Introduction The American society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS) reports that in 2003, approximately 7.3 million women underwent cosmetic procedures while an estimated 1.1million man had cosmetic procedures. Liposuction was the common procedure for both women and men with breast augmentation coming in second for women. Main text The increase in people having cosmetic surgery points to a reduced concern for the dangers associated with plastic surgery. It has also been noted that there is an increase in the number of women younger than 18 years who are having cosmetic surgery. While the actual numbers indicate that those teenagers below 18 undergoing cosmetic surgery form a small percentage of the total, the worrying trend is the 48% increase noted in their numbers from 2002 to 2003. Cosmetic surgery for a teenager is not only dangerous because of medical risks involved there is also the additional aspect that the way the young patient’s body is changing will be affected. Sometimes a small increase in weight results in changes in the size of the breast. Due to the fact that the patient is still growing, altering her body parts may lead to dissatisfaction later in life when the patient is fully mature. Complications of cosmetic surgery range from minor problems such as scarring to more serious complications like fatalities. Many cosmetic surgeons attempt to hide incision lines by putting them in places where they are hardly noticeable. For example for a breast augmentation, this could be along the crease of the breast while for facial surgery; the incision line is hidden in the hairline. Permanent scarring is a common result of most surgeries. There is a probability of bleeding and infection with every surgery but these are complications that can be managed without posing a serious health risk (Washington, 2006, Pg 2) Nerve damage is one of the more serious risks associated with plastic surgery. This may manifest with loss of feeling in the operated areas and difficulty in muscle movement. Generally the risk of a cosmetic surgery procedure differs depending on the specific procedure. For example breast augmentation will have such risks as nerve damage at the site of operation, tissue necrosis, infection, scar tissue formation and asymmetry. Premature aging, features that look abnormal and visible tissue damage are some of the risks associated with facial plastic surgery (Washington, 2006 Pg 2). It is necessary to have tests done and undergo a physical examination done before going through with a cosmetic surgery because then certain conditions that would put an individual at risk can be discovered. Clients with diabetes, cardiovascular conditions and allergic conditions are at a greater risk of developing complications that other people would normally not get. Many times patients report that the results of the surgery are usually different from what they had anticipated. A story in the Telegraph illustrates this; a mother of four went to a hospital for a liposuction but the whole operation got botched and she sustained puncture wounds to her colon and bowel, which led to blood poisoning and multi organ failure causing her to have cardiac arrest for four minutes (Bunyan,