Celebs and their plastic surgery

Articles tagged facelift

Kim Kardashian Undergoes the “Vampire Facial” on TV

Thursday, March 28th, 2013

Pretty gruesome photo, huh?  Kim Kardashian has reportedly undergone the “Vampire Facial” on her Kim and Kourtney Take Miami television show.  I didn’t see the episode, but I hear that she underwent the following: Kim’s blood was drawn, the platelets and growth factors were isolated, her face underwent microneedling, then the platelets and growth factors were placed onto her needled face.  It’s described as the Vampire Facial.  So what really is it?

I first started hearing the “vampire” term associated with the use of platelet-rich plasma for cosmetic use.  Basically, blood is drawn from a patient, the platelets (which are chock-full of growth factors) are isolated from the blood by spinning it down, and these platelet-derived growth factors are then injected into the deeper layers of the skin.  The idea is that the growth factors will stimulate new collagen production to act like a filling agent to fill out wrinkles.  But does it work?

I’ve performed injections of platelet-rich plasma in several patients with modest results.  I don’t perform it anymore, since I feel that the cost of the procedure outweighs the benefits.  Some doctors remain gung-ho about the procedure, though, and have incorporated it with other filling agents.

One website that describes a cosmetic ‘vampire’ procedure is here.

Photo credit: Kim Kardashian Instagram

 

Barbra Streisand – Wow! Looking Great For A 70 Year Old!

Tuesday, February 26th, 2013

Did you watch the Oscars last night?  I thought it was a mediocre show overall.  Loved seeing Anne Hathaway win an Oscar for her role in Les Miserables.  Argo was a great movie as well.  I didn’t expect Ang Lee to win best director over Steven Spielberg.  But the biggest surprise of the night?

Barbra Streisand!

Can you believe that she’s seventy years old!  She looks amazing, with soft, full cheeks, a chiseled neckline, and smooth skin without any obvious signs of plastic surgery.  Because she looks so good, I suspect that she’s had some help from a plastic surgeon.  Maybe a facelift, some fat injections to her cheeks, and Botox in her forehead.  Kudos to whoever might be her plastic surgeon (not me) for doing a great job.

Her wrinkles are just a memory!

Photo credit: prphotos.com

 

Lee Majors – A $60,000 Man?

Friday, February 8th, 2013

Has Lee Majors become a modern-day bionic man?  He sure looks a lot better than he should at his advanced age!  I gave my opinion of whether he may have had plastic surgery to the National Enquirer.  You can check out my comments HERE.

Photo credit: prphotos.com

 

 

Dr. Youn’s Segment on “the Doctor Oz Show” Streaming Online

Monday, January 28th, 2013

My segment from “The Doctor Oz Show” is now streaming online.  You can find it here: http://www.doctoroz.com/episode/new-hypnosis-weight-loss?video=16555

Sorry for the lack of updates recently.  It’s been insanely busy lately with television filming and other projects.  Will post again real soon!

 

Simon Cowell – Using A Hyperbaric Oxygen Chamber?!?

Thursday, December 13th, 2012

Strange and interesting article from the National Enquirer:

In one of his latest bids to turn back time, Simon had his saggy “turkey neck” tightened in a noninvasive procedure by a Beverly Hills plastic surgeon in October, said the source.

The neck-lift was like­ly done with the new Fractora Firm device, said Michigan-based plastic sur­geon Dr. Anthony Youn, who has not treated Cow­ell. The device uses radio frequency energy to create tissue-firming collagen under the skin.

After the treatment, “Si­mon brought a technician  with a portable hyperbaric cham­ber into his Beverly Hills home,” said the insider. “He spent about an hour a day in the chamber for a period of weeks. He usually fell asleep, and when he got out, he said he felt like a new man.

“Simon believes that being in the chamber helped suppress the swelling from his surgery as well as bloating from his drinking and years-long smoking habit.”

Since I’ve never treated Simon, I can’t say for sure what he had done.  I do commend him for being candid with his Botox use.  Overall, he looks like he’s aging very well.  But hyperbaric oxygen chamber?  There are no studies that prove that hyperbaric oxygen reverses aging.

photo credit: prphotos.com

 

Sophia Loren – Has She Had Major Plastic Surgery?

Wednesday, December 5th, 2012

I was recently interviewed by Radar Online about the legendary actress Sophia Loren.  Has she had plastic surgery?  Although she officially denies it, I think it’s very unlikely someone can look as good as she does at the age of 78 without the help of a plastic surgeon.  I suspect that she’s had quite a bit of work done, including at least one facelift, upper and lower eyelid surgery, fat injections to her cheeks, filler injections to her lips, and a breast augmentation.

It’s just my opinion, since I am not her doctor and am not privy to her medical history.  That being said, my grandma looked nothing like her when she was 78!

For more of my analysis, check out Radar Online HERE.

photo credit: prphotos.com

 

Is Christie Brinkley A Cover Girl For Plastic Surgery?

Thursday, October 11th, 2012

I swear Christie Brinkley just doesn’t age!  She looks almost as young as she did when Billy Joel sang “Uptown Girl” to her.  Her skin is flawless, and she has nary a jowl or wrinkle on her.  Could she have gotten the help of a plastic surgeon?

I think so.  No 58 year old woman should look this good without at least some work!  I suspect that she’s had several chemical peels and laser treatments to smooth her skin, Botox injections to relax her forehead, and maybe even an eyelid lift to remove sagging eyelid skin.  Has she had a facelift, though?  Tough call, but from the looks of it I’d answer ‘probably so.’  Most 58 year old women have at least some drooping skin and early jowling.

Plastic surgery or not, she looks amazing!

For more of my opinion on Christie Brinkley, check out Radar Online.com HERE.

photo credit: prphotos.com

 

Jimmy Fallon vs. Bruce Jenner On The CBS Late Show

Monday, October 1st, 2012

Jimmy Fallon cracks me up. This is a video from the CBS Late Show, where Jimmy tells the story about how he encountered Bruce Jenner, whose plastic surgery is the subject of many of his jokes. Funny story, and something that I’m always afraid might happen to me since I comment on celebs so much. It’s a fun 5 minute diversion.

 

Jewel Partners With ASPS To Raise Awareness Of Breast Cancer Reconstruction

Monday, September 17th, 2012

Two famous singers have recently publicly partnered with plastic surgery groups.  The singer Jewel has partnered with the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS, of which I am a member) to raise awareness of breast reconstruction after mastectomy for breast cancer.  Studies show that 7 in 10 women with breast cancer are not fully informed as to their reconstructive options.  Other studies have shown that breast reconstruction can significantly improve a woman’s self-image following breast cancer surgery.

Jewel has recorded a song (Flower) for the cause, which can be downloaded on iTunes and Amazon.com.  She is also planning a benefit concert at the annual meeting of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons in New Orleans next month.  She has been officially named as the national spokeswoman for the Breast Reconstruction Awareness (BRA) campaign.  One month from now -October 17th- has been designated official BRA Day USA.

Click here to read more about BRA Day USA.

On the flip side, 70′s singer Debbie Boone has become the new spokesperson for the Lifestyle Lift.  As you may know, this is the mini-facelift center that has dozens of locations nationwide and several infomercials.  Bah.  I don’t think Debbie’s lighting up a whole lot of lives with her association with them.

Maybe Debbie should read RealSelf.com to learn more about this procedure.

Kudos to Jewel!  Boo to Debbie…

photo credit: prphotos.com

 

Bruce Jenner – Facelift Scars, Pixie Ear Deformity?

Friday, August 31st, 2012

Bruce Jenner has been pretty open and honest about his plastic surgery history, even undergoing a revision facelift on the Kardashians’ E! show a couple years ago.  Here is a good photo of Bruce, revealing the well-healed scars from his facelifts and a mild pixie ear deformity.

A pixie ear deformity describes an earlobe that is attached and looks pulled down and sometimes elongated.  It’s a frequent occurence after facelift surgery where the neckline is suspended on the skin of the ears, including the earlobe.  This tension can cause the earlobe to stretch and pull down, resembling a fairy’s ear.  This can usually be avoided by a small trick I learned while working in Beverly Hills.

photo credit: prphotos.com

 

Ellen Barkin – Has She Had a Facelift?

Tuesday, May 29th, 2012

It looks like it according to the most recent photos on Radar Online, which can be seen HERE.  Although she looks a bit tight and pulled, I suspect that things will settle down and relax within the next couple months.  By then, she’ll be looking great!

Kudos to Ellen for guest starring on Modern Family, one of my favorite shows.  She’s also dating a man 31 years younger than she is!  She is one successful cougar.

For more of my thoughts on Ellen Barkin’s possible plastic surgery, click HERE.

 

Do Smartphones Cause People To Age Prematurely?

Wednesday, May 23rd, 2012

Thank you to Fox News Live for having me on the show!

 

Pillow Face: The New Hollywood Fashion

Tuesday, March 20th, 2012

What is going on with all the Pillow Faces in Hollywood?  There’s been a rash of them lately, each one seemingly worse than the next.  A Pillow Face is the term used when a person has overplumped cheeks, causing them to look like a Cabbage Patch Doll or as if they’re storing nuts for the winter.  Here are some Hollywood stars who appear to have exhibited Pillow Faces of late:

1. Ashley Judd - This natural beauty recently resurfaced to promote her new show Missing.  What’s really missing, though, are the wrinkles in her forehead and her previous appearance.  She and her reps have denied plastic surgery, instead blaming her puffy cheeks on a combination of steroid treatments and a sinus infection.  To read more about Ashley Judd’s face, click HERE for the MSNBC.com article and HERE for the RadarOnline.com article, both with my quotes.

2. Ellen Pompeo - Has Gray changed her facial Anatomy by getting a Pillow Face?  Looks like it!  Click HERE to see recent photos.

3. Lindsay Lohan – Not only are her cheeks overly puffy, but so is the rest of her face.  Click HERE to see what’s the scoop with LiLo.

4. Madonna – The Material Girl just might be the originator of the Pillow Face.  Click HERE for a photo.

Why are there so many stars sporting a Pillow Face and why didn’t we see it before?

Up until recently, most plastic surgeons considered facial aging to be a two-dimensional process.  They believed that aging caused the face to sag, hence the treatments all involved lifting.  This created the wind-tunnel looks of many of the older facelift and plastic surgery patients.  One of my mentors, Dr. Richard Ellenbogen, was among the first to describe facial aging as a 3-dimensional process, one that involved sagging PLUS deflation.  We described this in our 2004 article, The Volumetric Facelift.  Now all sorts of plastic (and non-plastic) surgeons have realized that proper facial rejuvenation surgery requires a combination of tightening loose skin PLUS adding volume to treat deflation.

Unfortunately, some of these doctors are going way, way overboard.  Instead of a conservative filling-in of the cheeks, they’re plumping faces as if blowing up a balloon.  Hence, the dreaded Pillow Face.

As for most things in life, moderation is the key.  A little volume is a great thing.  A lot of volume makes a person look not like a Man, but like a Muppet.

 

Joan Rivers Undergoes 734th Plastic Surgery Procedure

Wednesday, February 1st, 2012

Joan Rivers undergoes her reportedly 734th plastic surgery procedure on the premiere episode of “Joan and Melissa” on WE TV.  734 procedures??  This must include minor procedures like injections of Botox and laser treatments.  At this point, Joan having plastic surgery is a calculated career move, like Katy Perry changing her hair style.

I was one of the consultants for her plastic surgery guidebook “Men Are Stupid… And They Like Big Boobs” which was actually very informative and well-written.  For more on Joan’s recent surgery, click HERE for an article and photo slideshow in the OC Register’s In Your Face blog.

For what it’s worth, I REALLY don’t think Joan Rivers needed any more plastic surgery…

 

 

Jane Fonda On Aging And Having Plastic Surgery

Tuesday, December 13th, 2011

Jane Fonda was recently interviewed on the Today Show about her reason for having facial plastic surgery:

It was catching a glimpse of herself and wondering who that face belonged to that led a startled Jane Fonda to reverse her stand against having plastic surgery.

“I thought, ‘Oh my God, it’s me,’” the Emmy and Oscar winning Fonda told TODAY’s Matt Lauer. “I feel so great and so rested and I look so different and I just decided — and I’m not proud of it — I decided I wanted to look more like how I feel.”

The actress and ’80s fitness guru told Lauer she didn’t feel pressure to maintain a certain look. “I just decided I wanted to buy myself some time and look more like how I feel,” said Fonda, who had work on her chin, neck and under the eyes.

The 73 year old actress looks amazing.  Kudos to her plastic surgeon!

 

Smoking Can Make Your Nipples Fall Off

Tuesday, December 6th, 2011

 

I cringe every time I see a patient for a breast lift who is a smoker. I’m deathly afraid that despite my warnings, she will smoke before or after surgery and cause her nipples to turn black and fall off.

Yes. Smokers who undergo breast lifts are at great risk of losing their nipples.

I’ve seen it before.

The nicotine in cigarettes and the carbon monoxide contained in cigarette smoke can diminish blood flow to various parts of the body. These toxins act as a virtual tourniquet. If the blood flow to a particular body part becomes greatly reduced or halted, that body part dies.

In my memoir “In Stitches,” I told the story of a smoker whose nipples turned purple while undergoing a breast lift surgery. Purple is the precursor to black. Black is the precursor to falling off. To save the patient—and her nipples – we turned to the only treatment available.

We went medieval.

We used leeches.

Because of the mechanics of blood flow, when the blood supply is inadequate, which occurs with smoking, the tiniest veins often fail. This insufficiency results in a backup of old (venous) blood in the body part, causing it to turn purple. If the backup of old blood is serious enough, the purple color may eventually turn black. That’s when we know the body part – toe, finger, or nipple – is dead.

We use leeches to literally suck out the excess venous blood from the body part, acting as an attachable vein. The leech drains the old blood, causing it to turn from unhealthy purple back to healthy pink. We place leeches intermittently until the body part grows new blood vessels to do the leeches’ work. This can take several days.

Not long ago, during a consultation for a breast lift, a patient, Susan, admitted to being a pack-a-day smoker. I informed her that smoking can cause difficulty in healing and instructed her to quit smoking at least one month before surgery and to stay off cigarettes for at least a month afterward. Several months later, when she arrived at the hospital for her breast lift, she smelled like an ashtray…

To read the rest of this story and learn how this patient changed how I counsel patients who smoke, click HERE to go to my CNN.com blog page.

 

Madonna Looks Like Her Face Has Been “Polished, Buffed, and Smoothed”

Monday, December 5th, 2011

RadarOnline.com recently asked me to evaluate photos of Madonna.  Can you believe how she looks?  It looks like a plastic surgeon took a photo of her from her “Lucky Star” and “Like a Virgin” days and tried to make her look exactly like that.  It looks like her face has been polished, buffed, and smoothed – not to mention plumped up.  She has less wrinkles now than she did 20 years ago! Her face appears to have been plumped up with fat, tightened and tucked with a facelift, and smoothed
with multiple treatments.

For more of my comments on Madonna’s plastic surgery in RadarOnline.com, click HERE!

photo: prphotos.com

 

Is That Really Kate Gosselin?

Wednesday, November 30th, 2011

Is that really Kate Gosselin?  According to Hollywood Life.com, it really is!  Here are my comments to Hollywood Life.com:

“Kate looks great!  She doesn’t look anything like the bitter reality star of the past.  She looks at least 8-10 years younger. It appears that she’s recently had a few things done at the plastic surgeon’s office.  Her forehead is excessively smooth and wrinkle free, likely due to a hefty dose of Botox.  The skin on her face is smooth and pristine, and can be the result of laser treatments, like Syneron’s new ePrime skin tightening laser.  Her face is fuller and softer than it used to be, consistent with fat grafting injections.  Her lower face and neckline look tighter as well, a possible consequence of a well-performed mini facelift.”

You can read the comments of other esteemed plastic surgeons on HollywoodLife.com HERE.  Just take into account that my opinion is the one that is correct.  ;)

 

Can Plastic Surgery Hinder Politicians?

Monday, November 14th, 2011

The Washington Times has a very interesting article about plastic surgery and politicians.  Some good examples include Nancy Pelosi (she appears to have had a facelift and eyelid lifts) and Joe Biden (his alleged Botox’d eyebrows in the VP debate with Sarah Palin was almost as comical as Palin’s debate performance).

Can Botox hurt a politician by hindering their ability to express emotions?

Possibly, especially when it’s overdone.  If a politician has a completely Botox’d up face (think Janice Dickinson-like), how can he or she furrow the brow to show sympathy?

Some interesting thoughts and quotes -including some of mine- are served up in the Washington Times article HERE.

 

Does Madonna Use CACI On Her Face?

Tuesday, November 8th, 2011

The Mirror is reporting that Madonna has given up on injectable fillers and Botox to keep her face looking young and has resorted to a facial machine called the CACI to give herself a “nonsurgical facelift.”    According to the Mirror:

The CACI facial machine uses a roller across the face which transmits tiny  electrical impulses to stimulate muscle tone and enhance skin tissue. It is said  to be one of the best anti-ageing ­treatments around.
A source said: “Madonna is starting CACI treatments on her face and body and  can’t get enough. She’s through with spending hours in the gym.  She has a lot of work on her plate with recording her new album then she’ll  tour again next year. She needed something to give a quick fix and says it’s  transformed her life.”

The Material Girl tried the ­face ­treatment at a clinic before  buying the machine. She is considering buying a machine to treat the rest of her  body.

I don’t have any experience with CACI, but my overall experience with devices like this hasn’t been good.  We filmed a segment of the Rachael Ray Show where we tested a device used to tone the facial muscles (and thereby reduce wrinkles and sagging skin) and didn’t see any noticeable differences afterwards.  Obviously CACI isn’t the same, but in my opinion most of these devices are better in theory than in practice.

Photo credit: prphotos.com