Stand in line at any grocery store and you will either see or be directed towards “bad” celebrity plastic surgery. Everyone is familiar with the “Jerry Jones Facelift” or the”Kenny Rogers Eyelid Surgery” because they are celebrity faces that are frequently exposed to the public eye and photo documented at different stages of healing. There are even dedicated TV shows, websites and magazines on “bad” celebrity plastic surgery, which is relatively cruel because these patients have no control on being photographed in public, and may not look their best while recovering.
The question persists:
- Are celebrities prone to plastic surgery mishaps?
- Do celebrities select substandard plastic surgeons?
- Is this the standard of care in plastic surgery?
In general, the over exposed and frequently photographed celebrity plastic surgery figures tend to cloud the view of the lay public and sets an example of what a patient does not want to look like. When you think that these entertainers are financially sound and can consult with the best, which may translate to the most expensive plastic surgeons in the country; why does it appear that it goes wrong so frequently in this population?
The answer is probably multi-factorial: in that the best plastic surgeons are not always the most expensive, but this is lower on the list of causes.
- It is likely more commonly related to the acting profession and the need for an early return to the camera. Limited procedures often translate to limited downtime though more frequent smaller procedures tend to distort the face.
On facial procedures, scars are generally hidden with makeup though swelling is not. To limit the downtime and the amount swelling smaller, “mini” type procedures are frequently done. These smaller procedures are less invasive but tend to put more stretch on the skin rather than support the lift on the deeper structures of the face. This makes the lift and tuck prone to early relapse and frequent revisions. With the longer lasting procedures they require more invasive surgery with a longer period of convalescence. In general this is not the case for facelifts in that a well done facelift that supports the repositioned facial soft tissue on the Superficial Musculo-Aponeurotic System (SMAS), the scars are inconspicuous and the recovery is about a week.
- Mini facelifts, short scar and endoscopic cheek or mid-face lifts all have this recovery as well.
- Even fat injections tend to cause a significant amount of swelling and bruising, as well as that of a liquid facelift with volumetric fillers or a vampire lift with plasma products.
Direct neck excision with a submental Z-plasty is a perfect example of a minimally invasive procedure which is easily applied to the celebrity population because of the ease of performing it and the very limited recovery. The downside to this would be long central neck scar, which can be covered with facial hair hence only recommended for males and it does not deliver the same contour as a standard sub-SMAS neck lift.
Eyelid procedures, specifically lower eyelids are really the etiology of the “bad” facelift.
- Lower eyelid surgery or lower eyelid blepharoplasty can remove excess skin, fatty bags, and a downward slant or puppy dog eyes.
- Lower eyelid blepharoplasty has numerous approaches and the smaller procedures do have limited recovery though can cause severe deformity.
Therefore one would get into problems when a small lower eyelid procedure typically causes a problem with scarring and lower eyelid drooping, and then a revision procedure is performed with the same parameters of small procedure for a quick fix. These quick fixes generally do not correct the problem, but contribute to a continuum of exponential lower eyelid malposition and deformity. During this time the celebrity is in the public eye because of the lack of preparation for repetitive surgeries and paprrazzi photos are taken and a bad eye lift makes it to the cover of US Weekly or TMZ. Really this slippery slope could be avoided with the right operation from the start with the acceptance of some recovery for the optimal result, rather than the small result with the short recovery and the multiple revisions.
How does a plastic surgeon let this happen?
- They succumb to the enticement of being “the plastic surgeon to the stars”, however more commonly it backfires to become the plastic surgeon with only one star.
For a natural and long lasting facelift and revision of the “quick” lifts, Dr. Trussler is available for consultation in his plastic surgery office in Austin Texas.
