Celebs and their plastic surgery

Articles about Odd Plastic Surgery Story

Do You Have “Runner’s Face?”

Friday, October 21st, 2011

Melissa Dahl of MSNBC.com contacted me the other day to comment on a story she was writing on the “Runner’s Face.”  A plastic surgeon in New Jersey, Dr. Brian Glatt, issued a press release with the following about the “Runner’s Face”:

Runner’s face generally occurs in both men and women ages 40+ who exercise to improve their body, and in doing so end up with a skeletal and bony face. When exercising, an athlete burns off fat beneath the layers of his/her skin. The marked loss of fatty tissue results in a loss of volume which leads to a prominent appearance of the bones, accelerated development of skin laxity and deepening of wrinkles. Though you may look like a 20-year-old from the neck down—your face will easily give away your age.

“Runner’s Face” can occur in anyone who has a very lean face, including avid bikers (Lance Armstrong), tennis players (Ivan Lendl), and people with eating disorders (the late Karen Carpenter).  Maybe “Skinny Face” is a better term for it.

To read the MSNBC.com article, click here.

 

Deranged Man Undergoes Plastic Surgery To Look Like Superman

Thursday, October 13th, 2011

Here’s a good one: Herbert Chavez, a 35 year old Filipino man, has undergone multiple plastic surgeries in an attempt to look like his idol Superman.  According to the Daily Mail, the psychiatrist-diagnosed BDD sufferer has undergone the following surgeries:

  • - Chin augmentation to give him Superman’s  iconic cleft;
  • - Rhinoplasty to transform his Asian nose into one more closely resembling Superman actor Christopher Reeves;
  • - Silicone injections to his lips to make them  fuller and thicker;
  • - And thigh implants to make his legs appear more muscular.
  • We’ve talked about people undergoing plastic surgery to look like their favorite celebrity, but their favorite cartoon character?  CRAZY!  I’d love to see someone with an obsession for Sponge Bob try to look like him.

    • I’d also like to give Mr. Chavez a word of advice: When wearing your Superman costume, you’ve forgotten one thing: Stuff a sock into your pants.  You’re too small and saggy down there!

    To read more: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2046303/Superman-fan-cosmetic-surgery-Herbert-Chavez-ops-look-like-hero.html#ixzz1aPsrFOTv

     

    Trump Casino Offers $25,000 Plastic Surgery Jackpot

    Wednesday, October 5th, 2011

    The Trump Taj Mahal in Atlantic City is now offering a new, somewhat bizarre jackpot: $25,000 in plastic surgery.  According to the Associated Press:

    The Trump Taj Mahal Casino Resort plans to give $25,000 worth of plastic surgery to a winner from a player’s card contest. The lucky one can mix and match surgeries including breast enhancements, tummy tucks, liposuction and face lifts until the total hits $25,000.

    “We wanted to change the face of a typical casino promotion, and with this one we are literally doing it,” said Kathleen McSweeney, senior vice president of marketing for Trump Entertainment Resorts.

    “Many people have something they want to change; a nip and tuck here, a lift there, but the cost of these procedures can be quite costly,” McSweeney said. “This promotion will allow the winner the opportunity to get the procedures of their choice.”

    “People often want this surgery but they’re reluctant to spend their own money to do it,” McSweeney said. “Whether it’s kids’ tuition, or the mortgage or they just don’t have that kind of money, this is their opportunity to get it done.”

    Players can earn credits toward the contest from Oct. 2 through 29. The winner must be present with his or her player’s card inserted into a machine when the prize is awarded on Oct. 29.

    The winner can opt for the $25,000 prize in cash if he or she doesn’t want the surgery.

    While strange and of questionable taste, this isn’t nearly as bad as the horrible and tasteless local radio promotion “Breast Christmas Ever” where the ‘winner’ receives a set of breast implants by a surgeon who isn’t even a real plastic surgeon!  Sounds like a punishment to me.

     

    Woman Dies After Injecting Her Face With Hot Beef Fat

    Wednesday, September 14th, 2011

    From ABC News:
    An Illinois woman who injected hot beef fat into her face died Thursday of a bacterial infection soon after she administered the homemade cosmetic surgery. Oddly, doctors say the questionable injections had nothing to do with her death, which was deemed natural by Illinois’ Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office.

    Janet Hardt, 63 of Homewood, Ill., boiled beef, extracted the fat and injected it into her face before she went to the hospital complaining that her face felt as if it was burning, according to ABC News’ Chicago affiliate WLS-TV.
    The Chicago Sun-Times reported that Hardt had infections and scarring in her mouth and on her lips, but an autopsy declared her death was a result of peritonitis, an inflammation of the abdomen’s inner wall.

    People are crazy! Do not do this at home. Injections of animal products into the face can at least cause severe allergic reactions and possibly more. I recently did a segment of the Rachael Ray Show where we tackled the issue of Do-It-Yourself Plastic Surgery. It’s not a good idea. It sounds like this woman had some serious mental problems.

     

    Pets Having Plastic Surgery?

    Monday, August 22nd, 2011

    News agencies are reporting real stories about pets having plastic surgery – specifically, dogs having testicular implants.  There is also mention of doggie Botox and even doggie braces.  You can read an ABC News.com report here.

    The whole thing seems pretty silly to me.  I’ve never operated on someone’s pet, although I’ve heard about a plastic surgeon performing reconstructive facial surgery on a cat who saved someone’s life but got injured in the process.  I’ve also heard about excess skin being excised from the faces of Shar Pei’s. 

    I would never consider plastic surgery for my dog Theodore (pictured above).  This adorable little guy doesn’t need a thing!

     

    What Makes An Innie An Innie? And More Belly Button Mysteries…

    Wednesday, May 18th, 2011

    There is an interesting article on MSNBC.com that discusses the recent trend of cosmetic belly button surgeries.  More and more people are undergoing umbilicoplasties to turn their ‘outie’ into an ‘innie.’  These surgeries are basically belly button hernia repairs and have been done for years, typically by general surgeons, not plastic surgeons. 

    Here is a photo of a patient of mine, pre-tummy tuck, who has the typical post-pregnancy changes of excess skin around the belly button.  Tummy tucks can improve this appearance, but result in a circular scar around it.

    Octomom claimed that her post-baby flat tummy was plastic surgery-free.  Her belly button tells the real story, though.  See her photo HERE.

    To read the MSNBC.com article, click here.

     

    Mom Injects Eight Year Old With Mail Order Botox – Are You Kidding Me?

    Monday, March 28th, 2011

    Crazy story out of the Sun.  A San Francisco mom admits to regularly injecting her eight year old daughter with mail-order Botox!  According to the article, the mom stated:

    “What I am doing for Britney now will help her become a star.

    “I know one day she will be a model, actress or singer, and having these treatments now will ensure she stays looking younger and baby-faced for longer.  I’m sure people reading this will think I am being irresponsible, but I ensure that I test the Botox and fillers I buy online on myself first.  All I want is for Britney to have the best start in life, so it is easier for her to become a superstar.”

    Her daughter replied:

    “My friends think it’s cool I have all the treatments and they want to be like me. I check every night for wrinkles, when I see some I want more injections.  They used to hurt, but now I don’t cry that much.  I also want a boob and nose job soon, so that I can be a star.”

    Yuck yuck yuck!  There are so many things wrong with this.  Where should I start?  Maybe some bullet points:

    -Botulinum toxin is one of the most powerful toxins in the world.  The tiniest amount can cause paralysis and death, especially if administered with untrained hands.  Cosmetically we inject the absolute smallest amount for maximal effect.  Who knows what’s in this mail-order, likely-phony Botox?

    -The article states it’s not against the law for the mom to be doing this.  I disagree.  While it may not be against the law to have your daughter undergo medical treatments, it is against the law to poison your child.  Because this product is imported and therefore not FDA approved, it’s contents are unknown and should be considered poison.

    -This may be a variant of Munchausen’s by proxy syndrome.  This is psychiatric disorder where a parent subjects their child to unnecessary medical treatments as a way to fulfill the parent’s need for attention.  It is considered a form of child abuse.

    -I hope someone has already called up Child Protective Services on this nightmare mom!

    I will be discussing this crazy story on ISSUES with Jane Velez-Mitchell on HLN tonight!

    Pre-order Dr. Youn’s book In Stitches and enter to win an iPad, Nook, Kindle or thousands of dollars worth of treatments here.

     

    Snake Bites Model’s Breast And Dies of Silicone Poisoning

    Friday, March 25th, 2011

    This is a really strange story. An Israeli model was being filmed with a snake when it suddenly bit her on the breast, puncturing one of her silicone breast implants! Reportedly, the snake died shortly afterwards from silicone poisoning! The video is pretty graphic, so consider yourself warned. I’m sure she’s thankful the snake didn’t bite her tongue!

    Pre-order Dr. Youn’s book In Stitches and enter to win an iPad, Nook, Kindle or thousands of dollars worth of treatments here.

     

    Transsexual Fake Plastic Surgeon Arrested for Performing Breast Exams In Bars

    Friday, November 19th, 2010

    A woman was recently arrested in Idaho for posing as a plastic surgeon and performing breast exams in bars on at least two women.  Kristina Ross, 37, underwent a male-to-female sex change several years ago, and is now accused of the unlicensed practice of medicine after allegedly trying to get to second base.  She went by the name Dr. Berlyn Aussieahshowna.  Detectives fear that there are others who were given these fake exams and promised plastic surgery.

    Maybe she should have given a different name, like Dr. Pat Medawn or Dr. Coppa Feal!

     

    Elf Ears – The Newest Plastic Surgery Trend?

    Thursday, September 30th, 2010

    I read an interesting article today introducing one of the newest trends in plastic surgery: Creating Elf Ears. There is a Hungarian plastic surgeon practicing in New York City who created this procedure and even claims that it can “improve the experience of listening to music.” Apparently there are “music faun clubs” which are dance clubs that only allow entrance to those with pointy ears.

    This is a new one for me! By looking at the photos I can see how the procedure is done. It’s a variation of the types of surgeries we do to reconstruct an ear after part of it is removed for cancer. Instead of making your ear look normal, however, it makes you look like Spock.

    I’d rather my daughter get a tramp stamp than one of these!

    Story and photo source

    Thanks for reading.

    Michigan-based Plastic Surgeon

    Anthony Youn, M.D.

     

    The King of Kong is a…Plastic Surgeon???

    Friday, April 23rd, 2010

    Funny story from amednews: The newest King of Donkey Kong is a plastic surgeon! Dr. Hank Chien, a plastic surgeon from New York, scored over 1 million points in 2.5 hours on Feb 27th. According to the article:

    In September 2008, about a year after watching the documentary, Dr. Chien sought out an arcade that carried the game. He said he figured his skills in the operating room could translate to a video game environment, and he believed he could master Donkey Kong…

    A clinical study published in the February 2007 Archives of Surgery found a direct correlation between gaming and proficiency in laparoscopic surgery. Researchers said surgeons who played video games at least three hours a week in their past were 27% faster than were nongamers and had 37% fewer errors…

    On the fateful morning of Feb. 26, Dr. Chien woke up to find New York City buried in several inches of snow. His office called to say his surgeries had been canceled…

    He completed his game in the early hours of Feb. 27. Dr. Chien announced his victory on Facebook and was surprised at the number of people who were still awake and read his message. The flood of e-mails and calls started coming, and his life as an international celebrity in the gaming world began…

    Dr. Chien’s life once consisted of plastic surgery during the day and Donkey Kong at night. Now his spare time is eaten up with interviews and autographs.

    I have heard of surgeons buying video games and writing them off on their taxes. I’d like to poke fun at Dr. Chien for spending so much time playing a video game, but then again, who am I to talk? I spend time writing a blog on celebrity plastic surgery.

    Thanks for reading.
    Michigan-based Plastic Surgeon
    Anthony Youn, M.D.

     

    Heidi Montag Had Her Back Scooped?

    Friday, April 9th, 2010

    I’ve been asked by several media outlets what Heidi Montag meant by having her ‘back scooped.’ While the media outlets are swirling around what type of unusual new plastic surgery this might be, I have a pretty disappointing but accurate definition: liposuction of the back of her hips.

    This area, also known as the love handle, can be very effectively liposuctioned, creating a ‘scoop’ or concave effect. It’s one of my favorite areas to liposuction since it can create such a nice contour that most women (and men) really like. Plus, the risk of unevenness in this area is pretty low, especially compared to the abdomen, which can get lumpy very quickly (just ask Tara Reid).

    Yes, I scoop backs all the time. Sorry, Heidi, you’re not special in this regard.

    For a great MSNBC article on “back scooping”, click here.

    Thanks for reading.
    Michigan-based Plastic Surgeon
    Anthony Youn, M.D.

     

    “Caulk” Butt Enhancements Hospitalize Six in New Jersey

    Tuesday, March 9th, 2010

    According to an article on CBS News.com, six New Jersey women were recently hospitalized after receiving buttock injections with silicone used to caulk bathtubs. These treatments were apparently performed by “unlicensed providers.”

    Seriously?!?!?!?!

    A tip for anyone considering injections into your buttocks: Do not allow anyone to inject anything except your own fat into your behind. Anything else is likely to either not work or cause some major problems (think of turning your buttocks into a big vat of cottage cheese). If you do have someone inject fat into your buttocks, make sure the surgeon is certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery and a member of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons.

    Photo credit: CBS News

    Thanks for reading.
    Michigan-based Plastic Surgeon
    Anthony Youn, M.D.

     

    Instant Dimples – The Newest Fad Surgery?

    Saturday, March 6th, 2010

    There is an interesting article on MSNBC.com that focuses on a fringe plastic surgery procedure: dimple creation. Yes, there is a surgery to create dimples, and it works pretty well. Contrary to popular belief, it’s not a new procedure, as plastic surgeons have been performing it for years. According to the article, the procedure costs between $2000-$5000. A quote from a doctor I know well:

    Dr. Ellenbogen, who says he’s been performing dimple-plasties for 30 years, says it’s not a particularly common request.
    “I get maybe four requests a year and three of the four I talk out if it because they’re doing it for the wrong reason,” he says.

    The procedure basically entails making an incision through the inside of the cheek (in the mouth) and using a suture to connect the skin with a deep muscle in the cheek. This creates scar tissue which will cause the skin to indent when smiling, hence creating a dimple. I’ve had a few requests for this procedure over the years, but it really is pretty darn uncommon.

    I was never really big into dimples until my daughter was born with one.

    Thanks for reading.
    Michigan-based Plastic Surgeon
    Anthony Youn, M.D.

     

    Does the Brava Breast Enhancement Device Work?

    Thursday, February 4th, 2010

    The Brava system is a nonsurgical breast enlargement device that claims to increase the size of your breasts 1/2 to 2 cups after 10 weeks of use. The wearer is supposed to use the device for a minimum of 10 hours a day and avoid missing even one day’s worth of treatment. There has been some support for the effectiveness of this device in scientific studies. It works on the principle of tissue expansion, similar to what we use when reconstructing breast cancer patients, except instead of using an implant inside the breast it uses a vacuum applied to outside of the breasts.

    The Rachael Ray Show (my favorite syndicated talk show :) ) has a segment tomorrow called Human Lab : Bigger Breasts. In the episode they will follow the experience of a viewer who tried the Brava system. Check it out if you get a chance! (No, I’m not on this episode) Click here for a link.

    As an aside, I once had a patient come to see me after using the Brava and having disappointing results. She ended up giving me her Brava system after her breast implant surgery.

    Thanks for reading.
    Michigan-based Plastic Surgeon
    Anthony Youn, M.D.

     

    iPhone Apps That Remove Wrinkles, Cellulite, and Even Grow Hair?

    Saturday, January 16th, 2010

    Now I’ve heard of everything! There is a company that is selling iPhone Apps that claim to erase wrinkles, smooth cellulite, reduce puffy eyes, and even grow hair! Here is the company’s explanation of how using their iPhone app can erase wrinkles:

    The wrinkle eraser uses green color and the Jade gemstone to increase collagen and elastin. Green is the color of nature. It is related to love and self-love and includes the ability to give and take love unconditionally. It has a calming effect that especially builds collagen, elastin, and protein therefore helping with wrinkles and fine lines.

    What a crock! I know of no evidence that putting a certain color light on your skin can do anything at all. If this was truly the case, I’d sleep with a green light over my face.

    For their website, click here.
    Thanks to Cosmetic Makeovers for the information.

    Thanks for reading.
    Michigan-based Plastic Surgeon
    Anthony Youn, M.D.

     

    Do It Yourself Plastic Surgery?

    Monday, December 14th, 2009

    There was an interesting segment on 20/20 regarding Do It Yourself plastic surgery. Some of the stories are unbelievable, with some horrific results. I find it amazing that people would buy items on the internet and inject themselves with them. I don’t mind giving injections and performing surgery, but I still can’t look when I get a flu shot.

    Make sure to always choose a surgeon certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery. To do anything else would be taking an unnecessary risk. You don’t want to end up looking like the poor Korean woman in the video! (yes, a bit of an exaggeration, I know)

    For the 20/20 segment on streaming video, click here.

    Thanks for reading.
    Michigan-based Plastic Surgeon
    Anthony Youn, M.D.

     

    Trading Frequent Flier Miles for Plastic Surgery?

    Wednesday, November 18th, 2009

    Strange story out of Finland: Apparently Finland’s biggest airline, Finair, is offering plastic surgery as a way to redeem frequent flier miles. Some details from kansas.com:

    It takes 1.32 million points to buy a lower blepharoplasty and 3.18 million points to buy a breast augmentation. That would equal 120 round-trip, business class flights from New York to Helsinki.

    So start saving points!

    Thanks for reading.
    Michigan-based Plastic Surgeon
    Anthony Youn, M.D.

     

    Can You Get Angelina Jolie Lips with JolieLips Lip Plumper?

    Monday, November 16th, 2009

    There is a new lip plumper on the market, and it doesn’t require injections or surgery… but does it work? JolieLips is a device that utilizes suction to attempt to suck your lips bigger. Melissa Dahl of MSNBC has a fun review of the product here.

    The lips swell very easily. That’s why when a guy gets socked in the kisser he gets a fat lip, not a fat chin. Because the lips are so sensitive, even a mild treatment like this one can create enough trauma to swell the lips temporarily. I suppose you could do the same thing by slapping yourself in the mouth or performing a high school-type makeout session.

    Thanks for reading.
    Michigan-based Plastic Surgeon
    Anthony Youn, M.D.

     

    Earlobe Lifts The Latest Beauty Craze??

    Tuesday, October 6th, 2009

    A recent article in Momlogic.com focuses on earlobe lifts as the latest beauty craze. According to the article people are now paying upwards of $2000 to have their earlobes lifted and reshaped. Is this true?

    I often perform earlobe repairs, ranging from fixing a torn earlobe to removing the extra skin from earlobes stretched by those God-awful stretching rings. While people are usually really happy with the results, the procedures always leave scars. And…I don’t charge anywhere near $2000 for it.

    Women, what would you think if you woke up looking at this guy every morning? Yikes!

    photo credit

    Thanks for reading.
    Michigan-based Plastic Surgeon
    Anthony Youn, M.D.