Can Minors Get Plastic Surgery in Colombia? What Ley 1799 Means for Families

Every so often a family planning a Medellín trip asks whether a teenager could have a procedure while they are there. Sometimes it is a 17-year-old who has been self-conscious about their nose for years. Sometimes it is a parent who has had surgery in Colombia themselves and wonders about their child. Colombia answered this question in law in 2016, and any family considering it should understand that law before contacting a clinic.

The short version

Ley 1799 of 2016 prohibits aesthetic medical and surgical procedures for patients under 18 in Colombia. It explicitly states that parental consent does not create an exception. It then lists a set of exceptions, sets out sanctions and assigns enforcement to local health authorities (Ley 1799 de 2016, Supersalud normograma).

In other words, the default answer for a cosmetic procedure on a minor in Colombia is no. A clinic that tells a foreign family otherwise, without pointing to a specific exception and the paperwork behind it, is a clinic to walk away from.

What the law covers

The law defines aesthetic procedures broadly: interventions intended to correct aesthetic alterations to achieve greater facial and body harmony, plus treatments aimed at embellishment and rejuvenation. That definition reaches beyond the operating room. Depending on how they are framed, it can capture non-surgical aesthetic treatments as well as surgery.

The exceptions listed in the law

According to the text compiled by Colombia's health superintendency, the prohibition does not apply to:

• Surgery on the nose and ears.
• Reconstructive surgery, and corrective surgery for complications caused by earlier procedures.
• Superficial chemical and mechanical peels.
• Laser hair removal.
• Procedures motivated by physical or psychological conditions that health professionals have properly documented. For this category, the law requires the surgeon to request a special permit from the territorial health authority, and it tasked the Ministry of Health with setting the procedure and documents.

Read that list carefully. The nose and ear exception does not make every nose or ear operation on a minor automatically appropriate. It means the blanket prohibition does not apply. The usual medical judgment about whether a young person is ready, physically and emotionally, still applies in full.

Penalties: why responsible clinics take it seriously

Ley 1799 sets a minimum fine of 500 times the monthly legal minimum wage for each party involved, loss of the professional license for practitioners and permanent closure of a health facility for repeat violations. It makes professionals and facilities jointly liable for sanctions and for damage caused to patients, and it requires professionals, facilities, parents and citizens to report suspected violations (Ley 1799 de 2016, Supersalud normograma).

Those are serious consequences. A surgeon with a long career and a licensed facility to protect has every reason to follow the rules. That makes a clinic's willingness to bend them a useful warning sign about how it may handle other safety rules as well.

Advertising and models

The law also bans advertising aesthetic procedures to minors and using minors as models in aesthetic surgery campaigns. If you come across Colombian promotional content that seems aimed at teenagers, that alone tells you something about the business behind it.

The constitutional review

Supersalud's compilation marks the core prohibition article as conditionally upheld (condicionalmente exequible) by Colombia's Constitutional Court, with linked case law on that article and on the advertising provision. A conditional ruling means the article stands but is to be read in a particular way. We have not summarized the court's conditions here because we could not verify the full ruling text for this article. If your family's situation turns on a fine point, such as a 17-year-old close to their birthday or a procedure at the edge of the exceptions, ask the surgeon and clinic for their understanding in writing, and consider independent Colombian legal advice.

What responsible planning looks like for a family

Rules aside, there are good medical reasons for caution with young patients. Mayo Clinic notes, in its overview of breast reduction, that surgery can be done at any age while cautioning that breasts still developing might require another procedure down the line (Mayo Clinic, accessed 2026). Its otoplasty overview says ear surgery can be done once the ears reach full size, which can be early in childhood (Mayo Clinic, accessed 2026). The point is that timing depends on the body part, and a qualified surgeon who examines the young person is the one to judge it.

A sequence that keeps everyone on solid ground

1. Start at home. Talk with the young person's own doctor about the concern and whether an evaluation makes sense. If a psychological dimension is involved, a home clinician who knows the patient is in a better position to document it than anyone met on a trip.
2. Ask the Colombian surgeon directly which exception applies. If the answer is "nose or ear," ask them to confirm it in writing. If it is a documented condition, ask what permit they will request and from which authority.
3. Do not book flights until the legal and medical answers are in writing.
4. Verify the surgeon and facility the same way you would for an adult: registry check, society membership, facility licensing and named anesthesiologist.
5. Plan for follow-up at home. A young patient may need checks for months or years. Know who will provide that.

Turning 18: the "wait until next year" question

Some families decide the simplest path is to wait until the young person turns 18. Legally, that removes the prohibition. Medically, it does not remove the need for a careful consultation, and a surgeon may still advise waiting longer for certain procedures. It also gives the young person time to decide for themselves, which matters for a permanent change.

If you go this route, avoid scheduling surgery in the days right after a birthday. Plan a consultation first, then a surgery date with enough room to reconsider. A rushed booking timed to a birthday makes it more likely the decision was made under pressure, which is the very situation the law was written to prevent.

Red flags specific to minors

• A coordinator says "it's fine with a parent's signature." The law says parental consent is not an exception.
• A quote for body contouring arrives without anyone asking the patient's date of birth.
• The clinic suggests listing the procedure under a different name.
• No one mentions a permit when the justification offered is a medical or psychological condition.
• Marketing shows young-looking models or targets teen social media channels.

Any one of these is enough reason to stop. A practice that cuts corners on a clear legal rule involving children has told you how it treats rules in general.

For young adults just over 18

If you are 18 or 19 and planning surgery in Medellín, the law no longer stands in your way, but the same attention to verification applies. Our guide to choosing a board-certified surgeon in Medellín covers the checks. It is also worth bringing a trusted adult to the consultation, not for permission, but as a second set of ears.