Queensland concerned about Teen Cosmetic Surgery

Teen beauties (Credit: orangeacid)

Queensland may become the first state to regulate breast implants, nose jobs, tummy tucks, Botox and solariums for the under-18s.

Concerned that teenage girls increasingly "resort to a surgeon's blade" to remedy poor body image, the Premier, Anna Bligh, released a discussion paper yesterday canvassing ways to regulate non-medical cosmetic surgery procedures for minors. This excludes operations to correct abnormalities or deformities.

Leaving the door open for a complete ban on purely cosmetic procedures, the paper suggests enforcing a "cooling off" period between consultation and surgery, parental consent and compulsory medical and psychological evaluation of prospective patients.