title: Cosmetic surgery in teenagers: to do or not to do.
abstract: The media makes it out to be a big story that teens are getting cosmetic surgery in larger numbers than ever. However, this is far from the truth. Yearly data, is increasingly showing a reduction in the percentage, as well as absolute numbers of these surgeries. Only, very essential surgery should be done for teenagers. The consult should be done in the presence of a parent, and even if the teen is above legal consenting age, parental supervision is still needed. A cooling off period, informed consent under parental supervision, and a time to rethink is essential. If a problem is severe enough to cause psychological problems, a psychologist can help in arriving at a decision.
authors.affiliation: Department of Plastic, Aesthetic and Reconstructive Surgery, Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals, New Delhi, India.
authors.forename: Kuldeep
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Singh
keywords: Teenagers; cosmetic surgery; counselling; ethics