Post by Anthony on Aug 16, 2013 23:17:53 GMT -5
I'm not going to say that Madonna did or didn't have any kind of procedure. But I will post examples when I see them.
An article that speculates whether or not she has had work done.
---------------------------------------------------
Things of interest (besides the rumored procedures):
- If she was such a rebel who doesn't need to follow the norms of society, why does she care so much about looking young?
- She apparently acted like a "typical wife" around Guy. Doesn't that go around her, ummm... "feminist" ways?
Just what is the truth behind Madonna's bruises?
By RICHARD PRICE
Last updated at 22:48 25 January 2008
Over a light but expensive lunch of sushi and mineral water at her London town house, Madonna was in confessional mood.
"Forty can be a fabulous age ? it certainly was for me," she told the gathering of well-heeled girlfriends.
"But there's absolutely nothing sexy about 50. The only thing I have to look forward to is the menopause."
Uttered with a wry half-smile, the final line was a feeble attempt at injecting levity into the conversation.
This week: At Claridge?s with bruising on a cheek
But the polite laughter of her friends ? who include such luminaries as Stella McCartney and Gwyneth Paltrow ? was at best a little forced.
For the truth is that on the subject of her looming 50th birthday (there are now just seven months to go), Madonna simply cannot see the funny side.
The issue has become an obsession, prompting her to act in ways which swing from the predictable (expensive cosmetic procedures) to the bizarre (a pathological fear of radiators).
"All you have to do is stand within six feet of Madonna these days to see how much work she's had done," says an associate.
Last month: In New York, with bruising under eyes
"Her skin is so stretched and thin that it's almost translucent when she doesn't have make-up on.
"She's paranoid about the sun as a result ? when she goes to the beach, she covers up from head to toe. And she's obsessed with radiators. They tend to dry out the skin, which ages you prematurely, apparently.
"herever possible, she has underfloor heating instead.
"Of course she knows she'll get old eventually, but she's determined to do everything to fight it."
Madonna'a characteristic reaction to this challenge has been to work harder and spend more money.
September 2006: Mystery marks below her ear
She has stepped up her already gruelling exercise regime ? going so far, as we reported yesterday, as to spend £6 million buying the house next door to convert into her own personal gym.
Not the most dramatic of developments, of course; she can afford to dip into her £250million fortune for the odd indulgence.
Far more worrying, however, in the eyes of her über-fashionable girlfriends, is the increasing frequency with which she greets them with mystery bruises on her face.
She is not, it must be said at this point, suffering at the hands of her judo-loving husband, Guy Ritchie.
The explanation is, rather, that after years of struggling to hold back the clock, Madonna's flirtation with the surgeon's knife has turned into a very public affair.
"She's been having work done since her 30s, but in the past year she's really stepped it up, which is worrying," says a member of her circle.
"For a long time, she used to rely on non-invasive therapies such as Botox, chemical peels and injectable fillers. But that works only for so long.
"Of course, she finds it embarrassing walking about with black eyes and bruises, but as far as Madonna is concerned, that's a price she's prepared to pay."
Madonna has remained enigmatic on the subject of cosmetic surgery, saying: "I am certainly not against plastic surgery; however, I am absolutely against having to discuss it."
But the evidence of her growingobsession is stacking up. Earlier this week, she was spotted leaving Claridge's in London with bruises on her cheek and under her left eye.
Last month, the 49-year-old was pictured wearing a huge pair of sunglasses as she left a medical building in New York, again with dark purple bruising and swelling beneath her eyes ? a typical aftereffect of cosmetic surgery.
As coincidence would have it, Dr Frederic Brandt ? a world authority on anti-ageing ? has an office in the building.
And pictures taken of the star in September 2006 appeared to show clear signs of surgical scars around her ears, prompting cosmetic surgery experts to conclude she had undergone a face-lift.
Alex Karidis, a Harley Street cosmetic surgeon who examined the photographs taken in New York last month, said: "These bruises are quite characteristic of the type of bruising that patients develop after lower eyelid surgery.
"In fact, I can't think of anything else that causes this type of bruising.
"It's an operation that costs between £3,500 and £5,000 and consists of eye-bag removal and often correction of sagging skin beneath the eyes."
As of the September 2006 pictures, he adds: "I can't tell what type of face-lift it is just from the scar but, in my view, she's certainly had a form of face-lift."
The rumours among Madonna's acquaintances about the surgery she has undergone range from the mundane to the ludicrous.
She is said to have "had fat sucked out of her cheeks and eyebrows" to give her face a more sculpted look.
A source close to the star insists she has had a "wonder armpit treatment", which involves tightening loose skin beneath the upper arms to create a smoother line when wearing sleeveless dresses.
The sheer persistence of the gossip is explained by the fact that, for Madonna, fighting the ageing process has become a mission.
"Madonna is a perfectionist, so seeing her body age is killing her," says a friend.
"Bear in mind that she's been a massive star for over two decades, with people constantly telling her how great and important she is.
"The notion of mortality doesn't sit comfortably with that lifestyle, so she's decided plastic surgery is the only realistic long-term solution. A couple of years ago, up close, she had quite a few lines on her face and looked tired, although fantastic for her age. But now she does look different.
"She has no lines at all on her face and her skin is as tight as a drum. But she has the hands of an old lady and the rumour is that she'll be getting them fixed next."
More rumours. But if she really has been going under the knife for so long, how has she managed to conceal it?
"She usually has her hair cleverly in place to cover up the scars around her ears ? you rarely see her with it scraped back," says the friend.
"And the real reason for building that new gym is so she can work out without anyone seeing what she looks like without her make-up.
"The one person she feels comfortable with as herself ? not wearing what we call 'the mask' ? is her husband.
"They had a rough patch last year, but came through it and that has just made them realise how much they care for each other.
"Recently, Madonna said to me: 'Thank God for Guy ? at least I know he loves me for the woman I am, not the star I'm supposed to be.'"
Guy is very much a hands-on father and spends a great deal of time with the children ? Lourdes, 11, Rocco, seven, and their adopted son David, two ? making it easier for Madonna to pursue her relentless career.
Given her schedule for this year ? which includes a studio album to be released in the spring, a greatest hits album, a world tour and the release of a new children's book (written for David), with a short film thrown in for good measure ? it's just as well he's there to take on the responsibilities.
Towards the end of last year, Madonna also managed, yet again, to reinvent the way her music will be marketed, ending her contract with Warner Bros and signing a £120 million, ten-year contract with record label Live Nation Inc., where she will become the founding singer in its new Artist Nation division.
It is a massive commitment, which will take her to the eve of her 60th birthday ? when she will become eligible for a free bus pass.
But she is determined to keep motivated for the simple reason that it is in her marriage, more than anything, that her age has become an issue? especially the age gap between her and 39-year-old Guy.
As one of her close friends admits: "It's not such a big thing for Guy, but it is a huge deal for her. As a woman, she feels that her husband will find her ageing deeply unattractive.
"As secure as she is, when she's with Guy she becomes this pliant wife. It is almost as if occasionally she physically shrinks to make him seem the bigger man."
Friends say Madonna admits it will take every ounce of her focus to keep going for another decade.
Her 40s were a time of huge success ? her career was reborn, she enjoyed family life and developed her spiritual awareness through Kabbalah.
But with every passing year, maintaining the same level of activity has become harder.
As she recently told Stella McCartney: "To be honest, I'm dreading it [turning 50]. But I know I just have to make it work."
And "work" is very much the operative word.
Madonna's exercise regime pays testament to her desperation to hold back the signs of time on her face and body.
Apart from regular yoga, dance and Pilates sessions, she has upped her quota of aerobic work-outs and increased her strength with daily weight training.
She has also stuck to a rigid diet, mixing macrobiotic foods with seasonal, organic produce and favouring a Japanese style of preparation.
Gone are the days when she would boast of drinking the occasional glass of British beer or French wine.
Her alcohol intake is zero as she strives to eliminate every form of toxin from her body.
The result is that, at 49, Madonna is a stone and a half lighter than when she had her first hit 25 years ago. At the time, she was asked by a TV interviewer what she imagined her life would be at 50.
The young star flippantly snapped back: "I can't even think about it ? I can't see myself at 50."
After a moment's thought, she airily added: "Just incredibly happy, I guess."
How sad that, now the day is finally dawning, the one thing standing in the way of that happiness is Madonna's obsessive refusal to grow old gracefully
-------------------------------------------
An article that speculates whether or not she has had work done.
---------------------------------------------------
Things of interest (besides the rumored procedures):
- If she was such a rebel who doesn't need to follow the norms of society, why does she care so much about looking young?
- She apparently acted like a "typical wife" around Guy. Doesn't that go around her, ummm... "feminist" ways?
Just what is the truth behind Madonna's bruises?
By RICHARD PRICE
Last updated at 22:48 25 January 2008
Over a light but expensive lunch of sushi and mineral water at her London town house, Madonna was in confessional mood.
"Forty can be a fabulous age ? it certainly was for me," she told the gathering of well-heeled girlfriends.
"But there's absolutely nothing sexy about 50. The only thing I have to look forward to is the menopause."
Uttered with a wry half-smile, the final line was a feeble attempt at injecting levity into the conversation.
This week: At Claridge?s with bruising on a cheek
But the polite laughter of her friends ? who include such luminaries as Stella McCartney and Gwyneth Paltrow ? was at best a little forced.
For the truth is that on the subject of her looming 50th birthday (there are now just seven months to go), Madonna simply cannot see the funny side.
The issue has become an obsession, prompting her to act in ways which swing from the predictable (expensive cosmetic procedures) to the bizarre (a pathological fear of radiators).
"All you have to do is stand within six feet of Madonna these days to see how much work she's had done," says an associate.
Last month: In New York, with bruising under eyes
"Her skin is so stretched and thin that it's almost translucent when she doesn't have make-up on.
"She's paranoid about the sun as a result ? when she goes to the beach, she covers up from head to toe. And she's obsessed with radiators. They tend to dry out the skin, which ages you prematurely, apparently.
"herever possible, she has underfloor heating instead.
"Of course she knows she'll get old eventually, but she's determined to do everything to fight it."
Madonna'a characteristic reaction to this challenge has been to work harder and spend more money.
September 2006: Mystery marks below her ear
She has stepped up her already gruelling exercise regime ? going so far, as we reported yesterday, as to spend £6 million buying the house next door to convert into her own personal gym.
Not the most dramatic of developments, of course; she can afford to dip into her £250million fortune for the odd indulgence.
Far more worrying, however, in the eyes of her über-fashionable girlfriends, is the increasing frequency with which she greets them with mystery bruises on her face.
She is not, it must be said at this point, suffering at the hands of her judo-loving husband, Guy Ritchie.
The explanation is, rather, that after years of struggling to hold back the clock, Madonna's flirtation with the surgeon's knife has turned into a very public affair.
"She's been having work done since her 30s, but in the past year she's really stepped it up, which is worrying," says a member of her circle.
"For a long time, she used to rely on non-invasive therapies such as Botox, chemical peels and injectable fillers. But that works only for so long.
"Of course, she finds it embarrassing walking about with black eyes and bruises, but as far as Madonna is concerned, that's a price she's prepared to pay."
Madonna has remained enigmatic on the subject of cosmetic surgery, saying: "I am certainly not against plastic surgery; however, I am absolutely against having to discuss it."
But the evidence of her growingobsession is stacking up. Earlier this week, she was spotted leaving Claridge's in London with bruises on her cheek and under her left eye.
Last month, the 49-year-old was pictured wearing a huge pair of sunglasses as she left a medical building in New York, again with dark purple bruising and swelling beneath her eyes ? a typical aftereffect of cosmetic surgery.
As coincidence would have it, Dr Frederic Brandt ? a world authority on anti-ageing ? has an office in the building.
And pictures taken of the star in September 2006 appeared to show clear signs of surgical scars around her ears, prompting cosmetic surgery experts to conclude she had undergone a face-lift.
Alex Karidis, a Harley Street cosmetic surgeon who examined the photographs taken in New York last month, said: "These bruises are quite characteristic of the type of bruising that patients develop after lower eyelid surgery.
"In fact, I can't think of anything else that causes this type of bruising.
"It's an operation that costs between £3,500 and £5,000 and consists of eye-bag removal and often correction of sagging skin beneath the eyes."
As of the September 2006 pictures, he adds: "I can't tell what type of face-lift it is just from the scar but, in my view, she's certainly had a form of face-lift."
The rumours among Madonna's acquaintances about the surgery she has undergone range from the mundane to the ludicrous.
She is said to have "had fat sucked out of her cheeks and eyebrows" to give her face a more sculpted look.
A source close to the star insists she has had a "wonder armpit treatment", which involves tightening loose skin beneath the upper arms to create a smoother line when wearing sleeveless dresses.
The sheer persistence of the gossip is explained by the fact that, for Madonna, fighting the ageing process has become a mission.
"Madonna is a perfectionist, so seeing her body age is killing her," says a friend.
"Bear in mind that she's been a massive star for over two decades, with people constantly telling her how great and important she is.
"The notion of mortality doesn't sit comfortably with that lifestyle, so she's decided plastic surgery is the only realistic long-term solution. A couple of years ago, up close, she had quite a few lines on her face and looked tired, although fantastic for her age. But now she does look different.
"She has no lines at all on her face and her skin is as tight as a drum. But she has the hands of an old lady and the rumour is that she'll be getting them fixed next."
More rumours. But if she really has been going under the knife for so long, how has she managed to conceal it?
"She usually has her hair cleverly in place to cover up the scars around her ears ? you rarely see her with it scraped back," says the friend.
"And the real reason for building that new gym is so she can work out without anyone seeing what she looks like without her make-up.
"The one person she feels comfortable with as herself ? not wearing what we call 'the mask' ? is her husband.
"They had a rough patch last year, but came through it and that has just made them realise how much they care for each other.
"Recently, Madonna said to me: 'Thank God for Guy ? at least I know he loves me for the woman I am, not the star I'm supposed to be.'"
Guy is very much a hands-on father and spends a great deal of time with the children ? Lourdes, 11, Rocco, seven, and their adopted son David, two ? making it easier for Madonna to pursue her relentless career.
Given her schedule for this year ? which includes a studio album to be released in the spring, a greatest hits album, a world tour and the release of a new children's book (written for David), with a short film thrown in for good measure ? it's just as well he's there to take on the responsibilities.
Towards the end of last year, Madonna also managed, yet again, to reinvent the way her music will be marketed, ending her contract with Warner Bros and signing a £120 million, ten-year contract with record label Live Nation Inc., where she will become the founding singer in its new Artist Nation division.
It is a massive commitment, which will take her to the eve of her 60th birthday ? when she will become eligible for a free bus pass.
But she is determined to keep motivated for the simple reason that it is in her marriage, more than anything, that her age has become an issue? especially the age gap between her and 39-year-old Guy.
As one of her close friends admits: "It's not such a big thing for Guy, but it is a huge deal for her. As a woman, she feels that her husband will find her ageing deeply unattractive.
"As secure as she is, when she's with Guy she becomes this pliant wife. It is almost as if occasionally she physically shrinks to make him seem the bigger man."
Friends say Madonna admits it will take every ounce of her focus to keep going for another decade.
Her 40s were a time of huge success ? her career was reborn, she enjoyed family life and developed her spiritual awareness through Kabbalah.
But with every passing year, maintaining the same level of activity has become harder.
As she recently told Stella McCartney: "To be honest, I'm dreading it [turning 50]. But I know I just have to make it work."
And "work" is very much the operative word.
Madonna's exercise regime pays testament to her desperation to hold back the signs of time on her face and body.
Apart from regular yoga, dance and Pilates sessions, she has upped her quota of aerobic work-outs and increased her strength with daily weight training.
She has also stuck to a rigid diet, mixing macrobiotic foods with seasonal, organic produce and favouring a Japanese style of preparation.
Gone are the days when she would boast of drinking the occasional glass of British beer or French wine.
Her alcohol intake is zero as she strives to eliminate every form of toxin from her body.
The result is that, at 49, Madonna is a stone and a half lighter than when she had her first hit 25 years ago. At the time, she was asked by a TV interviewer what she imagined her life would be at 50.
The young star flippantly snapped back: "I can't even think about it ? I can't see myself at 50."
After a moment's thought, she airily added: "Just incredibly happy, I guess."
How sad that, now the day is finally dawning, the one thing standing in the way of that happiness is Madonna's obsessive refusal to grow old gracefully
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