According to Spanish news paper El Pais, the number of young Spanish undergoing cosmetic surgery is surging.

Spain has the third highest number of people going under the knife, just behind the US and Brazil, with around 400,000 Spaniards having some sort of cosmetic surgery each year. Despite the dangers of having plastic surgery before the body has finishing developing fully, around 10% of those looking for cosmetic surgery are said to be 19 years old or younger.

Many Spanish cosmetic surgeons try and avoid operating on minors (unless the surgery is for medical rather than cosmetic reasons) however some slip through the net, and some surgeons are not as scrupulous as others.

It comes as no surprise that Spanish girls are more likely to seek cosmetic surgery than boys, with the most popular forms of surgery being breast enlargements, liposuction and lip fillers.

Currently anyone under the age of 16 needs parental consent before they can undergo cosmetic surgery however the are no specific laws on cosmetic operations on minors. However some regions of Spain are looking for tighter control over young cosmetic surgery operation Andalusia, for example, is looking to ensure that all young potential cosmetic surgery patients undergo a full psychological test before being allowed under the knife.