To minimize the risk of infection, serious cosmetic surgery should always be done in a surgical hospital. This includes most invasive procedures, including face-lifts and rhinoplasty. Minor procedures like the removal of pre-cancerous growths can be done on an outpatient basis.

If you're a young person considering elective cosmetic surgery, think long and hard before going under the surgeon's knife. This is particularly true for minors, because you never quite know what you'll end up with until you're completely grown. Growth after serious cosmetic surgery could result in extensive scarring.

Be sure you follow your surgeon's directions to the letter, both before and after your surgery. Even minor complications can result in serious problems, ranging from pain to scarring, lesions, and even significant deformation of the region operated upon.