|
They're
close sisters, but there is one subject that divides them - cosmetic
surgery. Linda 56, has spent £30,000 on procedures and believe
s her life is all the better for it. But her younger sister Debbie,
46, would never go under the knife for vanity. So, asks SADIE NICHO
LAS, whose side are you one?
LINDA
SAYS...
LINDA
is
a former lawyer who now runs her own independent cosmetic surgery advisory
and booking service. She lives in Welney,
Norfolk, with husband Michael, 64, who is retired from the RAF. They
have one son. She says:
Given
her views on the subject, it's Ironic
it was my sister’s wedding in 1999 finally sent me running to a pl
astic surgeon. At 45, I'd been aware that I'd not been lookin
g my best, thanks to my stressful career as a lawyer.
In
the three weeks leading up to the wedding I’
d spent a fortune trying to look more youthful. I’d had expensive electronic facial treatments, my eyelashes permed and
dyed and a new haircut. But it wasn't enough. One friend of Debbie
’s - who is 10 years younger than me - asked if I was the bride’
s mum. It was the last straw.
I didn’t tell my husband Michael that I was having a facelift unti
l I’d booked an appointment with a surgeon. I’d also decided
to have my upper and lower eyelids sorted at the same time – hooded
lids are a family trait and they were so ageing.
Michael sulked
for a couple of hours, and said he liked me as I was. But my mind
was made up The only other person who knew about my plans
was the women at the bank who granted me the £5,000 loan to pay for the
sur
gery – we were having a house built at the time so it was drainin
g our cash.
I waited until a few weeks after the procedure before telling my mo
ther and sister. Mum was angry and her way of showing that was to tell me
I didn’t look any different. Debbie just peered at my face.
But I
didn’t care what anyone thought - I was delighted. It knocked years
off me. . I’d always had a fear of growing old. My first grey hair and wrinkle appeared when I was 25. When I turned 30, I cried all day. I got a new hairstyle, my shelves were full of health and beauty books
and I started doing more exercise than ever – circuit traini
ng to competition standard, plus hockey and running.
Then in June 1997, I read a newspaper story about the now infamous,
American cosmetic surgery devotee Cindy Jackson, whose had more surgery
than anyone else.
She’s 14 months younger than me and she l
ooked amazing. Inspired by her , I stepped up my fitness regime and
followed a programme of facial exercises, contorting my face for hours in
front of the mirror. I was convinced that people had begun to trea
t me differently at work. I felt I was fading into the background. It’s wrong, but society
treats women differently if they lose their looks.
Since having
that first facelift, my attitude has been that if something needs sorting,
I talk to a surgeon. In 9 years I have spent over £30,000
on surgery - all with world class surgeons abroad (it would have cost
£75,000 in the UK). The list of procedures includes everything
from liposuction on the thighs and bottom, to fillers injection into the
back of my hands.
Debbie’s now a year older than I was when I had my first facelif
t and that's fair to say she’s worn better than me. At her age, I di
dn't have an ounce of fat on me, which made my face look drawn.
Having
said that, Debbie went mumsy overnight when she had her first baby, which
surprised me as she’d been a high-flying accountant before. And w
hile there are things she could do to improve her appearance (more
flattering clothes and a chemical peel, I still think she would benefit
from surgery.
She should get her eyes done
because she’s also got hooded lids and I think she might need the
under eye bags removed too. After 2 kids , she should definitely t
hink about having a tummy tuck. That’s one operation I don’t n
eed because I had only one child, so my stomach snapped back into shape. I don’t
need a boob job either, as they are big enough naturally at 36D although
I may have a reduction in the future and a breast lift in a few years.
Don't
get me wrong, I don't take surgery lightly. I have to be at a stage w
here I am desperate to change something. If a surgeon advised me no
t to have something done, I would take that advice.
Would I ever stop having surgery? Yes, if I started to look like one of
those women who’s obviously had too much work.
But that first facelift was the best decision I ever made and
it's changed my life in more ways than I could ever have imagined. A
fter having more surgery, I started advising other women about the
best surgeons and treatments.
Several years later, it was taking so
much of my time that I decided to give up law - which was too stressful -
and start my own advisory business.
Its true that having surgery
makes you scrutinise yourself more. The neck lift I had in June has highlighted
a bit of extra fat under my chin that needs liposuction again, and my lips
need more filler to even them out.
The fact is we live in a shallow
society - I don't want to be over looked because people see me as old.
Th
at's just the way it is. Of course, I would have preferred to have lo
oked this way naturally, but it isn't possible. So I am prepare
d to suffer for the cause.
DEBBIE
SAYS...
Debbie Bell, 46, works for Linda managing her online beauty product
shop. She lives in Hertford with husband Dave, 46, an IT consultant, and
their children Rachel, 10, and Jason, six. She says
IF
LINDA called me and said she had yet another face lift, I'd be
horrified. Your skin can only stretch so far and I think she has rea
ched her limit now.
I’ve watched cosmetic surgery operations
on TV and I’ve seen how rough the surgeons can
be, pulling your skin around. I think that surgery is a terrible wast
e of money - I can't believe how much Linda has spent. Naively, I tho
ught Linda's original face lift, 11 years ago would be a one off. I c
ould never have known how it would snowball and change Linda's whole life,
including her career.
She set up her business after realising there wasn't any advice out there
for people thinking about surgery.
When Linda had more surgery, I
worried it was becoming a habit.
I'd tell her I didn't think she
should go under the knife - and still do - but her response is always that
she can't send other people to a surgeon if she hasn't tried them out
herself.
I especially didn't agree with the liposuction Linda has
had. She eats a lots of sweets and cakes and if she kept off them and spent
more time in the gym she wouldn't need the liposuction.
I also
think that having laser treatment to erase her freckles illustrates how
excessive this has become.
Nothing would make me have plastic surgery, and especially not Linda
constantly telling me that I need it. I was complaining a few weeks ago
that I’ve put a bit of weight on and her solution was that I should g
o for liposuction.
I'll be doing nothing of the sort. I’
ve got a bike and I'll start going out on that regularly.
I’d rather get fit than see a surgeon.
Linda also thinks I should get my hooded eyelids sorted and tells me that
I pull so many expressive faces that I’m going to need botox. N
ot a chance.
I can remember when Linda really started worrying about ageing.
She was miserable, wasn’t enjoying her job and had probl
ems with a house she’d bought. She never smiled.
I remember the day I found out she’d had her facelift – We were sit
ting in the living room at my mum’s house a few weeks after her oper
ation and I recall thinking that she looked a bit funny and her face was
tinged yellow.
But what I noticed most was that she was smiling for the first time in
ages.
I didn't think that facelift had altered her looks, but it did alter her mindset - She
walked taller
Her interest in appearance even rubbed off on her
home.
I
can't deny Linda definitely has fewer wrinkles than she would have had if
she'd not been under the knife. But most important to me is the fact
that she looks happier.
As for me, I have no desire to
look like I’m in my 20s. A
few lines give your face character.
There is nothing that would
make me have surgery and, worryingly, probably not much that will make
Linda stop.
|