An 11 year old schoolgirl has received cosmetic surgery after constant teasing from schoolmates over her appearance. / ABC8
An 11-year-old girl says she was so severely bullied over her looks that she was forced to get cosmetic surgery.
Virginia girl Bella Harrington reveal led she was bullied about how her "ears stuck out" and that the constant bullying soon sent the 11-year-old to breaking point.
"They would always, like, point it out. At first, I didn't care about it but then the more people pointed it out is when I wanted to change it," Bella told WRIC.
The bullying became so vicious that the pre-teen was afraid to wear her hair back in the pool.
"When people would ask if I would like to go swimming in the summer I'd be scared they'd show," she said.
"It's no different than getting braces," Sabrina Harrington said. "If it's going to make you feel better about yourself, then so be it."
Bella's doctor, Joe Niamtu, says about 5 per cent of the population has protruding ears. He says many of his younger patients are getting paediatric cosmetic surgery.
According to Niamtu, when it comes to correcting an issue that's prompting bullying, the younger the patient is, the better.
"We like to treat these children before they enter school, so it's not uncommon that I'm (operating on) 4 or 5-year-olds,"Niamtu said.
"And the reason is bullying, it's been shown psychologically to have the ability to affect their self-esteem or body image for the rest of their life."
Following surgery, Bella said that while she still finds it difficult to talk about the bullying, she's thrilled with the results.
"I was so happy," she said, adding she's no longer "focused on if people can see them."
