The Centre, P.C. - Plastic Surgery Blog

Celebrity Cosmetic Procedures: Why They Do It, Why They Deny It, and Why We Care - Wednesday, September 16, 2009

Demi Moore recently made news when she denied having plastic surgery, a claim that many quickly disputed. Although there is no evidence that Demi Moore has actually had cosmetic surgery, people's skepticism is justified. Celebrity plastic surgery is often a closely guarded secret, and according to one industry source 9 out of 10 celebrities over the age of 40 maintain their appearance with treatments like BOTOX® Cosmetic. But most deny it. Even celebrities whose BOTOX® Cosmetic injections or surgical procedures like rhinoplasty are public knowledge continue to deny it or explain it as a deviated septum. Why do celebrities seek out surgery and treatments, why do they hide it, and why do we care?

Celebrities have the same reasons as many people for seeking plastic surgery or cosmetic treatments, just more so. People often say that the beautiful women who inhabit magazines and movies can make "normal" women feel insecure, but the women on the billboards or magazines see themselves in these ubiquitous mirrors that reproduce and magnify every flaw. And the constant crush of aspiring young stars makes actresses as young as 25 feeling pressure to look "young," Under these conditions, it is no surprise that plastic surgery may come to be the norm.

But why do so many celebrities deny their plastic surgery procedures? Women and men would not seek out breast implants or a nose job if they weren't self-conscious, so their denial is understandable on a personal level. Professionally, they also have an obligation to deny surgery. Hollywood is The Dream Factory. "Natural" beauties are part of that dream--always have been. In early Hollywood, they used makeup, bottle blondes, and soft focus filters overtly. Behind the scenes, though, plastic surgery was always part of their strategy. And since many celebrities have endorsement contracts with beauty products, admitting surgery can undermine their status as spokespeople.

So what makes us care whether these men and women have had cheek augmentation or a tummy tuck? Mass media and celebrities reach into our lives in a very personal way. For most of human history, the people whose faces we recognized were our family and close friends. But media allows us to recognize celebrities without ever having met them "in person." We may rationally know these people are not close to us, but we often cannot help being emotionally involved with them.

And it is partly because so many members of our extended virtual family have had plastic surgery that its popularity has grown in general. If you would like to learn more about plastic surgery for you, please contact The Centre, P.C. with offices in South Bend, Charleston, and Elkhart, Indiana.