Celebs Aren't Gatekeeping Their Plastic Surgery Anymore – But Don't Praise Them Just Yet

Over the last few months, a number of famous women ― most notably, a handful of Kardashian-Jenners, including Kris Jenner, have divulged their cosmetic procedures.After years of denial, celebrities are in their plastic surgery disclosure era: Yes, they’re fake, and they’re spectacular.Over the last few months, a number of famous women – most notably, a handful of Kardashian-Jenners – have divulged the cosmetic interventions they’ve gotten over the years, or at least the ones they’re comfortable sharing.Last month, Kylie Jenner shared her boob job order in detail after a TikTok influencer begged to know how the reality star got the “most perfect, natural-looking boob job ever.” Surprisingly, Jenner commented back, even going as far as mentioning the surgeon who did the work: “445 cc, moderate profile, half under the muscle!!!!! silicone!!! garth fisher!!! hope this helps lol,” she wrote.The reveal was met with a wave of positivity, especially from the fan who’d asked: “This is why she’s for the girls <3 love u thank u,” the woman wrote. “I’m sorry but i love her so much for this,” another woman wrote on X. “Most celebs wouldn’t even dare to admit they got work done, let alone share the details or their doctors.”Plastic surgeons are obviously supportive of this new age of disclosure ― it’s good for business. “The cultural conversation around beauty has evolved,” Lara Devgan, a celebrity plastic surgeon based in New York City, told People magazine last month. “We’ve moved from secrecy and stigma to empowerment and ownership.” A rep for Kris Jenner also confirmed that the Kardashian matriarch had gotten work done after photos of her at Lauren Sánchez’s star-studded bachelorette party went viral in May. Fans and snarkers alike wondered what a rejuvenated-looking Jenner had gotten done to look so much like her daughters.People magazine confirmed that Jenner, no stranger to face-lifts, had undergone “aesthetic enhancements” from New York City plastic surgeon Dr. Steven Levine. (Other plastic surgeons have speculated that Jenner got a deep-plane face-lift, a more evolved form of the procedure that runs anywhere from $30,000 to $200,000, one doctor told The Cut.)Other celebrities who’ve gone the KarJenner way and gotten transparent about their tweaks? Kristin Cavallari,Chrissy Teigen,Ariana Grande and John Stamos. Even Lizzo – a body positivity icon (granted, it’s never been a title she’s wanted) – has opened up about taking Ozempic and her “weight release journey.”Chrissy Teigen, Ariana Grande and Kristin Cavallari have all spoken about their cosmetic procedures.In some of these cases, the celebrities’ hands are arguably forced; Would Khloé Kardashian have disclosed her work earlier this month had aesthetics doctor Jonny Betteridge not posted an Instagram speculating about what she’d had done? In response, Kardashian shared that she’d gotten a nose job, Botox, fillers, threads and salmon sperm facials. Nothing more major than that, she suggested.“In 2025 there are many other things we can do before surgery but when it’s time, and if I choose to, I know some great doctors,” she wrote, signing off with a heart emoji and a winking smiley face.Such carefully curated candidness isn’t surprising from the Kardashians. Foremothers of “reality” TV, their brand is all about telling the truth, but with a slant – call it a Facetuned kind of authenticity. Not everyone finds this burgeoning era of celebrity aesthetic transparency so refreshing, especially where the Kardashian-Jenners are concerned. Generations of girls were influenced by the reality stars’ “slim-thick” body ideal – flat stomach, toned thighs, impossibly thin waist and a booty that may or may not be Brazilian-butt-lift-attained.“‘[Kylie Jenner’s] so real’? actually she lied [about] it for years and irreparably damaged the ideal body type for young girls!!” one woman on X wrote.Previously, the sisters largely denied going under the knife. Instead, under the aegis of momager Kris, they cited hard work at the gym and a steady use of products they hawked: waist trainers, appetite suppressant lollipops, FitTea (a cute thing to call a laxative), Flat Tummy shakes, diet pills, lip plumping gloss, Spanx for pregnant ladies.More recently, Kim Kardashian came under fire for glorifying crash-dieting: The reality star reportedly lost 16 pounds in three weeks to fit into Marilyn Monroe’s vintage dress for the 2022 Met Gala.Given their history, their admissions now feel too little, too late to some.“‘[Kylie’s] so real’? actually she lied [about] it for years and irreparably damaged the ideal body type for young girls!!” one woman on X wrote. Last week, actor-activist Jameela Jamil, a frequent critic of the Kardashians’ brand of body positivity, argued that celebrities’ plastic surgery confessions were just making beauty standards even more impossible, and a tad more capitalist.“Some of these facelifts celebrities are getting cost upwards of 100k,” she wrote on her Instagram story. “Please save for a house instead. It’s just a new form of elitism, separating rich and poor. Fuck the risk. The pain. The time. The cost. Buy holidays. Buy experiences. Secure your future.” The ratcheting upward of luxury plastic surgeries skews social expectations for the rest of us, and likely incentivizes some people to get procedures to mimic celebrities, but with less safety.Ashley Mears, professor and author of “Pricing Beauty: The Making of a Fashion Model”Is this kind of transparency a win for women? Experts are conflicted.It’s hard to say if celebrities no longer gatekeeping their invasive and non-invasive procedures is a net positive for culture or women’s esteem, said Ashley Mears, the author of “Pricing Beauty: The Making of a Fashion Model” and a professor of cultural sociology and new media at the University of Amsterdam.“In some ways, greater transparency about media stars’ treatments and their costs is a great thing, because it communicates to everyday consumers just how much work goes into those looks, and that work is otherwise invisible,” Mears told HuffPost. Transparency also destigmatises cosmetic procedures, which is good for public health, she said: The more honest people are about treatments, the more others can make informed decisions about what they pursue. Because whether you like it or not, there are markets for cosmetic procedures across the class spectrum. “Even working class people can now afford Kylie lips,” Mears said. (The youngest Jenner admitted she’d gotten lip filler in 2015 – a story of such magnitude, it made BBC News. We’re joking, but not about it making BBC News. It did.)That said, there’s plenty to be concerned about. “The wealthy have vastly better access to safe and reliable procedures, and the ratcheting upward of luxury plastic surgeries skews social expectations for the rest of us, and likely incentivises some people to get procedures to mimic celebrities, but with less safety,” Mears said.For example, when it was rumoured that the Kardashians and other celebrities had gotten Brazilian butt lifts (BBLs) ―–an already-dangerous procedure where fat from the back or belly is transferred to the hips and butt – people began seeking out “bargain-basement” BBLs abroad.“The wealthy have vastly better access to safe and reliable procedures,” said Ashley Mears, the author of “Pricing Beauty: The Making of a Fashion Model” and a professor of cultural sociology and new media at the University of Amsterdam.And then there’s the obvious sexism of looking at the body as a never-complete, always imperfect project. “On a societal level, we might rather hope for less sexist ageism and more media presence of older women looking and enjoying their age,” Mears said.Jamil’s point about elitism holds some weight, too. Mears said that in studies of consumption, whenever a good trickles down to working classes, the upper classes adopt something else – something better and less accessible.Maybe celebrities are elevating beauty standards further into a class issue: As the popular online saying goes, “you’re not ugly, just poor.” And there is definitely something frustrating about knowing you could look like a 40-year-old at age 60 (or a 25-year-old at age 45) if only you only had $100,000 to spare. If there’s any resentment about these kinds of procedures, then, it’s of the trending eat-the-rich variety. Most of us can’t afford these procedures anywayAll that said, these surgeries are so cost-prohibitive, you almost have to throw your hands up and concede it’s just not in the cards for you. People like Jamil probably don’t need to dissuade the hoi polloi from buying into these trends; we can’t afford them anyway. “The idea that people are choosing between a procedure that is expensive or a house is largely fiction,” said Kristin Denise Rowe, an associate professor in American studies at California State University, Fullerton, whose work looks into body politics and beauty culture.“People who get $100,000 procedures have $100,000 for a procedure, and aren’t in the position where they’re choosing between saving for a house or doing that,” she said. Plastic surgery or procedures are not inherently bad. We just shouldn’t position them as attainable to all or as a standard or expectation for beauty.Sadi Fox, a psychologist who specializes in body image issues and eating disordersThe people who have access to these cutting-edge, age-defying procedures are going to do them whether they tell you about it or not, she said. When they are transparent, at least you know it’s not just good genes.Sadi Fox, a psychologist who specialises in body image issues and eating disorders, agrees. “Plastic surgery or procedures are not inherently bad. We just shouldn’t position them as attainable to all or as a standard or expectation for beauty,” she said. Others have noted that this slide toward skinny being in again (exemplified by the widespread use of Ozempic among already-thin women), hyperfemininity-maxxing through procedures (these new treatments and “Mar-a-Largo face”), and the “clean girl” aesthetic (a trend associated with white influencers and celebrities) seems to have coincided with the rise of conservatism. Out with “healthy at every size” and body positivity (as commercialised as it got) and in with the male gaze and whittling yourself down to your smallest possible size. Regardless of the political winds, the idea that you need to change yourself and fight like hell to stave off aging is constantly messaged to women. If you look at it from this perspective, there’s something almost empowering in eschewing these trends and letting yourself age naturally. “You’ve got to remind yourself that you’re living in a culture that profits off making you feel not good enough,” Fox said. “That’s not a personal failing, it’s a system failing.” Related...'I'm A Plastic Surgeon ― Here's How Celebs Really Age So Well'Ariana Grande Gets Put On The Spot About Plastic Surgery Rumours During Lie Detector InterviewRihanna Reveals The 1 Plastic Surgery Procedure She Really Wants

Comments

Breaking news

School who banned girl’s Union Flag dress forced to shut early after threats

Metro

Comments

Similar News

Tess Daly, 56, says she still fits the same denims she wore in her 20s despite not dieting - so, which slim celebs are with her in the good jeans club?

Dua Lipa and F1 Legends Among Celebs at Thrilling Festival of Speed

Ace celeb spotting! Dame Anna Wintour, Benedict Cumberbatch and James Norton lead A-list names in Wimbledon's star-studded Royal Box

A century of iconic moments in Wimbledon's Royal Box: How 74-seat enclave of Centre Court has hosted ex-competitor George VI, a smoking Princess Margaret and some VERY racy celebs

The Mediterranean's best superyacht hotspots loved by celebs - including the Beckhams and Cristiano Ronaldo

Wimbledon star Carlos Alcaraz's bougie life from celeb 'romance' to astonishing net worth

Here's How Celebs Are Actually Chosen For Wimbledon's Royal Box, And Even A-Listers Struggle To Get In

Why celebs think cigarettes are 'cool' again: Bizarre reason stars shun vapes in favour of real tobacco, as Beyonce and Dua Lipa lead the legions lighting up

Best and WORST dressed celebs at Sofia Coppola's glam Bal d'Ete Paris fashion event revealed

Breaking news

School who banned girl’s Union Flag dress forced to shut early after threats

Trump denies sending Epstein ‘lewd birthday letter with drawing of naked woman’

2025 Is The Summer of Britpop – And We've Never Needed It More

Sneeze When You Go Outside? You Could Have This Genetic Syndrome

Teenager pleads guilty to plotting gun attack and travelling to Somalia

Veolia takes legal action against Unite

Trial date set for alleged Palestine Action members accused of damaging planes at RAF base

Danger to life weather warning as thunderstorms and flooding set to hit England

‘Gentle, kind-hearted souls’: Tributes paid to British friends found dead in Portugal

Louisiana scraps $3 billion coastal restoration funded by oil spill settlement

Trump claims he never ‘wrote a picture.’ His sketchy Epstein lie has now been exposed

Serious sewage spills up 60 per cent in last year - with one company responsible for more than a third of incidents

SkyWest flight forced into emergency landing after unruly passenger fights crew and attempts to open door, police say

Officials try to identify 18 bodies in deadly Iraq shopping mall fire

Burberry ‘encouraged’ by turnaround progress amid job cuts

Catholic and Greek Orthodox leaders enter Gaza in rare solidarity visit after Israel's church strike

Man told police he would show them where he kept drugs in Linwood home

Father and son electronically tagged after brawl between rival groups in Airdrie

Incredible images show British helicopters in action during major military exercise

Scam call warning issued by NHS Forth Valley

Teen girl found hiding under bed after mum's monster boyfriend beat and stabbed her

School at centre of Union flag dress row closes early for summer after 'extremist threats'

Driver air-lifted to hospital following one-vehicle crash in Callander

City braced for heavy rain and thunderstorms as Met Office issues weather warning

Andy Byron's gushing comments about Astronomer employee Kristin Cabot emerge after video

Man's life 'ended' after one tick bite as he's forced to pay £150,000 for private care

‘Forever 14’ Loved ones raise £4,000 for family of Celtic fan schoolboy killed in Ayrshire crash

Doctor and husband who pocketed almost £8k selling stolen NHS PPE during lockdown jailed

Barrhead brute pinned down and strangled partner after row

What is chronic venous insufficiency after Donald Trump diagnosed with condition?

Stirlingshire village shop given new lease of life after fire gets visit from MSP

Results helpline to support West Lothian pupils with SQA results

Fox News halted as Donald Trump diagnosed with serious health condition amid concerning bruises

Locals share tributes after beloved West Lothian zoo animal passes away

Lanarkshire theatre group Ups and Downs celebrate Pride of Scotland award

John Swinney pledges to focus on independence ahead of 2026 Holyrood election

'Isolated' thunderstorms to hit Scotland in yellow warning amid weekend washout

Scots wife left husband covered in blood after twisting privates when he refused sex

PM to address postcode lottery for only drug available for debilitating pregnancy sickness condition

Antarctica's oldest ice arrives in UK for analysis on climate shifts

£9,500,000 upgrade begins on ‘dangerous’ London road with dozens of crashes

Story about Kiss Cam Guy has taken a bizarre twist with a dash of denial

Banky’s right-hand man reveals moment elusive artist was ‘seconds’ from being exposed

This Bizarre Yoghurt Trick Can Cool Your Home – And It’s Backed By Science

The Summer I Turned Pretty Faces 1 Big Dilemma In Its New Season

Mrs Brown's Boys Season 5 Has Been Announced, And The Reactions Are – Well, See For Yourself

'Nostalgic' UK TV Classic Is Set To Return – And Fans Are Losing Their Everloving Minds

Lupita Nyong'o Revealed She Has Painful Uterine Fibroids. Here's What That Means.

Chad Michael Murray Says He And His Wife 'Took A Family Vote' On Third Child

Do You Have A ‘Type B’ Personality? Here’s How To Tell.

Celebs Aren't Gatekeeping Their Plastic Surgery Anymore – But Don't Praise Them Just Yet

The Summer I Turned Pretty Cast Speaks Up About 'Ignorant' Bullying Ahead Of Finale

BP sells onshore wind farm business in US

The ‘biodegradable’ product that can be terrible for the environment

How DeSantis administration blindsided county officials with plans for ‘Alligator Alcatraz’

A Libyan accused of war crimes has been arrested in Germany, ICC says

Voices: Poll of the day: Should 16 and 17-year-olds be allowed to vote?

China issues safety warning for its nationals studying in the Philippines

Former England captain Paul Ince gets 12 month drink driving ban

Hero off-duty firefighter praised for quick-thinking actions that saved children in Minehead bus crash