Docs have thoughts on Kris Jenner’s new (unbelievably youthful) face
Key Takeaways
Industry Buzz
“Chronological age alone doesn’t determine candidacy—it’s more about a patient’s overall health, skin quality, and goals. I pay closer attention to things like cardiovascular health, healing capacity, and medication use, all of which can affect both safety and recovery.” — Steven Hanna, MD, FRCSC, of Ford Plastic Surgery in Toronto, Canada
“This is less about whether surgery is right or wrong, per se, and more about the cultural expectations that make so many women feel like surgery or enhancements are the only way to stay visible, relevant, or attractive.” — Lara Zibarras, PhD, psychologist
Whether you love or hate the Kardashian-Jenner family, their influence on culture is undeniable, especially when it comes to their looks. The latest headline? Kris Jenner’s alleged facelift.[]
Jenner recently posted an image to Instagram where she looks barely half as old as her age of 69. While Jenner hasn’t openly discussed any surgery she may have had, it is known that she’s previously had Botox and multiple facelifts. For the record, Page Six reported that Steven Levine, MD, is Jenner’s surgeon.[]
What the experts think she had done—and why it matters
“Kris Jenner’s transformation is striking, but it still looks like her. That’s the hallmark of good aesthetic surgery,” says Steven Hanna, MD, FRCSC, of Ford Plastic Surgery in Toronto, Canada.
Dr. Hanna tells MDLinx he believes the results may have come from a deep-plane facelift. “[This technique] repositions deeper facial structures, not just the skin, to restore youthful contours without a pulled or tight look. It allows for more significant lifting without distorting the appearance or movement of the face,” he says. Deep-plane facelifts are “often the best option” for patients around Jenner’s age, he notes.
“Every element—from the jawline to the eyes to the skin quality—works together. That only happens when the procedures are chosen thoughtfully and executed with an understanding of facial harmony,” Dr. Hanna adds.
When it comes to making someone look natural, Adam Lowenstein, MD, FACS, a board-certified plastic surgeon and founder of Montecito Plastic Surgery, says the key is repositioning the framework of the facial tissue. “The deep tissue of the cheek needs to be restored over the cheekbone, and the deep tissue of the lower face needs to be moved back up above the jawline. Gravity pulls things down, and sculpting these tissues with an artful eye can restore the appearance of youth without artificially pulling things in the wrong direction,” he says.
Dr. Lowenstein says that patients should consider combining other treatments with facelifts, like RF microneedling and CoolPeel laser treatments. Dr. Hanna also notes that facelifts can be combined with eyelid surgery and fat grafting.
Not every patient should expect these results
Not everyone is the right fit for a facelift. Dr. Hanna stresses that MDs have to carefully choose their patients. “Chronological age alone doesn’t determine candidacy—it’s more about a patient’s overall health, skin quality, and goals. I pay closer attention to things like cardiovascular health, healing capacity, and medication use, all of which can affect both safety and recovery.”
He adds that patients with significant medical conditions, or those who smoke and can’t quit, may not be ideal candidates.
The agonizing pressure of staying youthful
Lara Zibarras, PhD, a registered psychologist with a background in the area of disordered eating and body image, says that while she believes in the concept of “your body, your choice,” and notes that cosmetic surgery can be empowering, she thinks it’s important to talk about why so many women feel that looking younger is important, necessary, or required.
“We live in a culture that glamorizes youth, especially in women. There’s little representation of ‘aging naturally,’ and aging is often framed as something to resist, not embrace. I see how this pressure to conform erodes confidence, self-worth, and body image,” she says. “This is less about whether surgery is right or wrong, per se, and more about the cultural expectations that make so many women feel like surgery or enhancements are the only way to stay visible, relevant or attractive.”
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