When faced with cosmetic surgery in minors, the big question is when is it advisable to go through the operating room and when not. We recommend cosmetic surgery for minors when “the complex alters their proper psychological and relationship development.”
The two most frequent cosmetic surgery interventions in minors are:
- Otoplasty, surgery that corrects prominent ears, popularly known as “puff ears”
- Gynecomastia, operation that corrects the male mammary gland in those boys who present a breast development that gives the chest a feminine appearance.
Dr. Cristina Brasó assures that the minors who request a surgical operation “are markedly shy children who find it difficult to explain what is happening to them.” In all cases, “these are aesthetic defects, which do not downplay the emotional imbalance that they can cause.”
In minors, for the results of cosmetic surgery to be beneficial, the surgeon must ensure that the area operated on is fully developed. In this way, later malformations will be avoided.
The ears are formed from the first years of life and, therefore, between the ages of eight or ten they can be operated on. Instead, gynecomastia is usually performed after puberty, when the hormonal imbalance has already occurred.
However, in both cases “when cosmetic surgery is requested, the defect must be consolidated, so that there will be no need to wait”.
Of course, before performing cosmetic surgery, the consent of the parents or legal guardians is essential and, if necessary, a psychological study of the patient is required.
