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Do celebrities have a moral obligation to come clean about plastic surgery?

With the media being saturated with celebrities looking preened to perfection, we are often left wondering if they’ve had any extra help in the looks department. A once flat chested singer who now has an ample bosom or a thin lipped socialite who is now sporting a full on pout. No matter how many times when asked if they have indeed gone under the surgeon’s knife, they come up with unbelievable excuses about over lining their lips with a lip pencil or that their boobs have increased by 4 cup sizes due to a new protein rich diet.

These excuses are always met by people eye rolling and collectively
sighing yeah right. So why do they lie when it’s obvious that the ageing model who looked 50 the previous month, only to now have noticeably tighter jowls and suddenly looks 10 years younger? The answer is simple in that it doesn’t matter who you are, you are entitled to your confidentiality when it comes to sharing information on whether you have or haven’t had plastic surgery or aesthetic treatments to improve your confidence.

You could however argue that because of their standing in the public
eye and the influence they hold that they should indeed have a moral obligation to share their secrets and confess to the reasons why they aesthetically look very different. Some celebrities who have come clean and confessed to using surgery or aesthetic methods to enhance their looks have come under fire for their decision not to be happy with who they are and appreciate the looks they were born with.

No one ultimately wants to put themselves into the firing line of those who may judge them unfairly, so instead they remain tight lipped and understandably so.

Celebrities who have admitted to cosmetic surgery

Chrissy Teigen at the 2014 Spike TV's Guys Choice Awards

Chrissy Teigen

Chrissie Teigen recently opened up about the work she’s had done. “Everything about me is fake except my cheeks”, she said, going onto say that she’s “not afraid to admit to going down the Hollywood plastic surgery route”.

Ariel Winter at the 2015 Screen Actors Guild Awards

Ariel Winter

The 17 year old star of Modern Family admitted to having Breast Reduction Surgery. “It really did happen overnight”, Winter says of her breast development. “I remember being at my sister’s wedding and being so flat and thinking, I just wish I would grow boobs, and then overnight I did. But then they kept growing and growing and growing and it didn’t seem like they were going to stop. It’s hard enough being a teenager in life, but being on one of the most popular and critically-acclaimed sitcoms drew heightened interest. I was 15 years old with (size) F (breasts)“, recounts Winter. “It’s like, how do you navigate that?”

Sharon Osbourne at the 2011 Summer TCA Party

Sharon Osbourne

Sharon Osbourne, 65, has admitted to having multiple cosmetic procedures. She has admitted that her previous procedures have included having her legs and arms lifted and a Tummy Tuck followed by having a gastric band fitted. Sharon said her first operation saw her have her breasts reduced in size and lifted back in 1978, while her most recent was a neck lift while undergoing a double mastectomy in November last year. Sharon was recently quoted as saying “I’m on my third face”.

Why do people have Cosmetic Surgery?

Everyone’s reasons when it comes to opting for cosmetic surgery are
different, but a lot of the time it is due to changes or lack of development in their bodies causing self-confidence issues. Your everyday life can be greatly impacted when you feel incredibly unhappy with your body. This can be for many reasons including your body changing through age or for women it could be greatly impacted by child bearing.

People during the ageing process can feel that the outside doesn’t reflect how they feel on the inside. They feel unsatisfied with the reflection staring back at them when they look in the mirror. Others may have been born with a nose they’re unhappy with or with breasts that haven’t developed to the size they would like. The preconception is that by using cosmetic surgery or aesthetic medicine to enhance your body is purely for vanity purposes, but it goes much, much deeper than this misconception
that individuals may have.

Some people may be comfortable with their body and be able to live with or even embrace any flaws they may have and that’s OK too, but people are affected differently, and ultimately it is the individual’s decision whilst being guided by their surgeon to decide what is right for them.

Who should you tell when deciding on having Cosmetic Surgery?

Having cosmetic surgery is a very personal choice and journey. You have no doubt been considering having surgery for a while before taking the plunge and booking a consultation with your surgeon. Making the decision on who you should discuss your surgery choices with is not always easy as some people’s reactions may surprise you. Whilst some will offer support and understanding others maybe fearful and judgemental and their reaction can be very upsetting.

Depending on the procedure you are opting for you may not have to tell anyone that you’ve had surgery at all, but it might be worth having answers to questions rehearsed in your head if you don’t want people to know so that you’re not put on the spot when someone is particularly observant. If you would like to keep your surgery a secret, then discuss this with your surgeon and he will be able to give you advice on how to initially hide your surgery from the outside world.

You may however need support when in recovery depending on your procedure so you will need to inform the person that will be taking care of you during this time.

What about hiding your surgery from work?

Cosmetic surgery is usually classed as elective surgery and will not be covered by sick pay, so you will need to take that time off as
holiday. If that is the case then you will most likely, depending on the procedure, not have to inform your work that you have had surgery at all, although some procedures may have a longer recovery time in which case you might have to inform your employees for safety purposes.

Your surgeon will be able to answer any questions regarding recovery and if your surgery is covered by your employer as sick leave then your surgeon will be able to provide you with a sick note.

Medically reviewed by

Amir Nakhdjevan Profile

Amir Nakhdjevani

Last Updated: December 8, 2017

Published On: December 8, 2017

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