Every month, we strive to bring you a balanced mix of breaking news (for instance, the recent FDA approval of Daxxify, a longer-lasting neuromodulator) and advice you can always use, like the best retinol alternatives or the cosmetic procedures you should always avoid. Invariably though, there’s an intriguing headline or viral post that doesn’t make its own stand-alone story yet is still worthy of a share.
Which brings us here, to the latest installment of This Month in Aesthetics, an ICYMI recap of industry-molding moments that we’d be remiss not to acknowledge—from a new celebrity skin-care line to a safety alert regarding reports of squamous cell carcinoma around breast implants.
Zac Efron addresses plastic surgery rumors by sharing details of the accident that almost killed him
In April of 2021, Efron appeared in a celeb-studded Earth Day special looking markedly different. His changed appearance caused the internet to speculate that he’d gotten plastic surgery—or had at least overdone it on filler.
He didn’t comment on the rumors at the time, but in a recent interview with Men’s Health, the actor and activist revealed that in 2013, he’d slipped in his home and hit his chin on a granite fountain, causing him to lose consciousness. When he came to, his chin bone was “hanging off” his face. He had his jaw wired shut for a period and after that, he explains, the masseter muscles “just got really, really big” because they needed to work harder. Efron adds that he didn’t even know about “Jaw-gate” until his mom called to ask if he’d had plastic surgery. “If I valued what other people thought of me to the extent that they may think I do,” he says, “I definitely wouldn’t be able to do this work.”
The FDA issues a safety alert for cancers in the scar tissue around breast implants
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently released a statement informing patients and providers of reported cases in which squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) and various lymphomas were found in the capsule or scar tissue around breast implants. In some instances, patients were diagnosed years after having breast implants and presented with symptoms such as swelling, pain, lumps, or skin changes. (It’s important to note that these cases are different from breast implant–associated anaplastic large-cell lymphoma (BIA-ALCL), a type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma found in the scar tissue and fluid surrounding an implant that the FDA warned about in 2011.)
The alert says that “after initial extensive review, we currently believe that the risk of SCC and other lymphomas occurring in the tissue around breast implants is rare,” and acknowledges that there isn’t enough information to definitively link breast implants to these cancers. Patients are encouraged to report any instances of SCC, lymphoma, and any cancer located in the scar tissue around breast implants to the FDA.
Brad Pitt launches a high-end skin-care collection
Le Domaine is the latest celebrity skin-care line to hit the luxury market, brought to us—perhaps unexpectedly—by Brad Pitt. The line, which contains three products—a cleaning emulsion ($80), a serum ($385), and a cream ($320)—harnesses the potent antioxidative powers of grapes and was developed with the Château Beaucastel vintners, who also happen to be the actor’s partners in Miraval rosé.
And while wine may have been the main inspiration, it turns out Pitt’s ex, Gwyneth Paltrow, also played a role in the skin-care collection’s origin story. When asked how he feels about star-fronted business ventures, Pitt told British Vogue, “I love what Gwyneth’s done [with Goop]. She is still a really dear friend, and she has built this empire. She has always had that in her as a curator, and it’s been a lovely creative outlet for her. In fact, come to think about it, she was probably the first one who got me to even wash my face twice a day… maybe.”
Fans suspect Grimes got elf ear surgery
Grimes recently posted a bandaged-up selfie to Twitter with the caption “I did smthn crazy!” which led many fans to question whether she’d gotten “elf ear surgery”—an extreme body modification procedure she’s previously expressed interest in getting. Back in August, the singer tweeted, “Also, has anyone done elf ear mods with a good outcome? Im scared about ear cartilage having a hard time healing. Especially as a musician this surgery seems risky but I’ve wanted it my whole life. Curious about peoples experiences!”
Elf ear surgery, aka ear reshaping, involves surgically removing cartilage at the tops of the ears and then suturing them into a pointed shape (and it should go without saying that a reputable doctor likely will not entertain this request).
Grimes hasn’t revealed what exactly she got done, but she did reveal that she finished the last song on her sixth studio album in the plastic surgery clinic during recovery.
