A Kylie Jenner fan begged to know the truth: “You’ve got what I’m looking for,” raved Rachel Leary on TikTok in June. “You’ve got the most perfect natural-looking boob job ever! What was it you asked for?” And, to the surprise of all, the Kylie Cosmetics founder actually replied — with her exact breast augmentation order and the name of her surgeon, Garth Fisher. Just a month before, her mom, Kris, had been equally forthcoming, crediting surgeon Steven Levine with her rejuvenated look and making him an overnight celebrity.
Kristin Cavallari has revealed the exact number of ccs she had injected for her own breast augmentation (“Everyone thinks I went a lot bigger but I’ve just pushed them up a couple times”). Ricki Lake not only announced on Andy Cohen’s Watch What Happens Live that she had a neck and lower facelift, she gave a “shout-out” to L.A. plastic surgeon Allen Foulad.
Illustration by Neil Jamieson
And not to be outdone, Shark Tank star Barbara Corcoran posted on Threads, “Heard the cool kids were sharing their plastic surgery secrets,” and ran down a whole laundry list of procedures: three facelifts, a brow lift, neck lift, eye lift and something called “ear filler” (which sounds horrifying but simply plumps sagging ear lobes).
The trio of pronouncements came in the wake of many others who have revealed their surgical secrets in recent years (such as Anna Faris, Chrissy Teigen and Kaley Cuoco).
Cosmetic procedures were once only whispered about, carefully timed around the holidays to create the illusion that a restful getaway had erased wrinkles, brightened tired eyes and restored a youthful, refreshed look. So why are celebrities suddenly letting slip their nips and tucks and making stars of their aesthetic physicians?
Various surgeons and pundits have publicly offered theories: that there’s a generational shift now that millennials and Gen Z have grown up in the era of Botox and fillers; that social media has pushed users toward confessional frankness; or that the publicity is quid pro quo. (“There is definitely, without a doubt, an exchange [in some cases], we all know that there is an exchange,” as one knowledgeable source tells THR. In other words, free work for free press.)
And then there’s simply the Kardashians of it all. They certainly have the money to pay full price. But the TV and social stars have evolved under the microscope and in that time have developed a rather liberal concept of discretion.
“These celebs are making it a non-story by taking back the narrative,” says Julie Obst, co-founder of LA Beauty Connect, a plastic surgery consultancy. “At the same time, there’s something to be said about the mystery when it comes to plastic surgery. Not that there should ever be any shame in having plastic surgery, but there is something funny about sharing you got your boobs at Saks and your facelift at Neiman’s.”
The trend is less common among men. There have been extremely few male stars who have admitted to plastic surgery (Marc Jacobs and Joey Fatone, among them). And while a quick Google Image search will reveal no shortage of A-listers with formerly D-list hairlines, rare are those who will cop to getting a transplant: Joel McHale and John Cena are exceptions. In Cena’s case, he said he was “bullied” by WWE fans about his bald spot. “You guys ripped me to shreds for a genetic problem that I can’t control,” he said during an interview. “I got a problem. I try to fix it. That’s what I’m doing.”
Despite their historical reticence to admit getting work done, men are benefiting from the new candor about plastic surgery and other cosmetic interventions. “Reality TV and social media have greatly enhanced the specialty’s exposure to more people on its potential benefits,” says Beverly Hills plastic surgeon Bernard Markowitz. “This in turn has expanded the patient population to include more diversity as well as given men an expanded role in aesthetic options. Ten years ago, for example, male aesthetic surgery comprised 10 percent of my practice. Today, it has more than doubled. Aesthetic operations and procedures are no longer secretive.”
This increased transparency about procedures is largely hailed as a positive development — it helps puncture impossible beauty standards. Still, some worry it could also persuade more people to get surgery, particularly at younger ages, which can sometimes lead to poor outcomes and regrets. Stars have occasionally been candid about this, as well. Courteney Cox has said, “I have done things that I regret”; Sharon Osbourne dubbed one procedure “a horror show”; and Bella Hadid has said, “I wish I had kept the nose of my ancestors.” Even Kylie once said about her first breast job, “I wish I never got them done to begin with.”
Let’s face it: Idealization is not always ideal.
Elycia Rubin contributed to this report.
THE NEW FACE OF HOLLYWOOD
Read more from THR’s Cosmetic Surgery Issue.
The Top Cosmetic Doctors in L.A. and N.Y.C.
From the facelift king of Hollywood to Manhattan’s most sought-after skin-presario, meet the medical maestros who are (literally) transforming the A-list. Read more.
The Rise of the $200,000 Penis
“Down Under treatments” for men are increasingly common, but there’s still one prickly procedure that’s kept strictly under wraps. Read more.
Can You Really Trust a TikTok Doc?
Social media has become a professional requirement for plastic surgeons. Not everyone is happy about that. Read more.
The Facelift Gets a Facelift: Hollywood’s Favorite Procedure is Back
Good old-fashioned skin stretching is once more in vogue — and costs up to six figures. Is it worth it? Ask Kris Jenner. Read more.
Seeking That Hollywood Hairline? There’s Hope For You!
Forget the trip to Turkey. Top hair-restoration doctors are touting less invasive treatments that, coupled with the latest tech innovations (and a new pill!) that lead to real regrowth. Read more.
From Nose Job to No Job
You may think you look better, but fans and casting directors might not agree. Need we remind you of what Jennifer Grey called “Shnozzageddon”? Read more.
Stop the Sag: How Hollywood Is Battling “Ozempic Body”
Now that the whole town is hooked on GLP-1 weight-loss drugs, surgeons are scrambling to tighten unsightly skin. Read more.
The Key to Eternal Youth? (You Don’t Want to Know)
Stars like Jennifer Aniston and Denise Richards are lathering their faces in salmon sperm. Every three weeks. Read more.
From Surgery to the Red Carpet in Under 12 Hours
Stars used to hide away for weeks after surgical upgrades. These days, when it comes to recovery, everyone has become less, well, patient. Read more.
How Soon Before a Robot Performs Your Facelift?
Top cosmetic doctors are increasingly relying on AI and advanced technology to plan procedures — and help them operate. Read more.
These stories appeared in the July 30 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. Click here to subscribe.
