Ending The Stigma; Celebrities Are Becoming More Outspoken About Plastic Surgery

More celebrities are publicly admitting that they’ve had some work done. Regarding her breast augmentation in 2015, rapper Iggy Azalea said it felt better not to have secrets. She said, “I love them so much I had to talk about them…I’d feel better not to have some secret. It’s much freer to say it, and then you don’t have to worry someone will dig it up,”

However, it wasn’t always this way. A lot of shame has been attached to celebrities admitting that they weren’t entirely natural. Supermodel Bella Hadid had previously been vocal about not getting any plastic surgeries despite rumors of rhinoplasty, lip fillers, and botox. However, in a recent Vogue interview, she admitted to having a nose job at 14, which she regrets.

But Hadid isn’t the only one. Kylie Jenner had denied rumors of getting lip fillers before she finally opened up. The brand owner regretted initially lying, saying she would have been honest and upfront about it in the first place.

Not everyone can be as bold as Linda Evangelista, but celebrities are becoming more vocal about plastic surgeries they’ve done these days…and the stigma is wearing off. Much of the acceptance comes from understanding the importance of these surgical procedures, especially for celebrities.

According to Dr. Harrison Lee, MD, DMD, FACS, a prominent triple board certified plastic surgeon known as the plastic surgeon to the stars, “Constantly being in front of the camera and having to perform for a huge audience can be extremely demanding. More importantly, in this line of work confidence levels are key to performance. These procedures are more often than not, an attempt by these stars to boost their confidence levels and there’s absolutely nothing wrong with someone getting what they need to make their jobs easier.” He said, in response to Kelly Ripa’s comment on getting botox.

Dr. Lee’s postulations are further underlined by Kelly Ripa’s comments on her reasons for getting Botox; Ripa, in 2015, told her Live! co-host Micheal Strahan; “I got Botox because people kept saying ‘Are you okay?’…’You look like you’re angry.’ I was like, ‘Then it’s time to get Botox,”

Dr. Lee is an internationally recognized expert in Facial Bone Surgery and Facial Feminization Surgery, famous for his work on Caitlyn Jenner and Nikita Dragun among others; In his words; “The way a patient sees themself can impact their overall health and professional life,”

Health Reasons

In 2018 TV personality and model Tyra Banks admitted to People Magazine about getting a nose job. In her words, “ I admit it! Fake hair and I did my nose. I feel I have a responsibility to tell the truth.” According to her, she had bones in her nose that were growing and itching, although it didn’t affect her breathing, she opted for a rhinoplasty.

“Rhinoplasty is not simply for beautification,” Dr. Lee explains, “it is a corrective procedure for conditions like a deviated septum or even apnea. It is an improvement for nose structure and relief for lots of discomforting situations. Many stars, singers and performers often require a rhinoplasty to hit peak potential, and considering how short lived fame is, this surgery often becomes expedient.”

While plastic surgery can be crucial in tackling some health issues, it is still basically utilized as a beauty treatment by many, and this is where the stigma comes from, a stigma that seems to be liberally extended to celebrities who undergo surgeries as a corrective procedure for facial features or for health reasons.

Dr. Lee insists that the quality of his patient’s lives are more important than the stigma, and advises more people who have found these procedures beneficial to speak out; “Most people are becoming more knowledgeable in the benefits of these procedures, and it is absolutely nothing to be ashamed of. Talking about getting a procedure done can help another person who needs it to make the decision, but the key word is ‘need’ because there are a lot of people who really do not need a procedure, they need more of a mental readjustment.” Dr Lee concludes.

In an exclusive with Fox News, plastic surgeon Dr Garth Fisher talked about Khloe Kardashian’s recent story of a tumor being removed from her face. A procedure he was the lead on. He shared his thought process throughout the experience rather than the specifics about the Kardashian’s procedure.

“She had something on the side of her cheek that she just picked at, didn’t really know what it was and wasn’t paying attention to it,” Dr. Fisher said. “Then she went and got a biopsy of this, and the biopsy showed that it was really dangerous. Potentially something could be fatal, and of course, that got her attention.”

“I would encourage everybody, especially if you have light eyes, (to) really look for moles,” he said. “Don’t panic, most of the time it’s nothing, but you should be smart about this and check yourself.”

A Boost Of Confidence

The Big Bang Theory star Kaley Cuoco is one of the many celebrities that are outspoken about their cosmetic surgeries and are totally happy with the outcome.

In an interview with Women’s Health, the star described her surgeries as “the best thing I ever did.” According to her, “As much as you want to love your inner self, I’m sorry, you also want to look good,” The actress went on to say, “I don’t think you should do it for a man or anyone else, but if it makes you feel confident, that’s amazing.”

With over 23 years of experience in the practice, Dr. Lee agrees that lots of patients get their confidence back from these surgeries and it can make all the difference. “When you know that you can do work that allows that person to lead a life of confidence and comfort in who they are and who they truly feel like they are as an individual, it is gratifying,” he says, “ In many cases, these procedures are beneficial to emotional health, which in turn impacts directly on the patient’s personal and professional life” he added.

It Doesn’t Always Work Out

No matter how great cosmetic procedures can be, not everyone is thrilled with them. Courteney Cox is one such celebrity who has recanted their decision to get their face done.

“I’ve had all my fillers dissolved. I’m as natural as I can be. I feel better because I look like myself,” Cox said in 2017. “I think that I now look more like the person that I was. I hope I do. Things are going to change. Everything’s going to drop. I was trying to make it not drop, but that made me look fake. You need movement in your face, especially if you have thin skin, as I do. Those aren’t wrinkles—they’re smile lines. I’ve learned to embrace movement and realize that fillers are not my friend.”

Plastic surgeries can have different effects on different people, what’s important is figuring out what works for specific patients.

“The key to achieving a great plastic surgery result is by listening to a patient’s concerns, careful planning, and meticulous surgery,” says Dr. Lee “From pre-surgery planning to final recovery, we always try to provide the most open and honest information to serve our patients’ best interests.” he added.

The aim for this, he says, is to ensure that “patients get the best outcome suited for them this way. “These procedures are not for everyone and totally depend on the person’s mind frame, the purpose for wanting the procedure, and beauty goals.”

The concept and execution of reversing plastic surgery however is not always such an easy procedure.

Dr Paul Banwell, a British cosmetic surgeon and visiting professor of plastic surgery at Harvard Medical School, told publication Refinery29 “reversals are not something we commonly needed to perform previously”. He opined that cosmetic surgery has its risks and as does reversing it. “This is a potential disaster waiting to happen as significant fluctuations in volume to tissues can result in laxity and a poor aesthetic outcome.”

Getting some work done can be exciting for some, there is no use in dousing that excitement with fear of shaming. Thankfully, more celebrities are becoming more outspoken about getting it, and at least to them, that’s a win.