While there is hardly any upper limit to how old the patient can be to be accepted for a plastic surgery, usually there is more discussion on the minimum patient age. While current UK law states that anyone over the age of 16 can consent to undergo cosmetic surgery, it often depends on circumstances specific to the individual. In general, and it is almost universal across the globe, many cosmetic surgeons won’t perform procedures on anyone until they are 18. It is difficult for surgery to be performed before this age as facial growth and bone structure hasn’t fully matured and set in its adult appearance.

How facial growth and bone structure is important, one might ask. As the body and bone structure is still growing for someone in their teens, a vast majority of cosmetic surgeries are out of bounds as they can result in an undesirable appearance in adulthood. Another reason for the age limit on opting for cosmetic surgery are the psychological one – while anxiety about appearance can occur at any age, it is exemplified during the teens due to changing body appearance and hormonal impulses along with pressure to conform to a certain image or style. Needless to say, these are unsuitable reasons for cosmetic surgery. The main exception to these rules revolve around specific damage or medical conditions which could be improved by cosmetic surgery.

In my view any practitioner should exercise their professional judgement while considering requests from younger patients. It is very important to understand their situation as well as social and environmental factors that shape the patient’s opinions and propose a solution that works for them