The Orange County Register is evolving. You may have already noticed a few changes to our website as we shift our focus to more quality, informative content.

With these changes, we are saying goodbye to a few of our blogs, including this one.

This blog will no longer be updated. But we will have related coverage, at times, at ocregister.com.

We hope to see you there.

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A change of direction is a post from: In Your Face

Youn, a plastic surgeon and author who has been quoted frequently in this blog, wrote a cautionary tale on CNN.com recently.

Some excerpts:

• “Plastic surgery has become the Wild West of medicine, with an increasing number of doctors performing invasive cosmetic procedures without proper training or credentials,” he says.
• Medical boards don’t restrict doctors from performing surgery outside their specialty, so many physicians are drifting into plastic surgery to make extra cash.
• He writes: “This lack of regulation has allowed an increasing number of doctors of all types — including gynecologists, general surgeons and even emergency medicine physicians — to perform tummy tucks, liposuction, facelifts and breast enhancement.”
• The procedures are “almost never” performed in real hospitals, where surgeons are vetted and permitted to practice only in their field of expertise. “Doctors get around this by performing cosmetic procedures in their own in-office operating rooms or at ambulatory surgery centers, where the credentialing requirements may not be as strict,” he writes.

You can read more here.

The bottom line: If you are contemplating plastic surgery, he says, seek out a physician certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery. The American Board of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery certifies facial plastic surgeons.

I’m asking some cosmetic doctors to weigh in on what they’re seeing along these lines in Orange County, and will have a future report.

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Did you miss …

12 plastic surgery trends for 2012

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Doctor: Plastic surgery is ‘Wild West’ of medicine is a post from: In Your Face

Clockwise from top, left: Jerry Hall, Paulina Porizkova, Isabella Rossellini, Carmen Dell’Orefice

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A documentary that explores how aging supermodels view plastic surgery premieres on HBO tonight.

HBO describes the film, “About Face,” this way:

“[The documentary] explores the lives of some of the fashion world’s most legendary models, highlighting the complex relationship between physical appearance and the business of beauty.

“The film features conversations with such celebrated supermodels as Carol Alt, Marisa Berenson, Karen Bjornson, Christie Brinkley, Pat Cleveland, Carmen DellOrefice, Jerry Hall, Bethann Hardison, Beverly Johnson, China Machado, Paulina Porizkova, Isabella Rossellini, Lisa Taylor and Cheryl Tiegs, revealing their role in defining — and redefining beauty over time.”

While the fashion industry remains intensely focused on youth, it’s also bringing back some big names who are middle-aged and up. But others face hurdles.

From The Guardian:

… many of the 1990s supermodels still appear sporadically in the glossy spreads of fashion pages; veterans Helena Christensen, Cindy Crawford, Naomi Campbell, Linda Evangelista and Christy Turlington, who recently featured in a nude photoshoot, are giving today’s catwalk queens a run for their money.

Other survivors from that batch of “supers” are Kate Moss at 38, and Claudia Schiffer, 41, who is back modelling for Guess, a clothing company that first used her in a advertising campaign in 1989.

China Machado, 82, who calls herself a “dinosaur” in the documentary, last year did an advertising campaign for the New York store Barneys.

The fashion industry, model Alek Wek told the Observer, is actually “more relaxed than it was 10 or 20 years ago – you can get married and have kids for instance and still have a good career.”

But at 35, the South Sudanese catwalk star is perhaps among the handful of exceptions.

A recent effort by a Russian businesswoman to run an agency of models aged 55 and over was struggling to push the idea of beauty in age.

Here’s the post we ran about the film and the subject of plastic surgery last year

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HBO film on supermodels, nip-tucks, airs tonight is a post from: In Your Face

From left: Publicity photo; Mariah Carey at a concert in June

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Does Mariah Carey have a new body to go with her upcoming stint as an “American Idol” judge? The consensus is no, and that her suddenly extreme hourglass shape is courtesy of a Photoshopped publicity photo.

“This is what we call an epic photo-retouching fail,” the AOL music blog says.

See photos of Mariah Carey here

 AOL:

“Since giving birth to twins Moroccan and Monroe back in April 2011, Mariah has been working hard to shed the baby weight and live up to her duties as a Jenny Craig spokesperson. But it looks like MiMi has gone on a digital diet, with retouchers instantly removing that extra 10, 15 … 50 pounds with the click of a mouse! I mean, come on — seriously with that waist?”

New York Daily News:

“Mimi’s hourglass shape appears even curvier than usual as she dons a body-hugging orange dress in a new promo shot for Fox’s hit talent competition show. It’s a much svelter physique than the one the famously voluptuous singer put on display in a clingy gold dress while out in London just one month earlier in June.”

Cele-bitchy:

“THIS is the first promotional photo of Mariah Carey for her American Idol judging job. Can you believe this? This is classic Mariah. Photoshopped to a ridiculous level, with an artificial waist, airbrushed skin, and THAT POSE. I do not get the pose.”

dlisted:

“Let’s all take a moment of silence for all the feeling Mimi’s full-time, personal Photoshop artiste lost in his fingers after spending hours upon hours erasing all pixels of reality from her first American Idol promo picture to make this gloriously fraudulent masterpiece. Mimi’s Photoshopper used the hell out of the de-rib tool and pinched her waist so much that it looks like her intestines escaped up to her (breast) area to keep from suffocating. Even that sun looks skinnier.”

Carey’s torso also came under scrutiny when tummy tuck rumors surfaced in the midst of her gig as a Jenny Craig spokeswoman last year. 

Did you miss… 
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Skeptics eye Mariah’s tight tummy
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Latest on Photoshop …
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Mariah Carey’s promo shot on a ‘digital diet’ is a post from: In Your Face

Singer Gwen Stefani’s lips always look striking, usually made up in bold, hot pinks and bright reds.

So when I saw a headline on another site this week on whether she’d recently had a lip enhancement — the headline screamed, “Has Gwen Stefani had plastic surgery? No Doubt!’ – I was skeptical, at first.

I checked in with some plastic surgeons. One agreed she appears to have had work. The other wasn’t so sure.

The post on the website Famous Plastic focuses on her red carpet appearance and performance with No Doubt at the Teen Choice awards this past weekend.

From Famous Plastic:

” … what’s up with her lips? Her top lip has suddenly swollen to twice the size of her bottom lip! Uh oh, has glamorous Gwen finally gone overboard with the plastic surgery?”

 …  Gwen has definitely had her fair share of cosmetic procedures … The only problem is that you can’t look 29 forever. Plastic surgery can only hold back time for so long and Gwen is nearing that magic age where good plastic surgery can start to go bad.”

“Currently Gwen is getting regular Botox and filler injections, and while she usually looks perfectly natural, her plastic surgeon went a little over the top when he pumped up her top lip prior to her appearance at the Teen Choice Awards. Oops!”

Dr. Terry Dubrow of Newport Beach, in an interview with In Your Face, said he also thinks that Stefani appears to have had lip fillers. But he doesn’t think she overdid it.

“There is no doubt she had lip augmentation and it looks great,” he said.

How can he tell?

“The giveaway, besides the fact her lip is fuller, is that you can see much less of her upper gums when smiling,” he said. “The fuller lip is covering more of that gummy smile she has. Brilliant!”

See more photos of Gwen Stefani here

Dr. John Di Saia noted that Stefani, 42, is typically photographed in makeup. He  thought if she did have work, it was pretty well done.

“She probably had some filler,” the San Clemente plastic surgeon said. “The best way to tell would be to see some current images without lipstick. If she did have filler, it is an ongoing project, as the safe ones do not last long.”

And if her lips were enhanced, he added, at least she avoided the exaggerated “trout pout” look we’ve seen on other celebrities.

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See who’s over the trout pout — and who’s not

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Stefani has never said that she’s had any plastic surgery. As of last year she denied it, though she said she would consider it. However, this isn’t the first time that she’s been the subject of speculation about it.

A few years back, the website Make Me Heal said she had a nose job a long time ago. It cited a photo of her as a teenager “with a rather bulbous nose tip and a wider bridge than her current nose.”

The site also questioned whether she’d gotten breast implants. Subsequent photos of her made that seem unlikely.

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Did Gwen Stefani get her lips enhanced? is a post from: In Your Face

A California woman is suing Kirstie Alley, claiming it wasn’t a weight-loss program but the actress’ vigorous moves on TV’s “Dancing with the Stars” last year that led her to shed 100 pounds.

Alley,  formerly on ”Cheers” and her own cable-TV show, “Fat Actress,” helped to develop Organic Liaison, and she has attributed her dramatic weight loss to the program’s natural supplements, an online diet and dancing.

The suit says:

“Ms. Alley’s participation in the television program DWTS tracked her weight loss as a result of hours and hours of dancing every day for several months. Further, there are no well-controlled, well-conducted human studies on the supplements in the Organic Liaison weight loss program …”

The actress’ weight loss — once described as down to “size 6 and still counting” — was the “result of an above average exercise regimen and extremely low calorie diet,” says the lawsuit, filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court.

Marina Abramyan, the plaintiff, is seeking class-action status for the suit. It does not specify a damage amount.

Alley, 61, promotes her weight-loss elixir on her website, saying: ”I’ve got the energy of a 20 year old and lost 100 pounds!”

She tipped the scales at 230 pounds in 2009.
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See more photos of how Kirstie Alley has changed here .

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Kirstie Alley is sued over weight-loss program is a post from: In Your Face

But another plastic surgeon and a cosmetic dermatologist who watched a TV news video about the device say they have their doubts about using it on a daily basis.  

The Facelift Bungee — which sells for $25 – has turned up on ABC News, with its inventor Kimberly Aschauer of Palm Beach singing its praises.

“It’s easily inserted, it’s easily removable. I can insert it within 30 seconds every morning. I can take it out in less than 10 seconds,” she said.

From ABC News:

The product consists of two small combs linked by a bungee cord. Users are instructed to make a small braid at each temple. They insert one comb into a braid, pass the cord around the back of the head and insert the second comb into the braid on the other side.

Hair on top of the head is pulled over the bungee cord to hide it.

The device is sold in a little jar …

Asked how she came up with the idea, Aschauer said, “Well, my son was getting married and I went for plastic surgery consultation, and the price was outrageous, so I created this out of pure panic.”

Aschauer said wearing the Facelift Bungee doesn’t cause “any more pain than a ponytail headache.”

You can see the video of how it works here

I ran the story past Newport Beach plastic surgeons Dr. Terry Dubrow and Dr. Douglas Hendricks, and cosmetic dermatologist Dr. Vince Afsahi of Newport Beach and Tustin.

Dubrow said:

“Love the idea! So creative and I bet it works. Great for people who may want to ‘try on’ a facelift before going under the knife or for those who want to look great in upcoming photos to post on their Facebook page.”

The others weren’t sold on it, though.

Hendricks said:

“Since this device puts traction on only one area of the face, I doubt it can do much to make a noticeable change. I really did not notice much change in the [ABC] video  …

“My other point is that the traction is in the wrong direction to get any improvement where it really counts and that is the lower 1/3 of the face.

“Lastly, my biggest concern is traction alopecia which is a common problem for women that have constant traction on the hair such as tight braids. It is a known, common cause of hair loss, which could be permanent. Using this device could put significant traction on the sideburn hair and loss of the hair in that area could be quite noticeable.”

Afsahi also was doubtful about the product, saying:

“I am skeptical. Who is really going to wear this around town? I suppose it may do something for your appearance temporarily, but it seems impractical. If you keep pulling on your hair you can develop a traction alopecia resulting in hair loss. Interesting concept but not a logical solution.”

Photo courtesy of ABC news

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Cosmetic doctors react to ‘the $25 facelift’ is a post from: In Your Face

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 What’s new, girl?

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“New Girl” star Zooey Deschanel’s appearance at the Teen Choice awards Sunday night shows how much scrutiny actresses receive when something about them changes, whether it’s a cosmetic procedure or perhaps just a result of make-up or lighting.

Deschanel’s look sparked plenty of comments on celebrity websites, with some wondering and others convinced that she’s had work.

A cosmetic dermatologist who compared photos of the actress a couple of weeks apart says he thinks she may have had a lip augmentation. “Her lips are more defined and accentuated,” says Dr. Vincent Afsahi of Newport Beach and Tustin. “Overall, she looks good, not over the top. Very natural.”

Some viewers were far less complimentary. And, apparently, a bit startled.

“Did she do something to her face??? She is starting to look like those awful Rimmel London ads that airbrushed her into someone else. Very strange,” wrote a reader on the site, Cele-bitchy.

A Huffington Post reader bemoaned the advent of “Hollywood Zooey.”

And another reader wrote, “Wow..total mistake. Why can’t women stop fooling around with themselves? Zooey had such a natural and amazing beauty..now she looks like some generic plastic soap opera chick. What a damn shame.”

Here’s a sampling of what else is being said in the comments of some popular celebrity sites:

Huffington Post:

“It’s just MAKEUP people. Her makeup is completely different. Anyone who doesn’t understand how makeup can completely change the way you look only need to look at pics of stars WITHOUT makeup.”

“It’s makeup and botox. Makeup can completely transform the way you look.”

“I always pegged her as one of the real ones. Oh well.”

“Nose job.”

“And lip injections.”

“That’s too bad.”

“Her lips are completly different
Oh man, that’s a shame
I love to see classic Zooey
not a Hollywood Zooey”

Cele-Bitchy:

“I can’t really tell what’s off. But something is definitely off. I can however state with certainty that she needs to lay off the heavy black eyeliner. It makes her eyes look very small and close set. Maybe just bad makeup and a little bloat?”

“what’s wrong with her face?! she looks so different and waxy!”

“Whoa…I REALLY hope it’s just a bad makeup job because she’s way too young to be jacking with her face!!”

“What the hell did Zooey Deschanel do to her face. I barely recognized her.”

“Very sad that she felt the need to botox/filler up her face. It is also a bad career move – a big part of ZD’s appeal is her quickness and expressiveness…I’m with the other commenters here: I hardly recognized her.”

“WTH-Zooey’s face is totally jacked – her eyes look smaller and her nose seems different, maybe thinner. Awful. She’s ruining her Zooey-ness”

Skinny vs curvy:

“It looks like she has a smaller nose now.. And maybe some botox around the eyes..”

“She looks like she lost a little weight and has a slightly different style of hair/makeup than usual. Much ado about nothing.”

“I would say she has had a minor nose job, and her lips look filled with a temporary filler like Juvederm. Her skin looks a little better, so I’m not sure if its from botox of just chemical peels (or a little of both).”

“She had lip augmentation. It’s funny how some people don’t have eyes to spot these obvious things.”

“woah… Zooey! What th… ? You know, after comparing other photos, I agree that she’s had lip fillers but I think she’s had something done to her chin too. Her jaw-line is more refined… and her nose does kind of seem smaller but maybe that’s just because it’s so close to her massive lips? Her eyes look the same to me – just the lighting and eye make-up is different. But her chin? Maybe? gosh she looks SO different!”

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Are you a fan of the “adorkable” actress? Do you have an opinion about her new look? 

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Latest from this blog:
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Zooey Deschanel’s face stuns some fans is a post from: In Your Face

Red-carpets always mean new looks, and not just designer gowns and tuxes. While we await the next parade of Emmy hopefuls from the recent nominations, we look back at the past year and take stock of who’s been nip-tucked, who hasn’t, who says they’re not ruling it out and who continues to attract the most questions on the subject.

You think you may know about some of this already? Let’s see!

Click through the photos and take our quiz …

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Related:

Did Nicole Kidman stop aging … again?

Julianne Moore: A ‘real face’ at 51?

Writer to Ashley Judd: I’m proud of my nip-tucks

Ashley Judd says plastic surgery buzz is false

 
Did you miss  …
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Oscars:The plastic surgery awards go to …?

Plastic surgery at the 2012 Grammy Awards

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Nip-tucks at the Golden Globes

Which Emmy Awards stars had plastic surgery?

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Emmy hopefuls & nip-tucks: Guess who got what is a post from: In Your Face

Lorraine Bracco in October 2011, left, and February 2012.

When Lorraine Bracco appeared on Bravo TV’s “Watch What Happens Live” on Thursday night, host Andy Cohen told her, “You look like a million dollar bill tonight.”

Between that compliment and what Bracco, 57, has said about plastic surgery in the past, I was expecting the topic of cosmetic work to come up, as it has with other guests of the show, including Millionaire Matchmaker Patti Stanger and ex-adult film star Jenna Jameson.

The subject wasn’t discussed. But here’s more …

Bracco, best known as Dr. Jennifer Melfi from the hit show “The Sopranos,” said last year she’d like to get plastic surgery, but was terrified of “turning into a Picasso.”

She said she even went to see plastic surgeons, but walked out. “I’m really considering doing a lot of plastic surgery –  I want to do it so badly,” the actress, who plays an overbearing mother on TNT’s crime drama “Rizzoli & Isles,” said on “The View.” “I go to the doctor but I just can’t do it. I’m afraid of turning into a Picasso – I see that in a lot of women, a lot of girls even. But inside I want to do it.”

So, has she ditched her fears?

After looking at photos of her in 2012 compared with last year, I reached out for some cosmetic doctors’ opinions.
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“I guess she stayed long enough in the last plastic surgeon’s office to get a facelift and a blepharoplasty [surgery around the eyes] with an excellent improvement!” said Dr. Edward Domanskis, a plastic surgeon in Newport Beach.

“I’ll have what Lorraine’s havin’!” said plastic surgeon Dr. Terry Dubrow, also in Newport Beach. “Despite her fears regarding facial rejuvenation, Lorraine looks like she has undergone some ‘uplifting’ procedures. She looks amazing! Not too tight, very youthful and appropriate.

“My guess is a laser necklift, well placed Botox and fillers,” he said. “Bravo, Lorraine! Beautiful!”

And Dr. John Di Saia, a plastic surgeon in San Clemente and Orange, concluded, ”She’s not so afraid of fillers and botulinum toxin [Botox]. That looks like the major change, aside from some nasal work. She’s no plastic surgery-o-phobe, talk aside.”

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Is actress Lorraine Bracco ‘uplifted?’ is a post from: In Your Face