The question of how old a person must be to undergo plastic surgery does not have a single, universal answer. Plastic surgery is a broad field encompassing two main categories: cosmetic procedures, which are elective and performed for aesthetic enhancement, and reconstructive procedures, which are medically necessary to restore function or correct defects. The appropriate age for a procedure is determined by a combination of legal requirements for consent, the patient’s physical growth stage, and their emotional maturity. The minimum age for a procedure therefore varies significantly, from infancy for some birth defects to adulthood for certain elective surgeries.
Legal Requirements and Parental Consent
In the United States, the legal age of majority for medical consent is 18 years old, which establishes the baseline for independent decision-making regarding plastic surgery. An individual who is 18 or older can typically provide their own informed consent for any procedure they choose to pursue. For minors under the age of 18, the landscape changes, requiring formal permission from a parent or legal guardian for the surgery to proceed.
This parental consent must be informed, meaning the risks, benefits, and alternatives of the procedure are thoroughly discussed with the guardians. In many cases, surgeons also require the minor to express a clear understanding of the surgery and its implications, demonstrating emotional readiness. Some states may impose additional restrictions, occasionally setting a minimum age of 21 for certain cosmetic procedures.
Even with full parental permission, a board-certified plastic surgeon retains the ultimate right to decline a procedure if they believe the patient is not physically or psychologically mature enough. Surgeons often act as a safeguard against premature decisions that could lead to dissatisfaction or complications later in life.
Physical Maturity Guidelines for Common Cosmetic Procedures
For elective cosmetic procedures, physical maturity is often a more significant limiting factor than the legal age of consent. If a procedure is performed before the underlying anatomy has finished growing, the surgical results can be distorted or become unstable over time.
Rhinoplasty, or nose reshaping, is typically postponed until the facial bones have largely finished their growth cycle. For girls, this usually occurs around 15 to 16 years of age, while boys generally need to wait a little longer, often until they are 17 or 18 years old. Operating on the nose before this skeletal maturity is reached risks interfering with the natural growth plates, which can compromise both the aesthetic outcome and the nasal function.
In contrast, Otoplasty, which is the surgical correction of protruding ears, can be safely performed much earlier in childhood. The ear cartilage reaches nearly its full adult size by age five or six, making this the ideal window for intervention. An earlier procedure is often recommended to prevent the child from experiencing psychological distress or bullying when they enter school.
Breast augmentation is governed by U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) guidelines, which are tied to both maturity and implant type. Saline implants are approved for use in patients aged 18 and older, aligning with the age of independent consent. However, silicone gel-filled implants have a higher minimum age requirement, approved only for women who are 22 years or older. This higher age limit reflects the need for complete breast development and a greater level of emotional maturity to manage the long-term commitment of silicone implants.
Other body contouring procedures, such as liposuction or tummy tucks, are generally reserved for adults who have reached physical maturity and maintained a stable weight for a defined period. Performing them on a physically developing or weight-unstable teenager is highly discouraged by the medical community.
Reconstructive Surgery and Age Exceptions
The age considerations change significantly when the procedure is classified as reconstructive. In these cases, the overriding goal is to restore normal function, which often necessitates surgery at the earliest possible age. The typical age restrictions and consent guidelines applied to cosmetic surgery are frequently overridden by functional need.
For example, a cleft lip repair is routinely performed when an infant is around three to six months old, and a cleft palate repair follows between nine and fifteen months of age. Performing these procedures in infancy is crucial for establishing proper feeding, speech development, and facial growth, making the surgery functionally imperative regardless of the patient’s age.
Similarly, reconstructive procedures needed after severe trauma, such as a major burn injury, are performed immediately or in the early years of life. The purpose of these surgeries is to manage scar contractures and restore mobility and limb function. The timing is dictated by the medical need to prevent long-term disability, not by a minimum age threshold.