|
Fashion Wire Daily
NY December 26, 2001 - Can we talk? Joan
Rivers, the self-proclaimed arbiter of
Hollywood style, talks as much about her
own plastic surgeries as she does about
other stars' fashion gaffes. But while
famous folks like Rivers, Phyllis Diller,
Michael Jackson and Jocelyn Wildenstein
(aka The Bride of Wildenstein) can pass
off their multiple body modifications
as aesthetic adventurousness or a plain
old sight gag, there's a fine line between
people who get numerous nips and tucks,
and those on a compulsive quest for perfection.
Two-thirds of cosmetic
surgery patients are repeaters, according
to a survey conducted by the American
Society of Plastic Surgeons in 2000. For
some, especially those in the entertainment
business, it's merely a fact of life.
And even for the average American, the
stigma attached to a little beauty maintenance
work now and then has all but fallen away.
But as plastic surgery
gets closer to the norm, the standards
for what is extreme have been redefined.
"Jocelyn Wildenstein's surgeon is
a friend of mine," says John Grossman,
MD, a plastic surgeon in Denver and Beverly
Hills who counts Dolly Parton and Cher
among his clients (Cher is said to have
had a breast enlargement, a nose job,
a tummy tuck, a butt lift, a face lift,
cheek implants and liposuction). "If
you look at [Wildenstein] or Michael Jackson,
who is so incredibly grotesque, you can't
help but wonder what plastic surgeon would
keep operating on them. But under both
circumstances, as you develop a relationship
with a patient, you can convince yourself
that it's not up to you to be the arbiter
of what's attractive. This woman thinks
being a cat woman is attractive. She seems
to be saying it's fine. Michael Jackson
knows he's very artistic and aesthetically
attuned to what he wants himself to look
like."
But many plastic surgeons
feel an intense obligation to keep those
desires in check, even for their famous
clients. "I have one patient who
is a model in New York City," says
Brian Maloney, MD, a plastic surgeon in
Atlanta. "I suggested that she get
help because she had a bigger problem
than wanting me to make her lips fuller.
Here was someone who is fixated on the
appearance of her lips but the rest of
her was emaciated. At my suggestion, she
enrolled in an eating disorder program."
Multiple liposuctions,
breast-reduction surgeries, chemical peels
and collagen implants are all signs of
an unhealthy pursuit of perfection, says
Robert Butterworth, PhD, a psychologist
in Los Angeles who admits to having his
chin done. "Originally people got
plastic surgery to look younger and more
rested," he says. "What's happened
lately is that people are looking at plastic
surgery as a way to change not only how
they look but their personality. They're
saying, 'I want to look like her or him.'
That's where it's different. It's not
just to enhance what you've got."
To get a sense of
a person's psychological preparedness,
plastic surgeons largely rely on their
own experience and that of their staff
as to how the patient behaves when they
come in for an appointment. "There
are certain characteristics among people
who aren't good candidates for plastic
surgery," adds Dr. Grossman. "If
they're overly demanding or overly picky,
I might not take them on as a patient.
It's not tough to turn them away because
you recognize that these people can ultimately
be a threat to your practice."
Plastic surgeons also
consider it a red flag if you come in
with a picture of the celeb you want most
to resemble, says Stephen J. Ronan,
MD, a plastic surgeon in the
San Francisco Bay Area. "Most times
it's okay if she says, 'I want those breasts'
or 'I want my lips to be full like hers.'
It's when she says, 'I want to look like
this person,' and she is 50 pounds heavier
than the actress or has a completely different
facial structure that I wonder if she
thinks she's going to be a supermodel
once she has lipo. I try to never operate
on that kind of patient."
Most plastic surgeons
welcome patients to come in and talk about
their expectations before a surgery date
is ever scheduled. And you usually don't
have to pay for such a consultation. "Half
of what I do is psychiatry," says
Maloney. "I really want to understand
where she's coming from. Is she trying
to save her marriage or job? Or is this
just a solid person who feels 25 on the
inside but 45 on the outside."
But there are people
for whom no number of operations solves
the problem they perceive about themselves.
"The problem is in their head and
not their anatomy," says Grossman.
"There is no level of perfection
that will satisfy them. The request for
multiple operations on the same area or
other is a symptom of something far deeper."
In the end, every
plastic surgeon should probably have a
psychologist on their payroll, says Butterworth.
"Plastic surgery junkies need to
think about why they keep wanting more
work done. Obviously it's much easier
to change your outlook on life than it
is to change your external look,"
he points out. "And if you have surgery
thinking you'll resemble a celebrity and
don't end up looking like Britney Spears
or Tom Cruise, you're in for a big disappointment."
But take heart: It's more likely than
not that the stars you're aiming for have
gone under the knife themselves-even Britney.
Back
to the homepage
|
