These Celebs are Examples of Good Plastic Surgery

Not to sound like I'm advocating tinkering with your face or anything, but it's the strange irony of the cosmetic enhancement biz that the people we recognize as having had “work” done are attracting attention for all the wrong reasons. You only notice bad surgery, bad filler (remember Lisa Rinna's lips?), bad veneers (sorry, Hilary Duff) and bad Botox (Nicole Kidman).

But I'll bet you a lifetime supply of lipsticks that many (if not most) celebs and public figures have done some dabbling in the plastic arts. We just don't realize it. They visit the best doctors, all on the sly, and quietly get their noses refined or gums reshaped or wrinkles smoothed out—and the general public is none the wiser. In fact, it's funny: we tend to idolize celebs because we think they're born beautiful… but ARE THEY REALLY? If you can get your hands on some Before and Afters, you might feel pretty good about your own non-enhanced features. (Another irony.)

Also? If you DO think you might want to tweak a few things that are bothering you—I, for example, have just had gum reshaping and a couple of veneers placed—then there's no better place to look than Hollywood if you want examples of great work. So whether you're just here to gawk or are maybe kinda sorta thinking about a procedure, let's take a peek at a few of the best cosmetic makeovers in the business.

All photos courtesy of GoodPlasticSurgery.com:

LEIGHTON MEESTER BEFORE AND AFTER

Wowza! All I can detect is a nose job, but what a difference it makes, non? I can personally vouch for the power of this type of surgery (not that I've had rhinoplasty, mind you!) because I had images of my face taken with Vectra, a special type of camera that allows plastic surgeons to show you, in 3D, how your face would look after certain refinements. I'd never do it, but after seeing myself with a thinner, shapelier nose, one could definitely make a case for it. Janine at BeautyGeeks did a post on this system a while back, and you can see the pics it gives you here.

HALLE BERRY BEFORE AND AFTER

Well, well, well. I've been saying over and over that Halle doesn't look any different from 10 years ago (or more)—but it seems there IS one glaring difference. Again, it's the nose. She was still gorgeous “Before,” but do you see how the very slight refinement has elevated her face into movie star territory? Her lower lip, apparently, was reduced too.

KATE BECKINSALE BEFORE AND AFTER

More rhinoplasty here, but also witness the transformative power of veneers and gum reshaping. Oh, and brow plucking—but you just need tweezers for that! Anyway, Kate's work isn't so radical that it makes her look like a different person. There's still a cuteness there, but it's a perfected cuteness.

BETHENNY FRANKEL BEFORE AND AFTER

Definitely some cheek filling going on here, and you have to admit it looks good, doesn't it? She looks less tired but not plastic and fake.

RACHEL ZOE BEFORE AND AFTER

More filler and Botox. But because the doc left some wrinkles on the forehead and around the mouth, it's not like she's trying to be 25 again. This makes for a much more believable, natural effect.

So the lesson here, if you're considering any sort of facial refinement? Research, research, research. There's not necessarily a direct correlation between how much you spend and the results you're going to get, but I think it's safe to say that you should avoid making a decision based on price alone. Surgery especially (although it can happen with fillers too) can have a masculinizing effect on women and a feminizing effect on men, so Before and After pics are critical.

Here's a vid from a while back with more tips on injections specifically.

Do you agree that most public figures have had very skilled and subtle work done?

Have you ever considered a surgical procedure or needles?

Which one of these celeb “Befores” are you most surprised about?