Aussie teenage girls under the knife
The Australian Society of Plastic Surgeons has denied any massive increase in the number of teenage girls wanting plastic surgery.
New South Wales Premier Morris Iemma called for self-regulation among doctors, saying he was concerned at the number of teenagers undergoing cosmetic operations.
He also urged parental counseling, a cooling off period and counseling -- or threatened introduce new legislation or change existing laws.
But Dr. Norman Olbourne issued a statement to journalists Sunday saying while "there may be a few more patients," operations are always done with parental consent and after a cooling-off period.
"If there is legislation, it might preclude people who not only deserve, but need cosmetic surgery for their wellbeing," he said.
Olbourne said many teenagers have a worthy case for plastic surgery such as "a young person whose ears stick out, somebody who's had an accident and their nose has been pushed out of shape or a young girl of 15 or 16, who has huge breasts and won't do sport and has a pain around her neck."
Copyright 2006 by United Press International
