Can Kylie Jenner Legally Get Lip Fillers at 17?

Keeping Up With The Kardashians star and youngest sibling Kylie Jenner recently admitted to getting temporary lip fillers to create a fuller pout, with the announcement coming via a preview for the show in which Jenner is interviewed by a journalist but admits privately that she uses temporary lip fillers. Temporary lip fillers last up to half a year and are considered a noninvasive plastic surgery procedure. But Jenner is only 17 and not yet technically considered an adult who can consent to that kind of work. How old must you be to get lip fillers or other plastic surgery?

While procedures vary from simple injections to fat transfers, both require the informed consent of a person 18 years of age or older regardless of state. So, that consent can come from an adult who wishes to have the procedure, or the patient's parent. According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS), "parental consent is required for all plastic surgery procedures performed on teens younger than 18 years old."

While Jenner certainly isn't alone in electing to use temporary lip fillers at a young age, it appears the procedure isn't a highly sought after one for those in her age bracket. Perhaps the most common procedure performed for someone Jenner's age is a nose reshaping or rhinoplasty, which makes up nearly half of the plastic surgery procedures performed on those ages 13 to 19, according to ASPS. Otoplasty, or correction of the ears, comes in next, with breast augmentation or reduction following. No data was released regarding temporary lip fillers, making it clear it's really a fairly uncommon practice among teens.

The most recent numbers from ASPS actually suggest that plastic surgery performed on teens is actually on the decline. In 2013, patients under the age of 19 made up about 2 percent of total plastic surgeries performed. The number of procedures done in 2013 compared to 2012 declined by about 3 percent.

A question posed seven month ago on RealSelf, a site composed of plastic surgery professionals dedicated to informing the public about elective surgeries and whose studies ASPS frequently cites, asked if 17 was too young for a temporary lip filler procedure. Of the 10 doctors who responded, none explicitly discouraged the decision, though Dr. R. Stephen Mulholland from Toronto said that "performing cosmetic procedures in teenagers is something I try to avoid." Dr. Naveen Somia from Sydney, Australia, however, said that "there is no right or wrong age for lip fillers."

The question on RealSelf specifically asked about Juvéderm, a hyaluronic acid filler similar to Restylane, which is also commonly used for temporary lip fillers. Jenner has yet to confirm which temporary lip filler she specifically used. Patient information explicitly regarding Juvéderm, though, states that little is known about the temporary filler's effects on patients younger than 18 years of age.

Many of the doctors who answered the RealSelf question pointed to first consulting with a professional and laying out a specific goal, for example, making the lips more symmetrical or the top lip fuller. Thus, if Jenner's mother, Kris, was comfortable with the procedure, the two consulted with a professional, and had an explicit goal or aesthetic in mind, it's perfectly legal for Jenner to get temporary lip fillers and continue to do so.

Images: Getty Images (2)