InHealth: What Happened to _______ (insert famous name here)?

By Alissa M. Shulman, M.D., F.A.C.S | April 2022

When people ask me “What happened to (famous person)?” I can honestly say that I don’t know. Anytime a previously glamorous celebrity has an unsettling new look, I can only surmise that is due to a combination of aging and bad decisions. 

Recently there has been a flood of celebrities being shown “sans makeup” and deliberately wearing unflattering clothes, photographed at unflattering angles. This is the exact opposite to the “smoke and mirrors” we usually see. So often we only ever see celebrities posed, filtered, and specifically “MADE UP,” making it shocking to see their real images. While I am happy that less-than-flattering images make the rest of us feel normal, it is frustrating to hear that a “once perfect body” was marred by a doctor. 

Some may assume “Plastic Surgery” did this to them; however, not all plastic surgeons are created equal and not all machines and technologies accomplish what they promise. Patients really do need to do their homework—to take the time to find the right plastic surgeon and take the time to discuss all options realistically. Get referrals from trusted medical professionals.  

Unfortunately, aging happens, regardless. As far as “minimally invasive procedures,” I have always believed that mini procedure=mini results.  Multiple “mini procedures” do not add up to actual surgery. 

Often the famous prefer these little procedures done under anonymity, after hours. Personally, I do my best work in surgery during NORMAL early morning hours. Trying to hide medical procedures can “backfire.” Even with the best of patients and doctors, complications happen and disappointed patients happen. So many factors are a part of aging, and we cannot compare ourselves to others—genetics, lifestyle, stress, diet, and environment all play a part.  The only guarantee we have is: “We will age until we die.” 

What I have truly learned in my 22+ years of plastic surgery experience is the many ways in which people age. For instance, the natural height decrease that will occur is not that simple. The long bones don’t really shorten. Most of the “shrinkage” occurs in the trunk, (decrease of intervertebral disc height, etc.).  The unfortunate result is less vertical space in your abdomen. The organs and surrounding tissue still occupy the same space. This ultimately results in an increased width or girth, since the organ volume must go somewhere. Your weight may stay the same, but your waist band feels tighter.

Another phenomenon of aging is the inevitable excess of skin. This is partially from skeletal changes, decreased skin elasticity, weight change, and most likely, years of stretching over mobile joints. Sometimes, cutting of this skin is worth the risks of surgery, sometimes it isn’t. This is between you and your board-certified plastic surgeon. 

We will never know the true story about what happened to  ________, because we never knew their true condition before–and Barbie is not a real person.. 

Sovereign Plastic Surgery

Alissa M. Shulman, M.D., F.A.C.S

1950 Arlington St, STE 112

Sarasota, FL 34239

(941) 366-5476

sovereignps.com