The Big Bang Theory (BBT) television show star Kaley Cuoco recently revealed that she has had plastic surgery. She told Women's Health: "Years ago, I had my nose done. And my boobs. Best thing I ever did." What you are now seeing is the Botox look of shock across many fans' faces that actors and actresses actually get plastic surgery. Who would have known? What's going to be revealed next? That in real life, actors and actresses really aren't like the roles they play on television and movies? That Cuoco (who plays Penny on BBT) doesn't really live in an apartment across the hallway from science nerds? That Kunal Nayyar (who plays Raj) doesn't really have a problem speaking to women in real life (considering that he married a Miss Universe contestant)? With plastic surgery becoming increasingly common, especially among actors and actresses, why are people still afraid to admit that they've "had some work done"?
OK, it is likely that plastic surgery is not the "best thing" that Cuoco ever did. Being born was probably pretty good for her. There were probably other things that she did that was helpful such as getting to know certain people like her family, friends, professional connections, etc. But credit her for revealing what many people already suspected. After all, there are websites dedicated to analyzing whether celebrities got plastic surgery and guessing what types of surgeries they may have gotten. Tell-tale signs of cosmetic procedures include:
- Any body part that defies gravity: Fingers can point. Breasts in general shouldn't. Natural breasts will sag at least to some degree. Jennifer Lawrence and Sally Field may be perky, but breasts aren't supposed to be.
- Scars: Maybe the person got into a breast or butt bar fight. Or maybe the person got surgery. Look behind or in front of the ears for facelift scars (e.g., deformities in the earlobes) or near the hips or tummy for liposuction scars. Scars for breast implants appear under the breasts or in the armpits, but please do not look for these unless the person agrees.
- Puffiness or shininess: If any body part looks like the balloon floats in the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade, there's a good chance that something was injected or placed inside it. Puffy lips. A trout pout. Puffy cheeks.
- Very sharp angles: Any curve of the body that would require a turn signal, an off-ramp or a traffic light to follow may be fake. Cleavage without a bra. Cheek bones that look like the Himalayas. Breasts exploding out of the chest. Skinny people do not tend to have big globe-like breasts or bulbous butts.
- Carry-ons: Anything that looks disproportionate such as a five-foot, 90-pound woman usually having DD breasts.
- Fixed expression: Maybe he or she is constantly surprised. After all, that paper cup over there is quite surprising. And so is that elevator and that plant and that dog and the fact that there is a Starbucks in this city and everything you are saying... However, if someone has a frozen look, an unchanging facial expression, think surgery or Botox instead.
- More face time: Face lifts can stretch out the face such as raise the hairline and make the face appear wider, in some cases, leading to a Joker-look. So, if you find yourself asking, "What have you done with Batman?"...
- Body parts that don't match the neck or hands: Although neck tucks or hand procedures are possible, if the face looks very different from the neck and hands, then either a procedure occurred or the person is using far too much hand sanitizer.
- Body parts that do not fluctuate in appearance: Everyone changes in appearance from day to day. There are bad and good hair days. Your weight goes up and down each and every day. Your hormones, your mood, your diet, your activities, your environment and your medications all affect what you look like hour by hour, day by day...unless parts of you are not really you.
- Drastic change in appearance: Unless you are the Martian Manhunter, faces and bodies don't tend to change overnight without surgery, a procedure, illness or an accident.
Even with such signs, many deny having had plastic surgery. Here's what often happens. A morph in appearance. Then a buzz in the office, in the neighborhood or on the gossip columns: did he/she or didn't he/she? Then denials and evasive answers. And then some alternative explanations. Oh, a wonderful diet and exercise program somehow managed to shift weight selectively to my breasts or butt. Getting rid of gluten made me appear permanently perplexed. Those nose exercises really helped shrink my nose. Really? Why?
With plastic surgery becoming increasingly common, why aren't more people willing to admit to "getting some work done" (which makes it sound like they brought their laptop home or fixed the roof on their house)? Look at the statistics. As the Washington Post described, data from the American Society of Plastic Surgeons show that from 2000 to 2015 the number of cosmetic procedures (surgery plus minimally invasive) per year in the U.S. has jumped from 7.4 million to 15.9 million, which is about one procedure for every 16 adults in the U.S.
Yet, why aren't people in the U.S. as open about plastic surgery as they are in Brazil? For example, why don't more actors, actresses, models and other celebrities admit to having had cosmetic procedures? After all, it's no secret that such celebrities rely heavily on their looks. Looking a certain way to a celebrity can be like throwing a ball for a professional quarterback, mathematical ability for an engineer and painting for an artist. Wouldn't it be natural for them to do what they can to maintain them?
Perhaps it is the prevailing myth in our country that you can simply rely on natural ability and accomplish anything on your own. Of course, this is simply not true. Even the most talented person will not get anywhere without help. That help can be from family, friends, other social connections, living in the right neighborhood, a program that provides resources and opportunities or even bags of silicone. No one has succeeded without getting plenty of help.
Therefore, maybe Cuoco's announcement will have a positive impact and get others to be more open about the "help" that they have gotten. Actors and actresses are after all actors and actresses. They play roles that don't necessarily represent who they really are and have looks that may not be their own looks. So, don't beat yourself up if you don't quite have the look of your favorite celebrity. After all, they may not have had that look either...without help.
