The Oscars: Plastic Surgery Secrets
Tough guy actor Mickey Rourke has a pixie ear. Honest.
"It's a condition that occurs when the ear lobe is somewhat absorbed into the main structure of the neck because of the after effects of a facelift," said Dr. D.J. Verret, author of Patient Guide to Cosmetic Facial Procedures (www.innovationsfps.com) and a facial plastic surgeon with an eye for detail. "For stars like Rourke, their face is one of the only commodities they use to make a living, so they protect it to the extent that they can, and when nature fails, they look toward a skilled cosmetic surgeon to help things along."Dr. Verret believes that many of the great performers who have been nominated for Academy Awards over the years have had cosmetic surgery to extend the length of their careers.
"While the only people who really know if they've had work done are the patient and the surgeon - and neither is likely to talk about it - the truth is that a good surgeon can tell when there has been work done just by looking at someone's face," Dr. Verret said. "Just like a great film director can deconstruct another director's film because they know how to put one together, a surgeon intimately familiar with the cosmetic procedures can spot the tell tale signs that someone's been under the knife."
For instance, Dr. Verret believes that Oscar© nominee Penelope Cruz was the recipient of a nose job.
"Penelope Cruz has a parenthesis deformity of her nose which points to a rhinoplasty," he said. "This mild deformity develops after surgery, when the tissue at the tip of the nose curves together to form what looks like tiny opposite parentheses. That's not a naturally occurring phenomenon. You only get that when someone's had surgery."
With some stars, however, you don't have to be an expert to know they've had work done.
Elizabeth Taylor still looks stunning for her age, with some of the work having been well documented.
"I would say Elizabeth Taylor has had several procedures, including a rhinoplasty in her 20s - which was noted in a biography - in addition to at least one facelift," he said. "You have to remember that her nose job came during a time when plastic surgery was not common, and it was a major procedure. Despite her procedures, however, she looks very natural and elegant. It proves that plastic surgery doesn't all look fake, as Hollywood is loaded with some celebrities who have gone overboard and done more damage to their looks than good. A good surgeon knows that it's the subtle changes that have the greatest impact, and unlike the days when Taylor had her rhinoplasty, good cosmetic surgery is available to everyone, even if they aren't movie stars."
About Dr. D.J. Verret
Dr. Daniel Joseph "D.J." Verret is a sought-after speaker at national and international facial plastic surgery meetings and he has been rewarded with numerous peer reviewed articles and book chapters. Dr. Verret is certified by the American Board of Facial Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery, the American Board of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, and fellowship trained in facial plastic surgery.
