Dr. Veronica Riha Interview

Veronica Riha is a biology professor at Madonna University. She did not know anyone personally who had cosmetic surgery as a teenager. Her opinion on the matter was a definite no. She also did not know of any biological implications on how the surgery could affect a body that is not fully mature. When asked if she believed if the final decision should be the teenager’s choice or the adult, she firmly said that the adult should make the decision. On the matter concerning whether the surgery would actually improve one’s self-esteem and confidence, she replied, “No, if you are uncomfortable with your body you will never be truly happy with how you look. No one is perfect”. Riha believed that if you aren’t happy with how you look before the surgery, you will probably find things after the surgery you won’t like. Everyone needs to just come to terms with themselves and make the most of it. There was no point in worrying about how you looked when you are not the only one who may not like how you feel about your personal features. Teenagers were always finding things wrong with how they look now that there are so many pressures from society (V. Riha, personal communication, February 13, 2014).
This interview provided me with an opinion from a biology professor about her beliefs on the subject of teenagers undergoing surgery before the age of eighteen.