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PLASTIC SURGERY NEWS, SURGERY NEWS, COSMETIC SURGERY NEWS Current NEWS  |
| Alexandra Burroughs | |
| CanWest News Service |
February 18, 2005
In art, as in life, fakes can be a real disappointment so brace yourself for a heck of a downer.
According to several plastic surgeons, nearly 100 per cent of our most accomplished red carpet celebrities are working with more (and in some cases less) than what God gave them.
“As soon as the Oscar nominations come out, I’m like an accountant at tax time,” said Dr. Richard Fleming, 60, who performs cosmetic surgery on a large and undisclosed celebrity roster at the Beverly Hills Institute of Aesthetic and Reconstructive Surgery.
“I promise, I guarantee you, that anybody over the age of 25 who is successful in Hollywood has had something done.”
OK, so it’s that not shocking.
But this news is comforting during Oscar season, a time which features the most heavily watched and scrutinized bodies on the red carpet.
Fleming and his business partner, Dr. Toby Mayer, have been practicing in Beverly Hills for 28 years.
They recently released the results of their annual Hollywood’s Hottest Looks survey, collected over a year from 1,500 new patients.
Among the most sought after features came from an attractive list of 2005 Academy Award nominees.
The list includes Natalie Portman’s eyes, Hilary Swank’s jawline and Cate Blanchett’s cheeks.
For men, the most coveted features are Johnny Depp’s chin, Leonardo DiCaprio’s eyes and jawline, as well as the overall package or “body” of Jamie Foxx, which may not be surprising since he is up for not one, but two Oscars this year.
“It’s not that you win the Oscar and you’re loved more,” says Fleming of the list’s credentials. “It’s a matter of exposure.”
At Fleming’s practice in Beverly Hills, celebs typically sneak in undetected during off hours through the building’s back alley.
In the weeks before the Academy Awards, they aren’t looking for major surgery, just a little liposuction, a quick fat augmentation, some laser treatments — “Nips and tucks, it’s all very, very common,” he said.
But don’t expect celebrities to talk about it. Denial is so rampant among the upper echelons of Hollwood that it’s not uncommon for doctors to be sued for mentioning a name.
“Denial happens all the time,” says Fleming, recalling an incident that dates back six months. “There was a girl that was on the cover of an American magazine and the interview was all about her exercise routine, her diet and her fitness guru. She didn’t mention the fact that I did liposuction on her about three months before the shoot.”
Despite denial, regular people aren’t fooled by the appearance of perfection.
According to both Fleming and Calgary plastic surgeon Dr. Greg Waslen, most patients refer to a certain celebrity’s feature to help them explain an overall look.
“For example, a normal person comes and says they want a nose like Charlize Theron. They don’t want her nose exactly, just something like it,” explains Waslen of Calgary’s Plastic Surgery Centre.
Waslen, who has worked in the field for 25 years, admits during that time he has treated some California-based actors.
“An actor or an actress has to be even more careful because they don’t get cast in a role just on their talent,” he said. “They also get cast on their looks, so if they change their look they might not get the part.”
One need only consider what might have happened to the careers of Rosanne Barr, Joan Rivers and, dare we say, Michael Jackson, had they not undergone one too many nips.
People who have an addiction to plastic surgery are often turned away by doctors.
In Hollywood, Fleming rejects no less than 30 per cent of people who come in for consultations.
“Either I can’t give them what they want or they’re doing it for the wrong reasons — either way I can’t do it,” he said.
American TV shows such as ABC’s Extreme Makeover and Fox’s The Swan have helped make cosmetic surgery more popular, but it’s MTV’s latest offering, I Want a Famous Face, which has been cited as an example of unhealthy obsession with surreal celebrity perfection.
“I am down on that show,” said Fleming of MTV’s I Want a Famous Face. “I totally disagree with it because what those people are really saying is that they want to be that celebrity. It’s not just the look they’re after, it’s their life —the fame, the fortune, the awards — and that is just not right.”
If the subjects of I Want a Famous Face really wanted to be like their favourite celebrity, it would behoove them more to have the surgery done behind closed doors and to deny it to the grave.
If anyone asks, just say what every celebrity says: A low-sugar diet, exercise and — wink, wink — good genes.
What’s hot, what’s not
Hollywood’s hottest looks of 2005, according to the Beverly Hills Institute of Aesthetic and Reconstructive Surgery:
Desired female features:
Nose: Charlize Theron, Diane Lane and Nicole Kidman
Hair: Sarah Jessica Parker, Jennifer Aniston and Debra Messing
Eyes: Catherine Zeta-Jones, Natalie Portman and Julianne Moore
Lips: Scarlett Johansson, Jessica Simpson and Gwen Stefani
Jawline/Chin: Uma Thurman, Hilary Swank and Kate Winslet
Cheeks: Cate Blanchett, Julia Roberts and Cameron Diaz
Body: Jennifer Garner, Beyonce Knowles and Halle Berry
Skin: Kate Hudson, Paris Hilton and Kirsten Dunst
Desired male features:
Nose: Brad Pitt, Colin Farrell and George Clooney
Eyes: Keanu Reeves, Leonardo DiCaprio and Josh Lucas
Chin: Ben Affleck, Johnny Depp and Russell Crowe
Lips: Brad Pitt, Ashton Kutcher and Matt Damon
Hair: Hugh Grant, Pierce Brosnan and Colin Farrell
Cheeks: Jude Law, Antonio Banderas and Denzel Washington
Body: Jamie Foxx, Tom Cruise and Hugh Jackman
Jawline: Leonardo DiCaprio, Orlando Bloom and Matt LeBlanc
Skin: Jude Law, Matthew Perry and Matthew McConaughey
Doctor’s pick — Overall classic beauty: Carolyn Murphy (Estee Lauder Spokesmodel)
Most undesireable looks:
Helen Gurley Brown
Joan Rivers
Burt Reynolds
Mickey Rourke
Michael Jackson
Marie Osmond
Janice Dickinson
Bruce Jenner
Source: Beverly Hills Institute of Aesthetic and Reconstructive Surgery
