Celebrity Plastic Surgery, News, Gossip

John Travolta’s appearance at the Oscars as a presenter in an impeccable, dense head of hair that revealed a somewhat unnatural, receding full hairline led us to examine Travolta more closely. It appears that Travolta has been wearing a hair system (aka hairpiece, toupee, hair wig) to mask some of his receding hairline or balding areas. Unfortunately for Travolta, the actor’s hair system mesh was detected on a high-zoom camera lens, confirming suspicions that the actor is wearing a hair system. As one can see in the photos below (click on photos to see maximum size), there is a visible hair mesh that is protruding from the right temple of Travolta, indicating a sophisticated hair system is at work.

Read rest of article below photos (top two photos from 2006; bottom photo from 2007).

Click to enlarge and see hair piece mesh.

Hair systems such as the one that Travolta seems to be wearing are made with a fine mesh material to which hairs are put together meticulously one hair strand at a time. The hair system is supposed to have the hair attached in a way that does not show the mesh at all. Travolta’s hair system is likely to be expensive, but the hair did not perfectly conceal the mesh. Below the mesh, a transparent plastic material is used to attach the hair system to the skin.

Dr. William Rassman, a leading hair transplant specialist commented on these photos in his blog “If these photos are his, unfortunately for John Travolta, an aggressive photographer caught this view of what appears to be a hair system. From any reasonable distance, a good hair system looks like a normal head of hair and I complement the folks that made this system.”

This is not the first time that Travolta has a wardrobe malfunction, and gives a peak of his hair mesh to the unsuspecting camera. As recently as several weeks ago (January 14, 2007) at a G’Day USA Event, John Travolta was captured on camera again with the mesh seen on the edge of his temple.

Compared to a real transplant, the advantages of a hair system is that you can have the exact density of hair that you wish whereas a hair transplant limits you to the amount of natural donor hair area that can then be used in the transplant. The problem with hair systems is that they often turn the wearer into an addict because the hair system leads to hair loss because the natural hair is constantly pulled down by the hair system and the glue used to attach the system to the scalp provides pressure on the hair. As a result, the wearer often develops extensive bald areas under the hair system and is thus unable to go out in public without the hair system due to the vastly different hairline that is under the mesh. As a result, it is quite possible that for Travolta there is extensive balding or a dramatic receding hairline underneath the hair mesh.

Hair systems are very expensive and require substantial maintenance to keep them clean and perfectly attached to one’s scalp. Maintenance includes the need to get the hair system washed and rid of flakes of skin that accumulate under the hair system. Additionally, one needs to see an expert frequently to reposition and reattach the hair system to the underlying natural hair that grows out. This type of maintenance process takes 3-4 times a month and can cost anywhere from a few hundred dollars a month or more, or a total of $3000 and up per year to maintain it.

Photos provided by: Blogger Fadedyouth, Defamer.

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The Oscars once again proved to be more than a celebration of film, as the collision of beauty, glamour, and plastic surgery was omnipresent. The Oscars provide an excellent opportunity to examine the trends in plastic surgery and view the best and worse in this popular science. Among the big themes of the evening was the return of the Sexy Over Fifty, as exemplified by Helen Mirren, Meryl Streep, and Judi Dench - all over fifty - being nominated for Best Actress awards. As for plastic surgery, this means having subtle plastic surgery gradually done over the years (as opposed to a one-time drastic cosmetic tuneup) as a way of maintaining a natural look that does not scream plastic surgery. This trend was seen in classy actresses Helen Mirren and Meryl Streep, both of whom appear to have had a face lift and small facial procedures over the years. The results was that none of the fans ever really noticed a change in these actresses, who look like themselves and just appear to age gracefully (Read feature story on the Over 50 Best Actress nominees Mirren, Streep, and Judi Dench).

Oscar winner Mirren does not show any tell-tale signs of plastic surgery, although her extremely taut and clean neck line being free of any sagging or evident wrinkling could suggest a subtle face lift combined with a neck lift. Some recent photos suggest that she uses Botox to smooth her wrinkles. The work is so well done that most fans think she is aging completely naturally. It is likely that Mirren is an avid uses of good skin care, and has taken care of herself. Make Me Heal Oscars Coverage member plastic surgeon Anthony Youn said, “It is possible that she has had some laser treatments to her skin, as well as a facelift (although likely before 2001) since I agree that her neckline is darn good for someone her age. It is unusual for someone her age to have as nice of a neckline as she does (see Judy Dench) so there is a possibility that a facelift was performed sometime in the past. If it was performed, the surgeon did a very nice job in making it look realistic.” Read full story on Helen Mirren’s Face Lift & Neck Lift and Meryl Streep’s Facelift.

On the other side of the spectrum, Joan Rivers represents the epitome of non-subtle plastic surgery. However, we diverge from other critics in believing that Joan looks quite good for all the surgeries she did. All the power to Joan. However, Joan is definitely at the verge of tipping off into Michael Jackson territory if she tinkers more with her face. Rivers allegedly had a number of face lifts, a brow lift, cheek lift, eyelid surgery (blepharoplasty), tons of Botox, laser skin resurfacing, chemical peels, and has probably tried every procedure under the planet.

Other than face lifts, great nose jobs (rhinoplasty) were also abundantout in full force at the Oscars, gracing the likes of Gwyneth Paltrow, Beyonce Knowles, Jennifer Connelly, Cameron Diaz, and Angelina Jolie (read the full story on nose jobs at the Oscars). Paltrow looks stunning in pink (a color she wore before to the Oscars) and shows that she has not let herself go in her motherhood years. Paltrow had a nose job sometime in her past and this is evident when comparing older photos of her to recent photos which show a thinner nose. Additionally, her face looks a bit thinner, possibly because of loss of fat that comes with age. Fellow Make Me Heal Oscar Coverage member plastic surgeon Dr. Anthony Youn also remarked a change in Paltrow’s nose and also postulated that she may have had some skin tightening procedures. “It does appear that her nose has been thinned. It is now more sleek and elegant-appearing. She may have also had some laser or chemical peel treatments to her face which have tightened her skin,” says Youn. “Plus she has lost some volume in her face, which is often seen in facial aging.”

Photos of 25-year old Beyonce through the last decade show that her formerly bigger and thicker nose has been thinned, the bridge is more chiseled, and the tip of her nose is quite a bit pointier than before. The aesthetic results are remarkable, although some may argue that her new nose makes her look less African-American.

Jennifer Aniston (see full story on Aniston’s nose job) is not the only lady linked to Brad Pitt that had a rhinoplasty, as Angelina Jolie also had her nose done, although earlier in her career. As the photos show, Jolie’s new nose is narrower, the bridge is thinner, and the nose has more definition compared to the more knob-like nose that she had when she was younger . The rhinoplasty results are excellent, as they have only added to Jolie’s beauty and made her look more feminine. “The photos that I have seen make me believe that she has had a rhinoplasty quite some time ago. Her nose looks great,” adds fellow Oscars Coverage member plastic surgeon Dr. Youn. (read the full story on nose jobs at the Oscars)

Lip augmentations were a common accessory at the Oscars, with leading ladies Penelope Cruz and Nicole Kidman appearing to have added some volume to their lips. Fellow Make Me Heal Oscar Coverage member plastic surgeon Dr. Anthony Youn said about Cruz that it “appears she may have some conservative lip injections with an injectable like Restylane. It’s not overdone. The lips (especially the upper lip) appears a bit outlined, which can be seen with lip augmentation using injectables.”

Australian leading actress Nicole Kidman also appears to have injected her lips with Restylane or Juvederm, although the effect in her case appear to be overdone and unnatural.

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In recent months, it has been suggested that Nicole Kidman underwent a breast augmentation. While some have dismissed it as weight gain, Kidman’s appearance tonight at the Oscars as a presenter reignited the rumor that Nicole had breast implants, albeit small ones. Making a scintillitating entrance in a drop-dead gorgeous red dress, Nicole’s somewhat bustier appearance lead us to suspect that she might very likely had a breast augmentation in the recent past. Being that Nicole’s previous red carpet appearances showed a rather “boyish” flat chest, her recent appearances in more busty dresses indicate that a breast augmentation might be in the mix. “She appears to have possibly had a breast augmentation. Her breasts remain in proportion to her figure though, and if done, appears to have been a very nice job,” said fellow Make Me Heal Oscars Coverage member plastic surgeon Anthony Youn.

Nicole has lamented about her flat chest before, saying “I’ve wanted curves my whole life,” and suggested that if she were to become pregnant, her boobs would grow. “If I had my own baby, I would have bigger boobs.” In December 2005, Nicole admitted to not liking to show off her cleavage and that she didn’t have big boobs. “I’m not big on a lot of cleavage - not that I have a lot of cleavage,” Nicole said to Grazia magazine.

In addition to showing more voluminous breasts tonight at Oscars, it appears that Nicole also had a lip augmentation before the event by way of an injectable such as Restylane or Juvederm. “Her lips look large and puffed up, causing her mouth to not move completely naturally,” says plastic surgeon Dr. Youn. “When she is compared to her BFF [best female friend] Naomi Watts, one can see the difference between artificially-enhanced beauty and natural beauty.”

Moving on to the rest of Kidman’s anatomy, it is widely known that she had a rhinoplasty (Kidman’s rhinoplasty was profiled in a separate article). In the photos, one can see that her nose is more defined, the tip is retracted and shorter, and the nostrils are smaller.

Kidman is also known for her regular, if not abuse, of Botox. Kidman’s repeated use of Botox has given her a “Botox brow” which leads to an excessively arched eyebrow which can make the person look angry. Tonight’s Oscar appearance was no exception, as Nicole appears to have basked in a Botox pool which contributes to the unnatural lack of expression on her wrinkle-free porcelaine skin.

With regards to Nicole’s somewhat “cat eye” look, Dr. Youn related that “She has arguably had a canthopexy, which is a procedure that causes the corners of the eyes to be angled upward, giving more of a “cat-eye” look. The main change in her face, however, is the botox which causes a classic “Botox brow.”

And that’s a wrap about Nicole’s anatomy. With or without cosmetic intervention, she is still one of Hollywood’s most glamorous and beautiful women with talent to boot.

The Oscars once again showed Nicole with no signs of wrinkles, due to botox injections. amount of botox.

Dr. Youn explains the Botox look on Nicole, saying “I believe that this recent change is due to what I call the “Botox Brow.” Botox can be injected into the forehead and between the eyebrows to remove wrinkles there. While it is very effective in doing this, it can create a side effect of an overly arched eyebrow which can make the person look angry, or sinister. The look does seem to diminish with time. I think she looks better without the Botox.”

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Nose jobs are as common as diamonds today at the Oscars. Fixing one’s schnauzer is a rite of passage for many actors and this year’s crop of nose job suspects includes a few surprises among the A-list crowd. We thought we’d leak out a few new rumors and revisit some actors who had nose jobs.
Gwyneth Paltrow, who dropped out of the limelight after becoming a mother to Chris Martin’s 2 children, makes a comeback as a Presenter at the Oscars. Paltrow looks stunning in pink (a color she wore before to the Oscars) and shows that she has not let herself go in her motherhood years. Paltrow had a nose job sometime in her past and this is evident when comparing older photos of her to recent photos which show a thinner nose. Additionally, her face looks a bit thinner, possibly because of loss of fat that comes with age. Fellow Make Me Heal Oscar Coverage member plastic surgeon Dr. Anthony Youn also remarked a change in Paltrow’s nose and also postulated that she may have had some skin tightening procedures. “It does appear that her nose has been thinned. It is now more sleek and elegant-appearing. She may have also had some laser or chemical peel treatments to her face which have tightened her skin,” says Youn. “Plus she has lost some volume in her face, which is often seen in facial aging.”

Although not nominated this year, Oscar-winner Jennifer Connelly plays the almost-love interest of Leonardo DiCaprio in Blood Diamond and also appears in Little Children. While Jennifer’s performances appear to get better with age, her assets have also had some improvements along the way. Having looked at photos of Connelly as a young actor and then recent photos from the Blood Diamond premiere, it appears that Connelly had her nose reshaped and reduced in size. Jennifer previously had a wider nose and more rounded tip and now her nose is more defined and narrow, giving her a more mature and sophisticated look. Another rumor that sprouted previously about Connelly is that she had a breast reduction (photos coming soon). Connelly’s publicist Cari Ross flatly denied this claim, saying “It’s absolutely not true — swear on my life. She simply lost weight, and when she did she apparently lost weight in her breasts as well. She’s put on weight since the Oscars, and you can see in pictures taken since then that they’re sort of back. Dr. Youn says “It’s difficult to say for sure, but it is possible Jennifer has had a rhinoplasty. Her nose does appear to be thinner and possibly shorter in the after photos. This can be due to a very subtle rhinoplasty, which can be performed without visible scars. Either way, she is a classic beauty!”

Jennifer Aniston (see full story on Aniston’s nose job) is not the only lady linked to Brad Pitt that had a rhinoplasty, as Angelina Jolie also had her nose done, although earlier in her career. As the photos show, Jolie’s new nose is narrower, the bridge is thinner, and the nose has more definition compared to the more knob-like nose that she had when she was younger . The rhinoplasty results are excellent, as they have only added to Jolie’s beauty and made her look more feminine. “The photos that I have seen make me believe that she has had a rhinoplasty quite some time ago. Her nose looks great,” adds fellow Oscars Coverage member plastic surgeon Dr. Youn.

As for the speculation about Jolie’s trademark voluptuous lips, photos confirm that she has always had full lips and that there is no cosmetic intervention in creating her lips. “Her lips appear to be naturally full, to the chagrin of millions of women around the country. She may get some injections to them to aid in plumping them up, but there are no obvious signs of this,” says Dr. Youn.

Beyonce Knowles appears to have had a nose job sometime during the Destiny’s Child years and is also rumored to have had a breast augmentation. Photos of 25-year old Beyonce through the last decade show that her formerly bigger and thicker nose has been thinned, the bridge is more chiseled, and the tip of her nose is quite a bit pointier than before. The aesthetic results are remarkable, although some bloggers have argued that her new nose makes her look less African-American. Dr. Youn confirmed our findings, saying “It does appear that her nose has been thinned to look more elegant. It matches her face well, is not overdone, and overall looks great. She has extraordinary grace in front of the camera.”

Rounding out Beyonc’es beautiful nose job, we were also impressed by flawless skin that has no mark of lines or wrinkles. Dr. Youn demystified her skin condition as potentially being “the result of good genes combined with high quality skin care, chemical peels, and laser treatments.”

“She may have also had some conservative botox injections to her forehead, which has caused it to be completely smooth. Once again, she may have just inherited great genes, though, ” says Youn.

As for Beyonce’s breast augmentation, the photos shown here were taken in 2002 and 2005 and show a clear increase in the bust, to the probable delight and approval of Jay-Z. “She appears to have had a possible breast augmentation, which successfully enhances her otherwise naturally curvy physique. Her skin is radiant and perfect, a likely combination of medical grade skin treatments and blessed genes,” says Dr. Youn.

Making a graceful apperance with her new nose at the Oscars, presenter Cameron Diaz recently had a deviated septum repaired through nose job plastic surgeon king Dr. Raj Kanodia (who also did Ashlee Simpson and Jennifer Aniston). We are still gathering data at press time about whether Cameron only had her deviated septum repaired or if any cosmetic enhancement was done to her nose. Stay tuned.

Caitlin Miller provided additional contribution and research to this article. Some photos are provided from celebrityplasticpics.com, Cityrags, Celebitchy, Gossiprocks

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Is Over 50 The New Sexy?

This year’s Best Actress Nominees feature three over 50 actresses, all of whom exude sexiness, elegance and class. Helen Mirren, the favorite to win as Best Actress at the Oscars for her role in “The Queen” is poised to redefine beauty (albeit, temporarily) in the youth-obsessed Hollywood by being the unlikely over 50 winner of an award which has consistently eluded the over 50 actress demographic. The most recent Best Actress winners were all in their 20s or 30s when they won, including Hilary Swank, Charlize Theron, Nicole Kidman, Halle Berry, and Julia Roberts. Mirren, 61, is joined by two other sexy older actresses in the Best Actress category, namely Meryl Streep and Judi Dench.

We decided to cast our plastic surgery microscopes on these sexy actresses and see if their perennially good looks have had some assistance from the knife. The easiest of the bunch to decipher is Meryl Streep, who at 57 has been sporting a very taut neck, no jowls, flawless face that is virtually free of wrinkles, and refreshed eyes in the film Devil Wears Prada and in recent promotional events. This has led us to believe that Meryl had a face lift, neck lift, and in most likelihood an eyelid surgery. Additionally, we are quite sure that she’s done maintenance over the years via laser or chemical peels and the routine dermal injections such as Botox or Restylane. Also of note, the plumpy cheekbones appear to be a trait of that Streep has had for at least a decade, so we are not sure if she’s had cheek implants or if it’s a natural feature. What is difficult to pin down is not the fact that Meryl Streep had cosmetic surgery, which she did, but rather when it happened. A Make Me Heal poll taken with its members has 93% of the respondents saying that Streep had a face lift.

Browsing through photos of Streep through the years, we came to the conclusion that the actress has had subtle procedures done all along her career, which is why her look in ‘Devil’ did not look overly done or artificial. If anything, we think Meryl looks stunning and wish that she would go public about it and give out her surgeon’s telephone number. The photo taken in June 2006 shows that Meryl has aged well with a little help from her plastic surgeon.

Next on deck, the sexy and saucy 61-year old Mirren actually appears to be getting better looking with age as her sophistication and beauty shines more and more in recent years. Comfortable appearing nude in movies, Mirren does not show any major tell-tale signs of plastic surgery, although her extremely taut and clean neck line being free of any sagging or evident wrinkling could suggest a subtle face lift combined with a neck lift. Some recent photos suggest that she uses Botox to smooth her wrinkles. Some of the older photos of Mirren make her out to look older compared to today, although the lack of changes in her facial structure or eye shape and the presence of the same wrinkles lead us to conclude that she may have had a subtle facelift sometime before 2001. The actress is known not to be adverse to the idea of cosmetic surgery. In the past she has commented, “I’d start at my ankles and slowly work my way up.”

Mirren’s spokesman says, “I have absolutely no idea if Helen has had any plastic surgery.

Mirren’s change of hair style has also done wonders for her, as gone is the long grey hair with the bangs in favor of an elegant, blondish short cut. Additionally, Mirren may have gotten a stylist, as her recent outfits are scintillating compared to the more conservative and older-looking outfits that she wore 5-7 years ago. A Make Me Heal poll with members resulted in 66% of respondents believing she is natural and 33% believing she has had plastic surgery.

Make Me Heal Oscar Coverage member plastic surgeon Anthony Youn told us before the Oscars that he was uncertain about whether Mirren had plastic surgery. “Hollywood’s “Queen” has created a stir around the country with her natural beauty. She appears to be one of only a handful of middle-age actresses who has had no obvious plastic surgery, does not mention plastic surgery in interviews, and carries herself along the red carpet with a classic grace and beauty which transcends the knife,” says Youn. Youn did offer a beauty tip to Mirren, “Now, would a bit of Botox and maybe a lower lid blepharoplasty make her even more beautiful? “Botox would be great to remove many of her forehead and crow’s feet wrinkles as well.” To Mirren’s credit, Youn says “But she seems to be doing just fine without it.”

Catching up with Youn during the Oscars, he seemed to have had change of heart about Mirren’s facelift saying “It is possible that she has had some laser treatments to her skin, as well as a facelift (although likely before 2001) since I agree that her neckline is darn good for someone her age. It is unusual for someone her age to have as nice of a neckline as she does (see Judy Dench) so there is a possibility that a facelift was performed sometime in the past. If it was performed, the surgeon did a very nice job in making it look realistic.”

British-based plastic surgeon Alex Karidis speculates that Mirren may have had a combination of different procedures, including an eye lift, face lift, and laser surgery. “It is possible Helen has undergone some sort of eye lift. It involves taking off excess skin above and below the eyes and often leaves patients with much brighter eyes - as Helen appears to have now. She may also have had some sort of laser surgery to make the skin around her eyes smooth.

“It is also possible that she has had a facelift - these procedures no longer leave patients looking as if they have had their skin tightly stretched and result in a much more natural appearance.”

Rounding out our study of the Over 50 in the Best Actress category, Judi Dench is a great dame at 72 by any standards. Dench appears to be aging gracefully for the most part, as evidenced by the normal tapestry of facial wrinkles and crepey neck (which some nastily call a turkey neck) that characterize her age. However, the lack of sagging skin around her eyes, no hooding over the eyes, and lack of bags below her eyes suggest the strong possibility that she had a blepharoplasty (eyelid surgery). “Judy Dench appears to be aging gracefully, like everyone’s favorite grandmother. While her neckline and facial wrinkles match her age, her lower eyelids do not. The lack of loose skin or bags under her eyes may be a sign of a lower blepharoplasty,” says Youn. Nowadays, blepharoplasties can be performed in a way where the scars are hidden or nearly invisible to the naked eye.

With one of these ladies set to win the Oscar, it will be a triumph for beauty at any age. We congratulate Hellen Mirren, Meryl Streep, and Judi Dench for being towering acting talents with beauty to match and appreciate their role in setting new beauty standards for our society.

YuMin Ye contributed research and quotes to this story.

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Clint Eastwood’s directing career is getting better with age, as he is easily one of the best directors of our time. The former “Dirty Harry” actor, who already won the Best Directing Oscar twice is nominated again this year for Letters From Iwo Jima. Despite Eastwood’s tough guy persona and rugged image, even he is not immune to the need to keep up his looks. Recent pictures of Eastwood on the Oscars campaign trail for his film have shown possible signs of plastic surgery.

Eastwood’s lack of excess sagging skin around his eyes is uncharacteristic of a man of 76, suggesting a potential blepharoplasty (eyelid surgery). Fellow Oscars coverage member plastic surgeon Anthony Youn says, “I do think that at some time in the past Clint has had his upper eyelids lifted. Notice how his brow is excessively droopy, yet he does not seem to have hooding or excessive skin of his upper eyelids. For a man his age, this is somewhat unusual.” Plastic surgeon Dr. John Di Saia had a different postulation, thinking that Eastwood had laser skin resurfacing. “It looks like Clint Eastwood may have received some much needed skin care…probably laser re-surfacing by the looks of these images,” said Dr. Di Saia in his blog. Dr. Youn disagrees, saying “I do not think he has had laser treatments, since his face does show significant age and sun damage.”

Eastwood’s alleged makeover is so remarkably subtle that it has not changed his overall masculine and rugged look. This is a true sign of great plastic surgery artistry, as the change is undetectable and has not left Eastwood looking surprised or unnatural. “It was a nice job though, since it hasn’t left him looking unusual or effeminate. Plastic surgeons must be careful when performing procedures like this on men, since these same procedures have been usually developed about the female face. He is a good example of plastic surgery which helps someone look better but doesn’t take away the essence of who the person is (in Clint’s case, a tough guy),” says Youn.

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In a bold and unprecedented move for a celebrity, George Clooney openly admitted to having cosmetic surgery in a televised interview with actress Julia Roberts for an Oprah Winfrey Oscars special.

Scroll below images for rest of story.

George Clooney with droopy lids & undereye bags before cosmetic surgery

George Clooney with natural-looking wider eyes and no undereye puffy bags after cosmetic surgery

The title-holder of Sexiest Man Alive and an Oscar presenter this upcoming Sunday had surgery on his eyes to get rid of the “tired” look that is due to droopy eyelid skin and puffy bags under the eyes. Asked by Roberts what has been the last biggest change in his life, 45-year old Clooney responded in his trademark wit: “I had my eyes done. Can you tell? I think it’s important to look awake.

And awake is definitely how Clooney looks. New photos of Clooney reveal remarkable results, as the Ocean’s Eleven star no longer has the undereye bags and his eyes are more open. Most importantly, the results look natural and Clooney has avoided the “surprised” look that can happen in a bad eye lift. Clooney looks the same, only better. Clooney appears to have a had a full blepharoplasty (eyelid surgery) on both his upper and lower eyelids and had excess skin and fat removed. Additionally, Clooney’s crows feet (the lines that emanate from the corner of his eyes) appear softer and less pronounced, a likely result of the surgery and possible Botox injections.