Quintana Roo Enacts ‘Nicole Law’ Banning Cosmetic Surgery on Minors

Cancún, Quintana Roo — Quintana Roo has brought into force a law prohibiting cosmetic surgery on anyone under 18, with doctors who violate the ban facing up to three years in prison.

The measure, known as the “Nicole Law,” adds a new section to the state’s penal code covering crimes committed in the practice of a profession. State lawmakers approved the addition on September 14, and the reform was published in the state’s official gazette on Thursday, making it binding from that day.

Stiff penalties for doctors

Under the amended Article 196, physicians who “perform cosmetic surgery procedures on persons under 18 years of age” face six months to three years in prison and a fine of 50 to 200 days of minimum wage. Judges may also suspend the doctor from practicing for six months to three years.

The law leaves an exception only for reconstructive surgery, which must be backed by a specialist medical opinion and a psychological evaluation. Such procedures are allowed when they are needed to treat congenital malformations, the aftereffects of accidents or physiological abnormalities that affect a minor’s physical or mental well-being.

In the bill’s explanatory statement, the lawmaker behind the measure argued that it protects children and adolescents, who often come under pressure to change their appearance.

“Allowing cosmetic surgery on minors amounts to an indirect but real violation of these rights, by subjecting them to invasive procedures that do not respond to a medical need, that carry inherent risks and that can produce irreversible consequences for their physical and emotional health,” the statement said.

Rooted in a Durango death

The reform stems from the death of Nicole, a minor who underwent cosmetic surgery last year in Durango. Her case prompted Quintana Roo legislators to stiffen penalties for crimes committed in professional practice, particularly in health care.