Dr. Ted Gish Interview

Ted Gish is a Biology professor at Madonna University. Gish had known former students of his who had undergone cosmetic surgery before the age of eighteen. He understood the pressures teenagers face from peers and society, especially with the Internet being a 24/7 reminder of famous models and actors who portray an 'ideal look'. However, he still believed that teenagers should wait until they truly know that they want the surgery, or wait until they reach adulthood to see if the thought passed. Gish also believed that the final decision on receiving the surgery should come from a combination of both the adult and the teenager’s thoughts. He thought there was a point to where the adult should take more authority on the matter considering the teenager was not yet an adult. Gish did not know of any biological implications on how the surgery could affect a body that is not fully matured; therefore, he compared plastic surgery nowadays to that of the first surgeries performed. He stated, “black and white photos stay forever; however, color fades. Who knows how long surgeries nowadays will last”. His comparison provided insight on how the past has told us how early surgeries have ended up but not enough time has passed for society to see how long the new surgery procedures will last (T. Gish, personal communication, February 17, 2014).
This interview provided me with a chemistry professor's opinion on whether teenagers should have surgery before the age of eighteen.