Linda Evangelista was one of my favorite models from that generation of ‘80s glamazons. Linda was the chameleon, the one who changed her hair at the drop of a hat, the one who didn’t get out of bed for less than $10,000 a day. She and Naomi Campbell especially were two of the most glamorous creatures to ever walk the earth. But in recent years, Linda has been a recluse. No one really knew what was going on with her. Now she’s telling her story, and she’s filed a lawsuit. She’s suing the company behind CoolSculpting, the non-surgical cosmetic procedure which is supposed to decrease a person’s fat cells. The procedure had the opposite effect on Linda, and she developed paradoxical adipose hyperplasia, which is a rare form of cryolipolysis. It affects only a handful of CoolSculpting patients and Linda was one of them. She posted this to her Instagram:
CoolSculpting has really become a more popular “alternative” to cosmetic surgery, and it feels like celebrities are more likely to admit that they do CoolSculpting because it is non-surgical. The company has celebrity brand ambassadors, commercials on network television and CoolSculpting businesses all around the world. Deep pockets! I guess Linda’s argument is that she wasn’t fully informed of the potential side effects, or the possibility that CoolSculpting could end up having the opposite effect on her. I wonder what will happen with this. I wonder if the company will try to settle out of court. Hm.
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.
I mean she gained weight. But yeah that sucks, I can’t imagine having your whole life’s worth being based on how you look and then not fitting into that mold anymore (in her eyes, she’s still beautiful)
On one hand, live by the sword, die by the sword. On the other hand, I fell real sadness for her. It’s hard enough for women to age or gain weight, but I can’t imagine also having that tied to my very tangible money making abilities on top of it all. I hope she’s able to feel better about herself soon.
💯, spot on
This is a cautionary tale.
Always read the fine print. Always do your own research. Never assume you’ll be in the majority that does not have side effects. Never put all your money earning eggs into one basket. And vanity shortcuts will destroy your looks.
She’ll get a payout because this is higher profile. Much more than any other person that suffered equal or greater damage.
@Wiglet Watcher, I had a teacher who got lasik back in the 90’s when it was new, and he ended up blind in one eye. More recently, we had a local celebrity who got eye surgery and ended up with some crazy condition where she couldn’t recognize what she saw anymore. She ended up dying by suicide because it was so terrible. The only reason I know the details is because her children go to school with children of one of my friends.
People need to understand the risks involved in medical treatment. And I don’t mean that in an anti-vax way, just that if you’re getting something done, particularly something that is elective, you should be certain that the pro’s outweigh the con’s for you. Knowing what I know now, I would never get eye surgery. My vision may suck, but the potential downside is too serious for me to take the risk.
I looked this up, and apparently, it leaves a “raised pocket” of fat in an area (say the abdomen, thighs), with *clearly* delineated edges. Sort of like a soft edged box. Could be what happened to her, and further surgeries to remove this could’ve left scarring. Obviously we don’t have *her* pics, but this is what my pre-coffee sleuthing found 😊
I tried Cool Sculpting and this is exactly what happened to me. it was this weird paunch, that I will now need surgery to remove. It was a total scam
Just looked it up. Apparently the fat deposit is in the shape of the device itself. Yikes.
That doesn’t sound like the kind of thing that would send her in to hiding. I was assuming that people use this procedure on their hips, stomach or thighs. I understand that she could not model after something like that, but total hiding is something else. If *all* that has happened is that she’s gained weight, it’s awful to send the message that if you’ve gained weight, stay hidden. But maybe it’s something far more than weight gain?? Maybe the procedure was on or near her face/neck?
It’s horrible but I do hope that she realizes that her worth far exceeds her looks. But it’s been 5 years, so she must still be working on it.
My guess is she had it under her chin.
she said it made her gain fat. Idk, I think it’s great that she’s doing this publicly. This entire industry is wayyyyy too cavalier about cosmetic surgery (do recall that Kanye’s mother died from liposuction or something). There are serious risks to surgery and the fact that we live in a world that makes women feel like they need it for entirely cosmetic reasons…I don’t think it’s a good thing, despite the “do what makes you feel good” mantra we often hear. Maybe that should be developed a little to something more along the Iines of “do what makes you feel good but remember, cosmetic surgery can ruin your life and kill you, too.” Maybe we should try to encourage society to fully accept people, especially women, the way they are at every stage of life. Maybe less misogyny, more evolution in these industries is a better alternative to cosmetic surgery.
Well said. “Do what makes you feel good” is the slogan used by every ‘wellness’ advertising that targets women… not to empower women but to make money off them. So it’s do what makes you feel good as long as you pay into some product to make you look different.
“Do what makes you feel good so you fix your janky appearance that displeases the world, hideous woman!” is what the message is. They can tart it up all they want, but the expectation that women remain as much like they were in their 20s as possible is stupid expectation.
With you on this 💯
You’re on the internet. Why not look up what the condition actually is? I did and it isn’t “weight gain”. It is a mass accumulation of fat cells in an area that creates a cyst or tumor like bulge. If she had this happen on her face or neck, she could absolutely looked disfigured.
It only creates those masses in those locations where the device was used, and she wouldn’t have had it used on her face or neck.
Mich, thank you.
She said “disfigured”, not gained a few pounds.
@ Mich, I did look it up, as I pulled images and it’s awful how it causes these large patches of fat. I think that it would be devastating to any women or man that would have these results. I am so sorry that this happened to you, and everyone else here. I hope that you are able to have the effects reversed, but that leads you down a dark hole of fear, I would imagine.
@BeannieBean – CoolSculpting can be used on the chin/neck.
Not the face or neck apparently, which I had wondered as well. At least not obvious from the pics she has posted over the years. She does look heavier, but I don’t see anything unseemly at all about her face or neck. She looks a little heavier and like a middle-aged woman. So maybe it’s somewhere else.
I looked up pictures and in some cases it is most definitely just weight gain. It doesn’t look like it’s delineated pouches in all cases.
Good luck Linda!! Ughhhhh
Same! I hope this helps her gain the confidence she needs to get on with her life.
I haven’t seen her so maybe the fat pockets are unevenly distributed and that’s what she means by disfigured, because without more context it sounds like she is saying CoolSculpting caused her to gain weight and that is disfiguring, which is…not a great take on weight gain.
I hear what you are saying, but in her mind she is “disfigured” because it had the opposite effect of what she wanted. Kinda like going in to have your nose reduced and having your nose made larger. I can’t fault her and I won’t judge, her whole career and most of her life, has been based on her looks.
If you look up photos of this it is not just irregular weight gain, its a bizarre and prominent protrusion.
Imagine a square shaped lipoma that would be on Dr. Pimple Popper, except it can’t be popped. That’s what she’s talking about, not weight gain.
Wow, another great reminder to appreciate ourselves as Mother Nature made us. Poor Linda; this was brave of her.
Has anyone here done it? I was considering it for after I lose this pandemic weight.
I know several people who have done it and it was expensive and didn’t really work. They now say they feel they got taken in by a scam.
I know a plastic surgeon who decided to try it and he said he was in pain for months. No disfigurement but lots of pain.
I had a relative that wanted to try it. She met a doctor on a trip pre-COVID and he talked it up. The old saying is true: if it sounds too good to be true, it usually is.
I did. I had it done on the inside and outside of my upper legs and on my hips (the area between the end of your leg and where the hip begins) and it kind of worked although I’m sure a surgery would have been better in terms of results. Then came the pandemic (5 months later) and gained weight so I basically lost money.
HOWEVER, I was not made aware of this possible side effect and I am relieved I did not expierence PAH.
I said this up thread too:I tried Cool Sculpting and it totally failed. I ended up with this weird paunch, that I will now need surgery to remove. It was a total scam. I now feel worse about myself than I did before.
I’m so sorry to hear that happened to you, Snazzy.
Thank you <3
I did this several years ago for my bra-line overspill (say “back rolls” in Alyssa Edward’s voice). It worked great. I just wanted to feel comfortable in a bikini and that was my “weird” area.
I did it on my outer thighs earlier this year. Have a great doctor; fully understood the risks. I had a dimpled pockets of fat & saddlebags after having two kids and hitting my mid-40s that no amount of diet, cardio and strength training would remove (For context, I am pesco-vegetarian, don’t smoke/do drugs, and strength train 3x per week; cardio 2x). I had FANTASTIC results, but again, was aware of the risks and used this as a last resort.
There is an alternative to coolsculping called trusculpting…I have been looking into it since I’ve lost 45 lbs and still have a bulge of fat in my tummy area. I haven’t done it yet though but you might want to check it out.
I do medspa stuff but have not done coolsculpt or trusculpting, *however* a plastic surgeon told me coolsculpt works better that trusculpt or sculpsure for most people. I did end up having chin liposuction when coolsculpt was recommended by some, and I’m glad I went that route. (I had great results, but everyone’s mileage will vary, and there is risk with all these procedures–I’ve seen scary pics of lipo gone wrong too.)
Any surgeon who told you coolsculpt is better than trusculpt, SculpSure or Evolve is lying to sell packages off an old device.
If you have a fold of excess skin you need surgery, period.
For problem pockets of fat you can spot remove very small amounts with these technologies. CoolSculpting was the first to discover you can destroy fat cells through freezing but it is ancient technology (15+ years) and their latest device was recalled. (They are now owned by Allergan). PAH has been well known for ages and should included as a potential side effect in all CoolSculpting consent forms.
Subsequent technologies discovered that if you heat fat to 42 degrees C, you can melt fat. Plus heat has the added benefit of tightening as well, even more so with RF as it delivers energy into the dermis. All of these technologies work well with the correct patient selection and in combine with a healthy lifestyle, you can undo any body sculpting treatment in the kitchen. Please do your homework and don’t select procedures based on price!
This was the surgeon who did my lipo and was not recommending coolsculpting to me at all–she and another surgeon both said lipo was a better option for me (and ultimately more economical). She was just saying that she personally found her clients who tried it were happier with coolsculpt than sculpsure, etc., so she tended not to use sculpsure or trusculpt.
I haven’t had it done, but a good friend has and it looks great. It slimmed her hips and thighs – two problem areas she had. I was thinking about it. Now I don’t think I will. Eek.
I had it done on my inner and outer thighs and absolutely love the results. I was informed of the risks beforehand. I feel for Linda and hope she finds some peace. Being an aging model must be brutal. No matter how beautiful you are you simply MUST cultivate other ways of valuing yourself. No one gets to take their beauty with them forever.
@Betty – I had four sessions lower abdomen , I had lost about 50 pounds through diet and exercise but couldn’t budge the *pooch*.
For me it actually pulled the fat away from the underlying muscle and created a literal flap where before I had a pooch, the only way to correct it was abdominoplasty.
I did it and recommend NOT doing it! Run the other way!! I treated 6 areas and had six hard raised areas develop. I wore clothes 2-3 sizes bigger until I could get liposuction to fix it. It was awful and traumatic, as Evangelista said. After the surgery removed the hardened lumps, I noticed that my general health improved: less tired, achey, just generally feeling unwell the surgeon I saw said some of the cool sculpting treated tissue had been dying. Scary…and gross!
I’m in my mid-twenties and had it done twice on my stomach and once on inner thighs with an amazing doctor whom I trust. I was fully informed of the (low) risks of PAH. I am already naturally thin but could never quite lose these ‘harder’ pockets of fat even when working out 2x a day in college. I call this my trans fat from the occasional 2am mcdonalds lol. The results are absolutely not instant or dramatic and I would only recommend it if you’re also quite thin – but I swear my stomach looks flatter than it ever did in my teens or early 20’s!! You’re supposed to do 4 sessions to see “full results” but even the 1 session on my thighs made a very visible difference for me. I would not recommend it for someone trying to lose weight in general, it’s more of a targeted tool for certain smaller areas, the results of which become visible if you are already in great shape (i.e. my doctor sees a lot of men who work out daily but can’t achieve a 6-pack due to the fat layer covering the muscle tissue.) It’s not a very fun procedure, the stomach especially feels like the most terrible period cramps of your life as it’s basically local hypothermia and you go in and out of feeling numb due to the cold and then the tingly pain grips intensely. But in my experience, worth every penny.
“Brutally disfigured” and “permanently deformed” Those are some strong words. I wonder if there will be publicity around the before and after photos or public disclosure of the physical changes. I will admit my first reaction is to wonder if this will be similar to Carrie Underwood’s reaction to her fall/scar which seemed unrealistic to me
As I read her words, I thought her attorneys surely vetted this and maybe even helped put together. Very strong words that will be used in her litigation I am sure.
Along those lines, do any of our legal eagles have an opinion on what happens when someone sues over damages that they were warned about?
I am SO glad Linda is coming out of painful reclusion and I hope that she and we all can make a place for her public life. I am genuinely curious about how courts view suing for damages for complications they were warned about before attempting whatever.
Also, there is the possibly separate issue of her livelihood being taken away. That seems like an independent and possibly more successful line of attack.
Anyone?
If you are warned then you are “assuming the risk” (a legal term). Usually contracts for most activities/procedures have you waiving your right to sue even for negligence (which I hate, especially when it’s some activity my kids are participating in – like I actually expect swim instructors not to be checking their phone instead of paying attention to my kid in the water but what else can you do if you want them to have swim lessons? but that’s another topic). Anyway, people still sue and depending on the existence of a signed agreement, the state, the case law and the circumstances you may still have a case even if you were warned
All the best to Linda.
It is one of the risks of coolsculpting and they do not hide it from you when you do the procedure. This is not negligence. BTW, it is treatable and should not be a problem for someone who is wealthy; she was just one of the few unlucky ones who develop this complication. I am not sure what she is trying to do here.
You don’t know what they disclosed to her prior to her having the procedure.
Even if they didn’t verbalize the risk to her (which I doubt considering the level of care her money can provide), I guarantee you she signed a form that had the risk listed.
Anytime you get a new cosmetic procedure there is a written disclosure you sign and for cool sculpting that is a known rare adverse effect and is described in the disclosure Most people sign without reading. Unless she went to unreputable place she signed a disclosure.
They do tell you about this — and are pretty explicit it freaked me out. It’s a low percentage but when it’s you it’s 100% you don’t really care how seldom it happens. That is what I’m not sure everyone gets. It’s why I haven’t gotten Lasik, if the bad side effects happen to you it’s really life altering. She’s a model so you could make the argument it’s life altering.
I did it, and did have a reduction in fat for sure. It’s pretty expensive though. But… during covid where I have gained weight is not where I got coolsculpting which depending on where the weight gain moves is good or bad. Mine is okay, I finally gained a little weight in my butt rather than my belly.
Same here. My whole family has gotten lasik but I refuse even though my eye doctor always says I’m a good candidate. I have a slight astigmatism is one eye too so that makes me feel like thats the eye something would go wrong on. I just cannot imagine if I went through with it and my sight was jacked for life. I’ve been wearing glasses since I was 8 and got contacts in high school. Neither of those are terrible enough for me to have a scalpel taken to my eyes (my eyes water just thinking about it). I will stick with my decades long glasses and contacts routine lol.
I got Lasik 4 years ago and it was life altering.
I got one of the top ones in Toronto who created his own surgical tools, textbooks, and also does it in California. Get the best and you won’t be disappointed. Not something to cheap out on.
Second the warnings of LASIK. I had a flawless surgery in 2000 that has left me with a degraded vision (kerataconus) that can only be corrected partially either by corneal transplantation or using scleral lenses at $5k a pop (and are awful to wear), otherwise my vision is 20/200 with glasses. There is little research on the long term risks (and suitability) of patients when it comes to LASIK- and the “rare” side effects are not that rare to begin with
If you have astigmatism, you are NOT a “good candidate” for LASIK. Get a new eye doctor.
Just because you were informed of side effects doesn’t mean that Linda was. And furthermore, just because other cases of paradoxical adipose hyperplasia have been fixed doesn’t mean that everyone’s can be. People heal differently.
Linda is a wealthy woman whose career centred around her appearance. It’s easy to imagine someone wanting to profit and selling her on a procedure without properly explaining the side effects.
Sorry but unless she went to unreputable place- she signed a disclosure. Disclosures for that procedure describe this it is a rare adverse event. I
@SMSCat Were you in the room with her? How would you know if she was informed properly or not?
Also, there’s a LOT of people on here gatekeeping what is considered disfigured and deformed. Your definition does not = someone else’s definition.
She may have had it done before this risk was known/understood.
“BTW, it is treatable and should not be a problem for someone who is wealthy”
She said she had two painful surgeries that were unsuccessful. So no, in her case, it isn’t treatable!
My thoughts exactly! One has to provide informed consent prior to any such procedure. It’s safe to assume the risks – however rare – were explained to her. With the litigious culture in the US, and a high-profile client whose net worth is based on her looks, there’s absolutely no way the risks would not have been detailed!
Enlighten me….on what part of the body is Cool Sculpting done?
I think it can be done more or less anywhere.
My country’s newspaper of record said Linda “underwent multiple procedures between 2015 and 2016 to reduce fat on her thighs, abdomen, back, flanks and chin. Corrective surgery had not worked to fix the PAH. “
I’ve been researching all kinds of cosmetic procedures recently (post-pandemic/post-divorce dreaming) and coolsculpting seemed pretty risk free with the worst case being no results. A disfiguring result would be so traumatic. I wish her strength and healing.
I went to google some procedure images,I dont understand how something that is not invasive can lead to extreme deformity.
Google PAH (spell it out) you’ll find photos of what it does. I know I’d be very unhappy.
Let me set the stage
The setting: the entire world is entering its 2nd Year of a global pandemic which has killed millions
Noone:
Linda Evangalista: I know you’ve all been wondering where I’ve been… so without further adieu …it’s time for me to share my truth on my battle with Cool Sculpt.
Me:😐
If this surgery is causing some kind of harm, I think it’s good she’s exposing it. I don’t think it has to be an either/or. She can share what she wants on her own Instagram page. If other people are covering it, I think that’s more on the media than on her.
Um, you do know what we do here, right? Arguably for every post on this site, that exact same argument could be made. It strikes me that if you’re looking for plangent commentary focused on world news, you are best served elsewhere.
bitching about celebrities is the name of the game, what’s the issue then?
Paradoxical adipose hyperplasia is not “gaining weight”. I just did a quick search of photos and it results in lumpy, misshapen masses on the body. I can totally see how this would be disfiguring and very hard to correct with surgery.
All my best to Linda and I hope they PAY her. She should still be working.
I just read some comments of people stating that after the treatment the belly enlarged so much that they looklike they’re 8 months pregnant…
A few years ago someone tried to convince me to try ultrasonic cavitation.. I almost had a heart attack.. No way José… The only one for me is eletrotherapy (and knowing it may cause bruises)…
I didn’t know how popular coolsculpting was until i got a pamphlet from my botox place and the Celebrity promoting it was Sarah Michelle Gellar. Still, it’s way expensive and you only get up to 20% max of fat cooled off per given pinch of area. It’s really not worth it IMO.
When I asked about the procedure at my medspa they it explained it very simply, didn’t mention any side-effects, but it wasn’t an official consultation on it, i bet if it was they would have just like they did when i got botox, they also have you sign things that say you’re aware that stuff could happen, so for her to say she was never told about it has me questioning the kind of place she went to for it (if it’s true they didn’t warn her).
As for her saying she’s a recluse due to the deformity it caused her 5 years ago.. 5 years ago was 2016, Im still a fan of most those 90s models and I see most all still working in the mainstream, and really the last time I heard anything about Linda was back around 2006/2007 she was on that magazine cover after the birth of the kid. So i dont know how she could completely blame this incident on her career slowing.
All that said I don’t doubt she is going through something horrible emotionally right now, if the place they did it at was actually negligent then i hope she gets every penny. I guess we’ll see how this turns out.
For those saying it sounds like she’s over-reacting to getting fat, that’s not necessarily the case, google paradoxical adipose hyperplasia. It can create bizarre and unnatural shapes. If it was bad, and certainly depending on her body part(s), it’s fair to say she’s been disfigured.
Huh. So I looked up the PAH, and it seems like for most people, it’s at their stomachs, and basically creates a ball like mass. I can see how that would be traumatic and I don’t see an issue with her suing after her procedure ended badly.
However, unless the procedure was done on her face, I can’t see how she would become “unrecognizable” by this.
PAH seems to occur in the area that was lasered, it would make sense that for most people it was on their stomachs since that is clearly gonna be a popular site to get the area done.
We don’t know where she got this procedure done, if she got it over a larger more exposed area of her body or around her face/decolletage it could absolutely be disfiguring.
It looks like some kind of double chin formed (not in these photos but in other photos I saw in other places) so I think it did effect her face to some extent. Some people get double chins from weight gain, but I feel you’d have to gain a ton of weight and be somewhat obese to develop that. She doesn’t look obese and she has very precise bone structure so I could see the surgery causing some of those facial changes.
Ah that may be the case, under the chin. For her sake I hope not.
I was ready to be like ok calm down fat doesn’t = deformed, but I google image searched her condition and it’s not just – oh well someone got fatter – it looks like swollen areas wherever they attempted to freeze the fat cells. Like a man going for 6-pack abs now looks like he has 2 or 4 tennis balls under his skin. It’s very bizarre looking and I can understand why she would use such strong language.
Oh, honey, welcome to the club of hotties who’ve lost their looks. Now you get to find what really makes you a worthwhile human being.
She was more than hot though. When I was in my early twenties I saw her walking down the street and I was stopped in my tracks. I have rarely seen anyone that stunning. Like I was shocked!
In NYC, you see models all of the time and many of them have bad skin or are just pretty. This woman though. . .
I can’t imagine what it must be like to have been given everything a human being could want materially because of an extremely fortunate genetic combination. You are right. She will now have to rely on an entirely different mode for her sense of self.
I did research on all the non-surgical alternatives, but in the end I got a tummy tuck since I also had loose skin. The lady I go to for lymphatic drainage massage told me she’s seen some coolsculpting patients end up with internal scarring, for anyone looking to do coolsculpting. There is also airsculpting, that’s the newest one
I’m sure it was in the 10 page release form she signed. I have to sign that before botox. Unless they didn’t administer the procedure properly, she doesn’t have a case. I know that when I get a massage or spa service, if I have a rare side effect that is on that release form, it’s on me pursuing my vanity.
The medical spa I go to (BBL was the best money I’ve spent on facial care ever) refuses to do Cool Sculpting because the risks are too high.
If she had this done when it was just coming out I can see the side effects being poorly addressed as they didn’t know all of them yet.
It must be hard for every woman in Hollywood when you have Jane Seymours disordered eating lauded as ‘self control’
Disclosure. I do have an eating disorder. And I have seen helpful progress by having the same sort of regimen as Jane Seymour.
I juice vegetables twice a day, drink loads of water and have one sensible meal a day. My levels are within range and I’m a healthy weight for my height and body type.
Jane seems healthy. Just because you’re not eating 3 solid meals a day does not mean you’re starving yourself. Can we stop shaming or attacking different ways people eat? If they’re healthy it shouldn’t be seen as an unhealthy method.
Jane Seymour has an eating disorder. There’s really no tiptoeing around it if you’re familiar with the psychology and symptoms around it. I have two friends who suffer from severe body dysphoria and/or eating disorders and suffer from dysphoria myself, the symptoms are all there for those willing to see it. Her appearance is not what gives it away. It’s the way she talks about eating and weight, framing it as an act of control, empowerment, and a contempt for those who don’t practice similar. It’s in the way body is conflated with character in her mind, with the implication that those who do not practice similarly rigid restrictiveness lack a certain kind of balance and control in their own lives.
I don’t believe in shaming people with those disorders, but I’m also don’t believe in dressing up what it is in semantics or pretending it’s an attack to call a spade a spade. The human body can thrive under a lot of different circumstances, but these diseases take their toll over time. The stress and hypervigilance take their toll. With Seymour, it’s bluntly obvious how much narcissistic delusion is embedded in her practice of it. She’s sixty but completely consumed with aesthetics and appearance. It says everything, to be honest. Pretending otherwise is dishonest and dangerous, especially when these people have huge platforms that can influence young people who lack the wealth and resources they have to deal with the consequences.
Im glad you’ve found a regimen that is helping! I appreciate you sharing, especially because it may help others transition to ’more healthful behaviours.
That said, Jane’s diet is generously estimated at 1000 cals per day, which is well under the recommended amount. Similar diets may work for those recovering from health issues or experiencing health issues, but positioning calorie restriction as self control and maintaining a slim figure as the reason to do so aren’t healthy opinions.
Jane Seymour thinks she can pass for 25. That’s enough for me to think maybe she doesn’t see things correctly. (She is beautiful though, I do think).
Detritus
Is it estimated at 1000? After reading the article on this site I looked into it further and I would have thought it above 1400 a day. While low, a 400 cal difference is significant.
Jane Seymour is underweight. It’s not possible to maintain healthy bones, cartilage, etc. on a permanent diet of juicing (just EAT the fruit and vegetables, you need the fibre), 8 glasses of water and only one full meal a day. I’m glad you’ve admitted to having an ED, and I wish you much success in getting over it. However anyone who rigorously controls their diet to the point where staying skinny is the major focus is playing with fire. I imagine Jane Seymour is on a ton of supplements to mitigate the lack of nutrients in her diet, and at her age it’s likely she’s on medication to control osteoporosis. That’s giving into an eating disorder, not controlling it.
BBL? Acronym for….?
BBL = Broad Band Light. It’s kind of the next generation IPL. I did 3 BBL treatments for skin discoloration. The results were really amazing! It’s expensive though. $1300 for 3 sessions. And it does hurt a bit during the treatment, but no pain afterwards.
@SilverPoodle glad you had good results! that’s cool, i didn’t know how IPL tech had progressed. in the 00s i went thru IPL for skin discoloration caused by acne. i had very good results with just IPL to the point i didnt feel i had to wear makeup to hide it, plus it cleared up my skin for about 1 year after getting the procedure.
Paradoxical Adipose Hyperplasia is not just weight gain. Fat returns in excessive amounts to the treated areas. It is disfiguring.
Good grief. I’ve seen the commercials but didn’t know this was a possibility.
Didn’t she sign a waiver? I’m thinking she probably did.
I’ve thought if I were to go a similar route, I might do Sonobello but now I think I’d have to look for stories like this. I’m glad Linda went public.
Speaking of famous ’80s models, my fave was Josie. She was a lovely woman from South Africa and was Ralph Lauren’s (LOVE HIM) favorite model. She was everywhere. Very cute; big, brown eyes, shorter, light brown hair, so pretty but also cute; never smiled. Lauren’s people would say, “Oh, this will be stunning on Josie!” and “Josie will love this!” and stuff like that.
She just fell off the planet.
I’m not sure where she landed but years ago, I saw her in a newspaper ad as in one of those Sears or JCP flyers, not even Neiman’s or Dillard’s or anything. I looked for her online but didn’t find anything. I still wonder. Maybe she went home to Africa.
Do you mean Josie Maran? Doesn’t she have a huge cosmetics line?
You know, after I posted I looked her up again. Her name is Josie Borain.
I didn’t see mention of cosmetics but I didn’t look through everything.
There wasn’t a lot of info but there was an article about her in a South African ‘paper or magazine several years ago and she did go home and had kids and went grey and seems to be living happily in a large, rustic cabin.
I was just thinking about her and kind of thought about how brief some of the careers are of many super models.
Found her! She’s Josie Borain.
I did cool sculpting and loved it and had fabulous results. And yes they give you the paperwork outlining all the risks. I wonder if she bothered to read it… even if she did this is incredibly rare. Like 1/20000 rare- and probably something you wouldn’t know unless it happens to you. There are always risks with any medical procedure- accrediting facilities give the proper information….
And, No Linda- I haven’t given a shit about where you’ve been since that George Michael video in the 90’s.
That said… I did gain weight during pandemic…. but this summer I trained and ate right – got back to my prepandemic size …, the areas that I did have coolsculpted immediately snapped right back to where they shrunk for the treatment..,, it’s not an all over fat loss treatment- it’s for that gd stubborn areas!!!’n
Wow, that’s really horrible. I can’t imagine how she must feel since her looks are tied to money. Women face so much pressure to look a certain way, get this or that done, get big lips, eyelid surgery, bbls… You get the point. There are many adverse reactions that can unfortunately be permanent. Reminds me of when I immediately stopped using the NuFace, after getting migraines after each use… Not good at all. I won’t bring any needle or gimmick near my body, ever.
Ugh I went years ago with a friend who wanted to get a consultation and it was scammy feeling. Luckily they didn’t do (it was like 10k for sessions as well). Hope she some relief. What a mess!
Wait, I’m confused… If they disclose this in paperwork, how can she sue them? It’s disclosed. You would think a model would read through the disclaimers and etc.
She said this happened in the past 5 years. I googled the pics where tabloids were calling her “unrecognizable” (that she refers to in the press release). It looks like maybe she had it done on her chin/“waddle” area and it looks fatter there than she did before. (Though who knows what it may have done to less visible parts of her body.) I mean, she no longer has the perfect jaw & profile she had before, but she looks like an attractive 50 year old woman. She looks like herself but with some middle-aged weight gain. Of course, since she makes a living off of her looks, I understand why that is not acceptable to her and she wants to sue if the risk was not disclosed to her. But I’ll admit it’s not making my 49 year-old-self feel too great that she considers looking like she does now as “horribly disfigured.”
If the media is calling her “unrecognizable”, that would likely mess with her self-esteem. We tend to perceive ourselves through the lens of others, even if it’s our own opinion that should count more. If the world is talking about her looking completely different, I could see why she considers herself “horribly disfigured.” It’s the world basically making her think that.
I’m convinced that cool sculpting procedure messed with her chin area though. It doesn’t really make sense for her to have that double chin since she doesn’t seem “fat” enough to wind up with one. She’s bigger than what she used to be but not so big that her face could change in that area, I wouldn’t think. I also think most people can withstand a little bit of weight on their bodies, but in all honesty, I don’t think most people really like dealing with a double chin. Everyone can see that area and on a cell phone camera it’s probably annoying to have to look at. If I had her bone structure, and suddenly wound up with a double chin even though my actual structure doesn’t seem to support the idea I should have one, I’m dead certain it would bug me. I’m sure it would bug me even otherwise.
I feel sad for her because she was one of the top super models and I hope she gets corrective surgery she can live. Sometimes the universe gives us tough lessons to help us let calm our ego down and realize our real self worth. Financially, she has a child from one of the wealthiest men on the planet so she’ll be fine there. I’m glad she went public with this, I was tempted by CS but now I will just go the old fashion route, good old diet and exercise.
I know two sisters who had this done. The heavier sister had great results. The thinner, younger sister who just wanted some post-pregnancy help, was left almost disfigured. She will have to have surgery to fix it. If you look at her stomach, it looks like the belly of a nursing animal. Just raised pockets of fat like teats. Horrible outcome.
Like many I’ve gained weight over the course of the pandemic, from being at home constantly to also having my psych meds tweaked regularly as I’m trying to find some normalcy and stability that I haven’t been able to get from my therapy, exercise, and meditation alone.
I’m very angry about the appetite increases, and thinking about how I was always a healthy weight until I was diagnosed with my mental health issues and placed on medication years ago. And told by doctors that on average, people who gain this take 20 pounds etc, etc. And when you ask about more weight- neutral ones, some doctors have the nerve to tell you are you sure you want to prioritize your appearance over your mental health? As though your appearance doesn’t have an affect on your mental health.
That said, I relate to Linda and her anger and frustration. But I completely acknowledge that even with my heightened appetite and sluggishness I could have avoided putting on weight by trying 10 times harder- but I didn’t. I am not powerless. But maybe it’s dumb, but I feel angrier on the behalf of myself and other people who have exorbitantly increased appetites than those who choose willingly to get these procedures and have them not work out. Maybe I’m just spiteful. I know it’s not a competition but it’s still aggravating to hear.
I’m in the middle on this, it’s awful what happened to her and I have no doubt it has severely hurt her physically and mentally, but these things always have risks and I wonder if it was written in the fine print somewhere and she didn’t catch it, or maybe she would’ve done it regardless of the risk right?! I’m sure she’ll get paid a lot either way. Good for her for speaking up about it.
I’m so over this “perfection” culture, it’s ok to have wrinkles and fat and cellulite. I’ve had to tell myself that more since I hit 40. I don’t judge people for having procedures because we should all feel good about ourselves, but I bet we’d all feel a lot better if we weren’t bombarded with filtered images of “perfect” women all the time.
I agree with you about the “perfection”. Women in the TWENTIES are having dangerous procedures in order to be “perfect”. It is awful and scary and I cannot wait for a more natural look to come back.
Linda, Christy and Naomi will forever be my favorite models. Linda’s exquisite beauty….I feel for her. What a horrible experience.
Same here. Linda was *amazing* at being a chameleon, she had so many different looks she could bring out, it was crazy. I know everyone is different and complex, it’s not as simple as “get Demi Moore’s doctor” but I wish her every success because she is an incredible model that I’d love to see still working today. I want to see Naomi, Christy and Paulina working too, mature beauty can include wrinkles and imperfect figures.
Christy still works regularly. She still represents Calvin Klein and is modelling. I love seeing her. She is so beautiful and I love that she has not messed with her face. Naomi has definitely messed with hers. She looks different than she did 10 years ago, and it is NOT aging.
The comments section on this site is so uplifting. I’m serious.
To be 100%honest, my initial reaction to this story was “she looks better now than I have ever looked inmy life and feels she needs to hide because she is disfigured?” And I was SO judgey. Like, “Welcome to the world that 99% of humans live in.”
But reading the comments has educated me and really changed my mind.
She made bank off her looks and this procedure has messed with them, permanently. If she was really not made aware that these side effects were a possibility she has a strong case. And it is entirely possible that she was not made aware.
Initially I thought she just gained weight and was definitely overreacting. (and saying some very damaging things) But this sounds like a lot more than that. This doesn’t sound like just normal weight– it sounds like big malformed lumps and bumps that can’t be gotten rid of naturally. (And if corrective surgery is required, imagine how terrified she is to do it?)
Also, while I may have initially felt petty because she spent most of her life as a perfect goddess, the fact is, as a model, not only can this affect her livelihood…but she is under so much scrutiny. *I* don’t look like I did at 23, but I can go to the market looking like a full blown swamp witch and no one will look twice. The slightest blemish on her is going to make the news.
Stop trying to undermine her experience or suggest she just freaked out about gaining weight people, read the statement properly. She had two unsuccesfull surgeries trying to reverse the efect, it’s not that obviously.
I’m glad she exposed this because I keep seeing ads for this and now I have an excuse not to feel pressured to ever get it done, no matter how much I might change on the outside.
I guess I’m in the minority here, but I don’t really feel sorry for her. She VOLUNTARILY undertook an ELECTIVE COSMETIC medical procedure which comes with risks – like ALL medical procedures. This one was driven by her vanity. She made a choice. I don’t have any sympathy for this situation, at all. It’s not like she had a severe medical condition or illness and had treatment and experienced a rare side effect. This was entirely by choice and there’s no way the risks would not have been explained clearly and up front! Informed consent would be required here.
You make choices, you live with them.
I think she did make a choice. But I also think it’s a choice other people might make as well . In that sense, I think someone, even if they made the choice out of vanity, should probably let the public know that the procedure probably doesn’t work. I was kind of led to believe it does. That doesn’t necessarily mean I’d want to do this procedure ( at least not now anyway as I don’t feel that harshly judged….. yet — I imagine that judgement could change when I inch closer to her age), but I just kind of assumed it does work if so many people are willing to do it.
I don’t think everyone has to feel sorry for her. But I do feel a certain relief from acquiring new knowledge.
Okay so here is my optimisitic possibly delusional post of the day: in my recent experience, I see the Gen Z/Gen Alpha crowd being a lot less focused on looks. My daughter, who is 7, has called me out on accidental vain and shallow and ridiculous comments that I, as a Gen Xer don’t even realize I am doing. (“why did you call her the female DJ, why not just the DJ?” She asked me the other day. I had no response, other than utter shame). While I hate that we adults right now are struggling with aging and insecurities and dangerous procedures (and yes, full disclosure, I do Botox and fillers and IPL), maybe just maybe the younger generations won’t pursue this vanity? I am not speaking for all but I can 100 percent attest I am a middle aged insecure gal that was raised to think women’s value was based on their looks. (Isn’t admitting your issues part of the solution? My therapist says so). Anyway, thanks for coming to my Ted Talk.
I kind of get the impression Gen Z is more supportive of each other. I see girls complimenting each other all the time, which I can’t recall ever experiencing. I can’t help but wonder if I had mean friends growing up or if this support of each other is a new phenomena. But I can’t tell if they’re less vain judging by the number of 20 year olds on Instagram who seem to have their lips done. So they confuse me — ha ha.
It’s nice to hear about your experiences, but I don’t see this at all. I’m surrounded by 11-14-year-olds all day, and they are horribly look-obsessed and focused. They are more aware of styles and aesthetics. Still, they lack the empathy to sympathize with any form of otherness, or even sameness, if anything is outside of themselves to any degree they struggle.
Boys even have tik-tok hair challenges. There is no relief from obsession with appearance for Gen Z if they are on social media.
Research shows consistently— and this was just in the news with Facebook knowing how harmful instagram is to young girls— that social media is more harmful than helpful to mental health. The younger generation has grown up online and with unrealistic expectations and body images… tied in with the emptiness of repeating and the performative nature of political agendas.
Mr. Jaded’s 9 year old granddaughter is now wearing nail polish, lipstick and eye-shadow. I side-eye her mother for letting her do this as her daughter is now wayyy too invested in her appearance. Her mother also let her dye her hair blue, and even though it was a washout hair colour it’s setting a precedent much too early that in order to be pretty you have to do all this stuff to yourself. She’s only 9 FFS.
I think it makes more sense that Linda Evangelista would notice that the surgery didn’t help her than Madonna believing that the surgeries are making her look amazing. I’ve often wondered how many people are actually happy with the results or if they have to pretend to be so that they a) don’t have to admit they had the surgery or b) don’t want to admit the procedure was a waste of money. I sort of think this whenever I see Khloe Kardashian, even though she’s not technically unattractive even with the surgeries.
I think the fact that Linda Evangelista was willing to openly admit she did something to look better, and she hated the end result, is unusual. And honestly I think it’s helpful to know when someone doesn’t like the results, since plastic surgery seems almost normalized now.
This sounds horrific, even though I’m not a fan of elective surgeries and medical procedures based on vanity. No one should experience something of this magnitude. I won’t be snarky or callous and completely disregard how she feels in this experience because it’s causing pain and taking away her career. I simply wish her well, and I’m glad she is shining a light for others to be extra cautious. I’m tired of hearing, “oh, but those are minor side effects” or “well, the number impacted by that side effect is so small it doesn’t matter”. Her case demonstrates that it does matter, and I’m rooting for her.
I’m not sure where she got the procedure done, and I’m sorry if it disfigured her, but in the picture of her in the red and black dress she looks absolutely stunning and not unrecognizable at all. Yes, she’s not pin thin like back in the day, but she is truly beautiful and I hope she allows herself to be out in the world again. I hope she’s also getting therapy because she seems absolutely devastated over this. Again, I don’t know where the damage is, but she should not believe her life is over and she should definitely make the best life she can for herself. She has a lot going for her. If this lawsuit helps her heal and lets others know of the potential dangers, full speed ahead, Linda.
I don’t think these pictures are recent:
https://www.thesun.co.uk/tv/16220140/supermodel-linda-evangelista-disfigured-cosmetic-procedure/
I have to admit when I saw this picture I assumed that she must be ill.
I had one session of coolscuplting done a few years ago on my abdomen. I had the terrible swelling in that area and a hard lump of the fat cells – the “butter stick.” It scared me to death, because I was worried it would not go away (like poor Linda). It finally did, which I am so thankful for. Personally, I would never have something invasive done (that requires cutting) because it is just too risky. For whatever reason, this was different in mu mind. I thought this was pretty much risk-free. They do tell you about this condition but they say it affects like 1 in 10 million….so, a little false info from my medspa.
The coolsculpting did work, but I gained 10 lbs of weight and just haven’t been able to get it off. Hopefully, once I do, I can still see the results. You really have to be somewhat in the shape you want to be in for it to be effective (it’s not like lipo where they can take out large amounts of fat) and just have a “problem area” – mine has always been a pouchy stomach. Now, it’s a little more than that….sigh…
All this being said, I would never do it again.
I am 47 and will never look like I did at 27 or even 37. I just can’t budge the scale like I used to, nothing works (and starvation is out of the question).
🙁
I concur with the speculation about the “disfiguring” happening on her chin/neck area, almost all of the fairly recent candid photos I’ve seen of her on Google are with her wearing really big and and elaborate scarves
I had laser lipo and ultrasound cavitation 2 years ago and getting 7 sessions again because of tummy covid weight. It took off 2 inches of tummy weight 2 years ago. Sadly with all the lockdowns in Canada, I gained some weight in my belly that is hard to get off despite regular workouts with personal trainer twice a week. I highly recommend both for those who are looking to get a bit of a reduction but do your research!
I was thinking about cool sculpting but I read a lot of horror stories like hers so not happening.
Welcome to the world of not being able to always control your body, and having to come to terms with that.
It can suck.
…..Get in line with the rest of us, pretty much.
But also kudos for making more people aware of the risks. Surgeries are not magic wands, and they have side effects (speaking as someone who has undergone one)- the lessons learned is, it all comes down to you deciding to accept yourself– either now, or later. Not doing so, can cause a lot of damage (inside and out).
I’ve had several rounds of CoolSculpting this year on my tummy. 3 kids under 7, my two youngest born via 2x c-sections which are notorious for making shedding tummy fat extremely difficult.
So far I’ve been thrilled with the results. The clinician in London was very upfront at the onset about any risks, and also, that CS does not 100% eliminate fat – it simply reduces spot fat. Which is what it’s done with me, and I’m going ahead with the third round in a few weeks.
Like many I was horrified to read Linda Evangelista’ story. She has been one of my idols since I was a teenager, seeing the Freedom ’90 video when I was age 12 left an indelible impression.
That being said, I believe she has had far more other procedures than simply CoolSculting. From the few photos she has shown, the area are her eyes and cheeks are very swollen, similar to the Jocelyn Wildenstein lady who has had too many fillers, eye lifts, etc. The only area around the head that CoolSculpting treats is the chin and neck. I don’t doubt she had a bad reaction to those areas, but that does not explain the rest of her face which she clearly has messed with.
My point being, I don’t think she is disclosing the full extent of work she’s had done in addition to CoolSculpting. Being able to attribute the blame for her disfigurement on CoolSculpting is far easier in this case, since it is non-invasive so therefore it is hard to argue against her claim that she has suffered terrible results from having it.
I fully empathise with her. But I also think she is doing a disservice to many people who might be, or would have, considered CoolSculpting – the vast majority of whom it will be fine. At worst, it might not work for them in terms of fat reduction – but the damage she has had only affects a tiny percentage of people, and it also is not just down to CoolSculpting. I wish she were more honest about that, as I don’t think she is putting all of her cards on the table.