Plastic surgery discussions often focus on women, but a growing number of male celebrities have shared their experiences with cosmetic procedures and their regrets. Here’s a look at seven famous men who’ve spoken openly about their cosmetic surgery journeys.
Kenny Rogers
View this post on Instagram
In 2012, the legendary singer, Kenny Rogers admitted to CBS This Morning that he regretted undergoing plastic surgery. The decision was driven by his wish to “hide” himself.
“I had the money to do it, and I had the time off,” Rogers explained. “But…you look at yourself, and you go, ‘Could I be better if I did this or that?’ And I did it. The guy who did it was one of the world’s best, but…the edge of your eyes had to be higher than a certain place. And I regret that.” Still, Rogers admitted he wondered what he might have looked like without it.
Mickey Rourke
View this post on Instagram
Mickey Rourke, known for his boxing career and acting roles, has been vocal about the reconstructive surgeries he underwent to address boxing injuries. In 2009, Rourke told the Daily Mail, “Most of it was to mend the mess of my face because of the boxing, but I went to the wrong guy to put my face back together.”
In 2017, Rourke shared an Instagram post after a rhinoplasty procedure. The humorous caption read: “Moments after nose surgery…Now I am pretty again.”
Simon Cowell
View this post on Instagram
The music mogul, Simon Cowell, confessed in 2022 that he went “too far” with dermal fillers before he finally dissolved them. Speaking to The Sun, Cowell said, “I saw a picture of me from ‘before’ the other day and didn’t recognize it as me.” His decision to remove the fillers was a step to embrace a better natural look.
John Stamos
View this post on Instagram
In his memoir, If You Would Have Told Me, John Stamos talked about his decision to get a nose job after seeing himself on TV for the first time. Stamos wasn’t happy with the results as he described his nose as “kind of pushed up like Peter Pan.”
He later underwent a second nose job with the same surgeon who worked with Michael Jackson, quipping, “Who better to handle the delicate task of resculpting my nose than the man who created a whole new face for M.J.?”
Jeff Lewis
View this post on Instagram
The Flipping Out star dissolved decades-old lip filler after his dermatologist refused to work on him until the issue was addressed. On Sirius XM in 2022, Jeff Lewis revealed, “The filler migrated into both sides of my upper lip and created two balls.”
He added, “I thought they’d have to cut open my lip to take it out, but thankfully, they dissolved it instead.”
Zahid Ahmed
View this post on Instagram
Pakistani actor Zahid Ahmed discussed his failed nose job in a 2020 YouTube video. He explained that the insecurities about his nose implored him to make that decision. “I thought it was a common procedure…but in my case, it went terribly wrong,” he said. Ahmed urged others to think carefully before opting for cosmetic surgery. He added, “If you think you have a flaw, instead of focusing on it, you should focus on your blessings.”
Reid Ewing
View this post on Instagram
The Modern Family actor wrote about his experiences with body dysmorphia and cosmetic surgery in a 2015 essay for HuffPost. Starting at 19, Ewing underwent multiple procedures that included cheek and chin implants. He said it created a domino effect of issues. “Each procedure would cause a new problem that I would have to fix with another procedure,” Ewing explained.
He also addressed the psychological toll of his cosmetic surgery journey with issues including isolation, depression, and body dysmorphia that had contributed to his decisions. He criticized the lack of mental health screenings by doctors and said how body dysmorphic disorder can result in addiction. Ewing called for greater awareness of the psychological factors that drive cosmetic surgery and the usually unspoken consequences that follow.