Well, we never really believed it did we? All those celebrities who told us they looked so amazing because they downed litres of water, got eight hours sleep, plunged their faces into ice every morning and – my favourite – are just so happy and in love! The ones who have admitted to surgery or tweakments are few and far between, meaning we’ve been playing a “did they or didn’t they?” guessing game for years now. Any details were closely guarded secrets and surgeons’ names were passed silently from one little black book to another. Civilians need not apply.
Until now. Are we entering a new era of celebrity transparency when it comes to cosmetic procedures and surgery? I ask, as with so many things, thanks to the Kardashians.
Last month, Kylie Jenner replied to a post on TikTok from influencer Rachel Leary, who wanted to know about her latest breast implants, writing “445 cc, moderate profile, half under the muscle!!!! Silicone!!! Garth fisher!!! Hope this helps lol”. Which, if you speak cosmetic surgery, apparently reveals the style of implant, placement and surgeon that Jenner used.
A couple of weeks earlier her mother, Kris, had confirmed that her youthful new look is the work of Dr Steven Levine in New York. Khloe has since joined the party, replying to an Instagram post by London-based doctor Jonny Betteridge, which speculated about the procedures she’d had done. In response, the 41-year-old posted an actual list of her work, tagging the surgeons and clinics behind them. Nose job, Botox, collagen baby threads, laser hair removal, salmon sperm facials, fillers – it’s all there, like a helpful menu.
And as we know, where the Kardashians go, others follow. Reality star Kristin Cavallari posted on Instagram, “I was a 300 cc before, now I’m 340.” Sami Sheen, daughter of Charlie, revealed on TikTok that she’d recently had “moderate profile 350cc silicone implants under the muscle”. Singer Meghan Trainor told People magazine that she’s had “full anchor, the areola down the center and underneath”. And this week, our own Lily Allen replied to an Instagram follower who asked about her breast augmentation, writing “240 cc under the muscle, I went to Steven Levine in NY” (him again).
I guess we shouldn’t be surprised. A new British Beauty Council report shows that the beauty industry is growing four times faster than the wider economy, with a value of £30.4 billion, which experts attribute to celebrities and influencers normalising procedures. In that light, not gatekeeping what you’ve had done and who did it seems obvious and not a big deal (although a cynic might wonder whether in certain cases work has been done gratis, in exchange for publicising your surgeon…).
But look, it’s undeniably refreshing to see famous women stop pretending that their impossibly glowy faces, high cheekbones and perfectly positioned breasts are merely the gifts bestowed by Mother Nature. I hope it helps anyone who’s spent time comparing themselves to these celebrities and come up short. It’s also positive to see them reclaiming the narrative when it comes to their own bodies. All those “what work has she had done?” takes, confidently declaring that a woman in the public eye has altered her appearance (Anne Hathaway is the latest target), are mostly public shaming disguised as “expert analysis”.
Of course, the Kardashians – and many others – are notorious for admitting to having had some work done and being vague about the rest (while selling us products to help us look like them). It’s hard to know how much we should be celebrating their candour, at this point – it’s all a bit shutting the stable door after the horse has bolted, given the impossibly high beauty standards they’ve helped to set. I’m not saying that they owe us transparency, but it’s certainly far easier to be honest about what you’ve had done once the way you look has gone mainstream, and the stigma around having cosmetic procedures has all but melted away.
Should we be concerned that in telling us exactly what they’ve had done, they might ultimately be ushering in an even higher beauty ideal? One where the taboo around cosmetic procedures might be broken but the pressure to look the same way they do is only increased? If you can afford it, that is (we should probably be even more worried about the unregulated plastic surgery industry right now).
What’s strange is that, at the same time as getting work done is increasingly normalised, and details of celebrity procedures are being shared like recipes, we’re also obsessed with anyone who looks vaguely individual or natural – see Aimee Lou Wood’s lovely gappy teeth, or Pamela Anderson’s bare face on red carpets.
Could it be that celebrities themselves are struggling with meeting the very standards they play a role in establishing? (Kylie once said, “I had beautiful breasts […] and I just wish I never got them done.”) We “ordinary” onlookers are clearly conflicted, too. We admire those who opt out of playing the game, while still seeking to emulate those who are at the top of it.