrichs.

These pre-teen girls are adding products designed for adults to their wish lists and skin care regimens, Professor Diedrichs said.

To protect young girls’ self-confidence, skincare brand Dove highlights the ‘absurdity’ of young girls worrying about wrinkles and gives parents and caregivers tips to avoid worrying about aging

She argues that this obsession with avoiding aging at such a young age “contributes to a toxic culture of unrealistic beauty standards and pressures.”

Due to societal pressure, young girls are glorifying the latest trends in anti-aging skin care. Without guidance on what is suitable for young skin, girls will continue to abuse and glorify adult-targeted anti-aging products before they even reach adulthood, Dove argues.

To protect young girls’ self-confidence, skincare brand Dove is highlighting the ‘absurdity’ of young girls worrying about wrinkles and offering parents and carers tips to avoid worrying about growing older.

Dove has teamed up with Professor Diedrichs and dermatologist Dr Marisa Garshick to create ‘The Gen A Anti-Aging Talk’, a free resource on how to talk to young people about anti-aging and beauty anxiety.

‘The Gen A Anti-Aging Talk’ is pinned to Dove’s TikTok channel for all parents and caregivers.