When Can Minors Preparing for College Entrance Exams Get Eye Surgery or Nose Surgery?

Hello.

I’m Director Choi Junghyuk of Apgujeong Seoul Plastic Surgery.

Yesterday was the college entrance exam, right?

I’m sure all the students worked very hard.

As the college entrance exam and winter vacation season approach, there is a significant increase in inquiries about eye and nose plastic surgery from teenagers, and the main age group of visiting patients is also often in their 10s and 20s.

Among them, many minors wonder when would be the right time to get eye or nose surgery because they are worried.

Today, I’ll explain these concerns in detail.

When students who are still not adults say they want plastic surgery, many people wonder:

"Will it be safe at my age?"

"Is it okay to have surgery early?"

Before proceeding with plastic surgery for minors, I’d like to first mention a few precautions.

Since cosmetic surgery is not essential, it is necessary to think it through carefully before moving forward.

During the minor years, the face is still changing, so after becoming an adult, when body growth is almost complete, it is possible to make a more accurate judgment about what type of surgery is needed and to achieve the expected results.

Among the most commonly performed first-time cosmetic procedures, eye surgery (double eyelid surgery, ptosis correction) is generally said to be possible from around age 13 to 14.

There is a reason eye surgery can be performed early.

By around age 14, the growth around the eyes is almost complete, so surgery can be done at an earlier age.

Also, if congenital ptosis is severe, a lot of force is used in the forehead when opening the eyes, which can cause heaviness and discomfort, and because the likelihood of forehead wrinkles increases, addressing this early is better.

After eye surgery, another common procedure is nose surgery. For nose surgery or contouring procedures, surgeries involving bones or the skeletal structure are best performed after growth is nearly complete.

In particular, bones are at the stage where growth is gradually nearing completion at around 17 to 18 years old, so surgery is recommended after the college entrance exam.

If nose or contour surgery is truly necessary while still a minor, or needs to be done quickly, it is also a good option to first have a growth plate test and then make a decision.

If the result shows that growth is almost complete, then even a first-year or second-year high school student, or even a middle school student, can safely undergo nose surgery.

This is a review from a real patient who had nose surgery at our clinic.

Before surgery, they mentioned that the low nasal bridge and the blunt nasal tip, as shown in the photo, were their concerns, and they wanted a clean, straight line for the nose.

The low nasal bridge was naturally raised with silicone to suit facial harmony, and considering the ideal nasolabial angle, the blunt and drooping nasal tip was also lifted, bringing out both height and definition at the same time.

In this patient’s case, surgery was performed right after becoming an adult, and as such, if nose surgery is done after the skeletal structure has clearly finished growing and settled into place, you can achieve a more satisfying result.

If you have questions about Apgujeong Seoul nose surgery or are considering surgery, please visit us in person and find the nose that suits you through a one-on-one consultation with a specialist.

Thank you.