Plastic Surgery; Before and After Discovery Health Channel, Thursday 11 p.m.Hands up all those who have ever looked in the mirror and thought: "Who the hell is that!" Like many, I'm not at my best first thing in the morning, but after three cups of coffee and half a tube concealer later, I'm usually ready to face the world. But have you ever considered at what point you would feel compelled to change the way you look? How bad would things have to be before you'd submit to the surgeon's knife?
Marion Kerr
And it doesn't have to be that bad. Take Carol, a sound engineer and costume designer from LA who featured on Plastic Surgery. With her mantra of "I believe in life, I believe in me, I believe in Botox", it was no surprise that this 50-plus lady booked in for a mid-life, mid-facial lift.
Dr Jan Adams, plastic surgeon from Beverly Hills and TV presenter, talked us through the process that saw Carol undergo this procedure. Moulds were made of her face and CT scans used to produce a picture of her underlying bone structure. Then custom made implants were inserted in pockets inside her cheeks, to give her a well-rounded, youthful face.
Several weeks post surgery, we see Carol again. Having lost all her character, she looked remarkably like a chubby-cheeked, chip monk. And despite her Barbie-like face, she sported the neck, arms and hands of a middle-aged woman.
I found it easier to understand Laurie Whittle's decision to undergo a body lift. Now working as a behavioural psychologist, this middle-aged woman had left school at 16 and had quickly found herself in a difficult relationship. She divorced while pregnant with her fourth child and while raising her daughters obtained a degree in psychology. Eighteen months before filming, she weighed over 146 kilos but following a gastric bypass operation she had succeeded in losing 82 kilos. The downside of her rapid weight loss was that her skin had not shrunk, leaving her with enormous folds hanging from her upper arms, abdomen and thighs. Her surgeon performed three separate surgeries resulting in 9 kilos of skin being excised.
Although looking so much better after surgery, Laurie could never be considered "perfect". The improvements, however, resulted in a more confident and happier person.
At the age of three, Ryan Frank had developed cancer, resulting in half of his nose being removed. At 16, he found the prosthesis he wore ineffective and embarrassing. Cosmetic surgeons undertook reconstruction of his nose using a skin flap from his forehead, skin from his groin and some cartilage from his ear. The surgery took over 6 months and involved five different procedures. By the end of it, Ryan had a complete nose with minimal scarring but again it was the difference in his attitude and his increased confidence that shone through.
For Laurie and Ryan it's obvious why they underwent surgery. But I find it harder to understand those with minimal defects choosing to undergo procedures with all their inherent risks.
Next up: Prior to celebrating her 21st, Misty Scott felt her breasts were "droopy". Having a breast lift and augmentation she felt would restore her boobs to that of a 16-year-old!
It's a sad reflection on the "land of the beautiful, as long as you are beautiful" that a 21-year-old-feels she has to have the body of a teenager before she can feel good about herself. Did no one think to tell her that it's a lot cheaper and a damn sight less dangerous to invest in a Wonderbra?