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.

Although it was nothing but science fiction a few decades ago, laser cosmetic surgery is now a reality. It can often be used on an outpatient basis within a doctor's office, at least for minor problems like benign tumors and pre-cancerous growths.