15 Worst Celebrity Plastic Surgery Disasters

TopSocialite.com has compiled a list of the Top 15 Worst Celebrity Plastic Surgery Disasters You Will Ever See. Yeah, some of these are just bad work and probably never should have been done (#s 1-3), while some others are likely due to known, sometimes unavoidable complications of plastic surgery (such as capsular contracture, or hardening of scar tissue around a breast implant). I believe that #'s 5,7,8,9,11,12, and 14 are relatively easily improved.
Link to story: here

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Michigan-based Plastic Surgeon
Anthony Youn, M.D.:

China's "Miss Ugly" Wins Free Plastic Surgery

Some interesting (and scary) developments in Chinese plastic surgery:
27 year old Zhang Di won a newspaper competition in China and was crowned the area's Cinderella, or as some media have dubbed her "Miss Ugly." She was given $16,000 worth of plastic surgery in 12 operations to give make her look more "Western."

Elsewhere in China, plastic surgeons are breaking the leg bones of patients and slowly lengthening them using tissue expansion techniques, reportedly adding up to 4-5 inches of extra height. This is something I have not heard of in the States, except for reconstruction when people have bone removed from the legs from trauma or cancer.

While some people may think that China's "Miss Ugly" contest is crude and mean, is it really that different from The Swan or Extreme Makeover here in the States?

Source: theage.com

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Michigan-based Plastic Surgeon
Anthony Youn, M.D.:

Dr. 90210 Celebrity Facelift Game

Eonline.com has a Dr. 90210 Celebrity Facelift Game, where you can take the various features of celebrities and combine them into "the perfect face." It's pretty silly, but hey, it's a slow plastic surgery news week.

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Michigan-based Plastic Surgeon
Anthony Youn, M.D.:

Merry Christmas!

I hope you are enjoying time with your family and/or friends this holiday season. May this post find you happy, healthy, and enjoying the spirit of Christmas. I'm thankful that my son, who's been sick the last couple days, is finally feeling better just in time for Christmas. May God bless you all this holiday season.

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Michigan-based Plastic Surgeon
Anthony Youn, M.D.:

Paula Abdul - Plastic Surgery?

TMZ.com recently posted these 'before and after' photos of singer / American Idol judge Paula Abdul. I see two major plastic surgery possibilities. First, her nose looks thinner and shorter, possibly due to a rhinoplasty. Second, her eyebrows appear to have that arched "Botox Brow" look. Click here to see a video of a TMZ paparrazzi ask her about plastic surgery. Maybe someday she will be 'straight up' and admit to some plastic surgery?

Photo credit: TMZ.com

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Michigan-based Plastic Surgeon
Anthony Youn, M.D.:

Savvy Miss Article on Plastic Surgery

Savvymiss.com has recently published an article on plastic surgery entitled: Plastic Surgery: How Far Will You Go? They were kind enough to include some of my comments in the article. I think the article is well-written, except some of the patient experiences are mind-boggling to me. These include breast augmentation patients not being allowed to shower for a week (mine shower the day after surgery) and being surprised at firm, hard breasts immediately after surgery (I warn all my patients about this, and in 98-99% of cases they will soften really nicely). All-in-all, worth a read.
Link to story: here

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Michigan-based Plastic Surgeon
Anthony Youn, M.D.:

Joan Van Ark - Plastic Surgery?

I've had some readers ask me what is going on with Joan Van Ark's face. Hmm...maybe some plastic surgery?


She's such a pretty woman so it's a shame she may have altered her looks considerably with plastic surgery. In my opinion, she appears to have had a browlift and upper blepharoplasty, creating the 'hollowed out' appearance to her upper eyes. Her nose looks thinner and shorter, possibly from a rhinoplasty. Her lips also appear augmented, likely from Restylane. In addition, her neckline is almost impossibly sharp for a 64 year old, and can be the result of a facelift. Her cheeks are somewhat puffy, possibly due to facial fat grafting. Finally, her skin has a smooth, waxy sheen. This can be caused by a combination of Botox (forehead), Juvederm (frown lines) and chemical peels or laser treatments.
While I think that some of these (possible) procedures work for her (facelift, injectable fillers), others have not improved her appearance at all (rhinoplasty, lip augmentation). Maybe she should take some advice from her contemporary Joan Collins and not have any plastic surgery at all! (see link)

Photo credit: prphotos.com (after)

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Michigan-based Plastic Surgeon
Anthony Youn, M.D.:

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Madonna's Black Eyes - Plastic Surgery?

Madonna was recently photographed with two black eyes, as shown on this photo. The current In Touch Weekly magazine has my comments on it, but I will also offer them here.

The most common cause of black eyes like this is trauma. Most people who are assaulted can get one black eye, but when the base of the skull is broken (such as in a bad car crash) then both eyes can often become black. Now, I seriously doubt she's been in a car crash or physically assaulted, so the next most likely culprit is surgery.
Lower blepharoplasty surgery is the most common cause of bruising under both eyes, as seen in this photo. While I saw this quite commonly with the traditional technique, the newer transconjunctival blepharoplasty (hidden scar) often doesn't create bruising.
Other common causes of bruising like this include rhinoplasty, facial fat grafting, and Restylane, Juvederm, or Sculptra injections under the eyes. Take your pick. I guess we'll see how she looks in the near future.

Photo credit: x17online.com and In Touch Weekly.

Michigan-based Plastic Surgeon
Anthony Youn, M.D.:

Lipodissolve Chain Goes Belly-Up

The lipodissolve chain, Fig, has filed for bankruptcy. This St. Louis-based company was probably the largest chain of fat-melting injectors in the country. According to their website:

The company is currently consulting with counsel and will likely seek legal relief under the bankruptcy code to ensure it preserves all options including the ability to reorganize and continue operations.
Current patients undergoing treatment will be contacted by the company regarding continued treatment options or making a refund claim. Please check this web site for the latest information.

Why did they go belly-up? Was it poor management? Overaggressive expansion? Or maybe poor clinical results? I would be interested to hear from their patients about whether they are actually getting taken care of, now that the company has shut down. Patient abandonment can, unfortunately, be a consequence of having procedures performed by a practice owned by business people, and not a physician.

There is currently an FDA-approved study being performed by ASERF which will hopefully shed some light on the safety and effectiveness of lipodissolve. I look forward to seeing these results.


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Michigan-based Plastic Surgeon
Anthony Youn, M.D.:

Ashley Tisdale's New Nose

Ashley Tisdale of High School Musical was photographed performing at a function in NYC recently. This is one of the first times she has revealed her post-septoplasty nose in public. Ashley recently admitted to People.com that she underwent a septoplasty to correct a deviated septum. It looks like a bit more work may have been done as well, as other parts of her nose look like they've been thinned. Her nose looks a lot like Ashlee Simpson's.

Photo credit: dlisted.com

For my previous post on Ashley Tisdale, click here.

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Michigan-based Plastic Surgeon
Anthony Youn, M.D.:

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Reloxin - Botox alternative?

Medicis (maker of Restylane) has recently announced submission of Reloxin to the FDA for a BLA (Biologics License Application). This is a good thing for consumers, since Reloxin may become the first real competitor to Botox on the market. It is a form of Botulinum Toxin Type A, and can hopefully provide some competition for the massive Botox market. Currently, the makers of Botox (Allergan) have the only product of its kind on the market here in the States, and the prices seem to reflect this fact. I currently pay over $500 per vial of Botox, which is usually enough to treat only 5 different facial areas, or approximately 1.5-2 patients. This is the main reason why Botox treatments are so expensive. Hopefully the eventual arrival (still not sure when) of Reloxin on the market will bring the prices down, allowing more people to get the Botox they "desperately need!"

Photo credit: dermadoctor.com

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Michigan-based Plastic Surgeon
Anthony Youn, M.D.

Fergie is Upset About Plastic Surgery Rumors

Yahoo! Music is reporting that music star Fergie is upset about a recent magazine suggesting she may have had plastic surgery to her nose and eyebrows. The article states:


Two pictures of The Black Eyes Peas star - one from the 1980s, and one from 2007 - are printed side-by-side in the current issue of Us Weekly, and a surgeon tells the publication it's likely Fergie has had a rhinoplasty procedure.
But the 32-year-old has denied the claims, and admits such speculation upsets her so much she has seen a therapist.
Fergie says, "One of those (celebrity) magazines says I've had a nose job and an eyebrow lift, which is completely untrue.
"Personally, I see a therapist. It's hard, it hurts my feelings. I call my hypnotherapist and cry and let it go. That's what I do (to cope). I think that they nitpick these days so much and it's just got to the point where it's ridiculous."

Is this type of scrutiny (such as what is presented in this blog) the price of fame? Should we not speculate on celebrity plastic surgery so we don't hurt anyone's feelings? Sometimes I wonder... I am interested in your opinions, so comments are appreciated.

photo credit: prphotos.com


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Michigan-based Plastic Surgeon
Anthony Youn, M.D.:

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America's Vainest City = Salt Lake City??

Forbes.com has released a report of the top 10 vainest cities in the United States. They took several factors into account, including the per capita number of plastic surgeons and the amount spent on beauty products and services. Here is the list:
8. (Tie) Los Angeles
8. (Tie) New York City
8. (Tie) Virginia Beach
6. (Tie) Nashville
6. (Tie) Louisville
3. (Tie) Miami
3. (Tie) San Jose
3. (Tie) San Diego
3. (Tie) Greenville, Michigan (just kidding)
2. San Francisco
1. Salt Lake City (!)

Why all the ties?
I would put L.A. much higher on the list. I once heard that there is one plastic surgeon for every 500 people in Beverly Hills. Contrast that to the Metro Detroit area, where I am at, and that number is closer to 1 for every 80,000 people.
Saly Lake City topping the list is a surprise. Who would have thought that a city of nearly 50% Mormons would be so vain?

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Michigan-based Plastic Surgeon
Anthony Youn, M.D.:

Scarlett Johansson Threatens to Sue US Weekly

Scarlett Johannson has threatened legal action over a recent cover story in US Weekly featured photos of her with the headline, "A-List Nip / Tuck." According to OK! Magazine, Scarlett stated:

"I have always been straightforward with the press regarding my body image and I am very concerned that my fans (and perhaps even my employers) will feel misled. Thus, I feel compelled to take immediate legal action against US Weekly."

Her representative also stated:

"The publication (US Weekly) made a pathetic attempt to validate its story by using two cover photos...with obviously different make-up and lighting, and then relying on an 'expert's opinion' on what 'might' have been done. It wasn't.'"

I don't think she's had anything done, but I do believe in free speech. I'm glad I wasn't the 'expert' in this story!

Photo credit: prphotos.com

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

Meg Ryan - Plastic Surgery and Lip Implants?

I like Meg Ryan. Her roles in When Harry Met Sally and Sleepless in Seattle are classics. But what the heck has happened to her lips???
Her lips do appear to have undergone quite a few changes over the years. She started au naturel (1st photo), then her lips seemed to enlarge and her mouth widen (2nd photo), and fairly recently (3rd and 4th photos) it appears that things are going back towards normal (or nearly that). Here is my take (totally unsubstantiated opinion here):

She appears to have had lip implants placed, most evident in her upper lip. Back in the late 90's many plastic surgeons used Gore Tex implants to "permanently" enlarge the lips.

Ashley Tisdale Confirms Rhinoplasty

High School Musical's Ashley Tisdale has recently confirmed to People.com that she's had a nose job. According to the article, she stated:

"Growing up I always knew I had a deviated septum on the right side of my nose, which caused trouble breathing," a bandaged Tisdale told PEOPLE on Monday from her Los Angeles home. "The older I got, the worse it got. I went to get it checked out, and the doctor told me the septum was 80 percent deviated and that I had two small fractures on my nose." Tisdale's mother, Lisa, was by her side during the five-hour procedure.

Ashley Tisdale Confirms Rhinoplasty

High School Musical's Ashley Tisdale has recently confirmed to People.com that she's had a nose job. According to the article, she stated:

"Growing up I always knew I had a deviated septum on the right side of my nose, which caused trouble breathing," a bandaged Tisdale told PEOPLE on Monday from her Los Angeles home. "The older I got, the worse it got. I went to get it checked out, and the doctor told me the septum was 80 percent deviated and that I had two small fractures on my nose." Tisdale's mother, Lisa, was by her side during the five-hour procedure.
"I didn't do this because I believe in plastic surgery. I did this to help my health. I literally almost could not breathe out of the right side of my nose," says Tisdale, who's openly discussing the procedure because "I want my fans to know the truth. I'm not someone who is going to act like I had nothing done. I just want to be honest because my fans are everything to me."

Hmmm...This is an interesting story. First of all, five hours for a septoplasty is a bit excessive. Most plastic surgeons can perform this procedure in an hour or less. Also, she does appear to have a bump on her nose, which is not usually removed during a septoplasty. This bump does not typically cause breathing problems. Therefore if she, like Ashlee Simpson, resurfaces with a nose that has the bump removed, then she did not have just a septoplasty, but a cosmetic rhinoplasty too. We'll see if she follows the recent Hollywood trend of admitting to a septoplasty but having the results of a cosmetic rhinoplasty.

photo credit: prphotos.com (photo is from July 2007)

Thanks for reading.

Michigan-based Plastic Surgeon
Anthony Youn, M.D.:

Kylie Minogue - Botox? Maybe not...

Is Kylie Minogue on Botox? The second photo is from Flisted.com, and shows what most people would think is a classic Botox brow. The first photo, however, shows a somewhat similar arched brow from her Locomotion record back in the 80's, before Botox.
So what's going on?
While I agree that the second photo may show an eyebrow with a classic Botox arch, I do find that people's facial asymmetries often exaggerate with age, and a slightly arched eyebrow may become more and more arched as a person ages. We may see this with Duane Johnson, aka the Rock, as he ages.
So does Kylie use Botox? Maybe...not.

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