Cosmetic surgeons are seeing more and more patients — particularly women — seeking surgery to improve their looks by getting increasingly popular nose jobs or alleviate back pain by reducing their breasts. Surgeons are noticing the difference.

"Definitely we are performing more plastic surgery than before, mainly because the security situation of the country has improved," said Rida Ali, a plastic surgeon who estimates that half her patients are seeking cosmetic surgery, compared with less than a quarter a few years ago.

They include men as well as women, and most of them want nose jobs, which cost $600 to $1,000 each.

While it's good that the security situation is improving for Iraqis, I'm not sure that an uptick in plastic surgery is necessarily a development to be celebrating.

Some people think that plastic surgery is increasing in popularity because more Iraqis have access to pop culture and images of supposed physical perfection that are themselves surgically created.

The trend has been fueled largely by the arrival of satellite television, which since 2003 has beamed into Iraqi living rooms the glamorous Egyptian and Lebanese celebrities who are reputed to keep regular appointments with their cosmetic surgeons.

The results aren't always what the patient expected.

"Our patients get all their ideas from TV, then they come to us and request the operation," said Mahdi Hameed Abood, a senior surgeon at the Wasiti Center for Reconstructive Surgery.

Iraqis: they're just like us!

Many women say that they get plastic surgery to get a husband — or, in one case, to get her daughter a husband.

Marriage prospects are a major reason cited by Iraqi women for choosing to go under the knife. During the worst years of the sectarian war, matches were put on hold, and now many women feel they have to make up for lost time.

Mulook Abuid Wihhab, 49, believes she found a husband because of the nose job she had 23 years ago, and she dreamed of a similar operation for her daughter Noor, 21, a business student at Baghdad University.

She was finally able to get her daughter the nose job she always wanted to her to have recently, as doctors were less busy treating victims of violence. Who knew it would be so easy to come up with a downside to a reduction in violence in Iraq?

The New Face Of Plastic Surgery In Iraq [LA Times]

Ok!
"The Truth About which Stars Are Really Pregnant"
The mag claims that Angelina Jolie has been taking prenatal vitamins and trying to cut out junk food, so clearly she is trying to get pregnant. And! Angie and Brad are adopting an African orphan from an unspecified country. Katie Holmes is knocked up, and has told close friends, but is waiting until she is farther along to make an announcement. Yet there are "signals" that she is pregnant, for instance: she "looked happy" at the Japanese Valkyrie premiere, had hair extensions and her face looked fuller. Also, she had a slice of cheese pizza with Suri last week. As for Jennifer Aniston — she and John Mayer have split for now, but "that's not dashing her baby dreams." According to a 2005 article, she said "I never said I didn't want to have children. I did and I do and I will." Seriously, this quote qualified her to be a part of this cover story. Lastly, "Don't believe rumors that Prince William and Kate Middleton are engaged." Since the Prince just started Royal Airforce training, there's no way a royal wedding could be planned.
Grade: F (fetal pig)

Life & Style
"Twilight's Hot Hookups: Back On!"
This story has lots of pictures, no hookups. Although Kristen Stewart does say: "The chemistry between artists is difficult to define. But in my case, when I looked at Robert, it was like I could look into his heart. And he could do the same to me. And that's very important." Which seems like an old quote, no? Plus there's a pixelated image of Pattinson's GQ cover. Moving on: The story called "Jen and John: It's Over!" seems to be based solely on deconstructing John Mayer's Twitters. For instance, the one which says: "There is nothing better in this world than the act of falling asleep while playing the guitar perched on your chest. Amp off. G'night" clearly means that he "just wasn't that into" Jennifer Aniston. Next, Nicole Scherzinger claims that performing helped her shed pounds, but there is literally no difference between the "before" and "after" pictures: She is freaking thin in both (Fig 1). A spread called "Everyone's Affected By The Recession" mentions that Alex McCord from Real Housewives lost her job; Paris Hilton, Lindsay Lohan and Victoria Beckham each wore the same dress twice and Kevin Bacon flew coach. Lastly, there are six pages of "Wedding Gowns With Personality," which are actually just white designer dresses, if you're into that.
Grade: F+ (frog)

In Touch
"How She Lost 10 Lbs In 2 Weeks"
Dr. Fred Pescatore, author of The Hamptons Diet, who does not treat Jessica Simpson, says: "Her stomach and legs look much thinner." The mag claims this is due to making "smart choices" in the last two weeks when it comes to diet and exercise. At no point to they quote Jessica or anyone currently helping her, though they do talk to her trainer from the 2005 film Dukes Of Hazzard and a person who attended her concert on March 13, who says, "Her legs looked a lot thinner and more toned." Moving on: Is Mandy Moore knocked up? A source says she wed Ryan Adams in a "shotgun" wedding because she is pregnant, although it is very early on. (Mandy's rep says she is not pregnant.) Next: Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes spent an estimated $50,000 for their appearance at the Japanese Valkyrie premiere. That includes $30,000 on dental veneers; $3,000 hair extensions; $1,500 on makeup — for Tom — and $10,000 on spa treatments for Katie. Also inside. An insider tells the mag "Britney is still very self-conscious about her body and appearance." This is illustrated with six pictures of Brit in a bikini with captions critiquing her physique. A celebrity trainer and nutritionist, Jay Cardiello, who does not work with Britney, says things like, "She looks out of shape, bloated, and about 150 lbs." A story titled "Robert Thinks He's Ugly" is based on DVD commentary from Twilight star Robert Pattinson, who apparently says things like, "Sometimes I think I look as if I've had facial reconstructive surgery. After burns or something. My whole head looks like it's had a face lift. A really bad one!" He also says he has a "butt chin." There's more, but you get the point. "How Brad Came Between John & Jen" says that "Jen spent most of the evening talking about Brad. It got on John's nerves. He said it was bordering on obsessive." Plus, on Oscar night, John pulled a photographer and said, "Get ready, I'm about to pay for your kids' college." Then he pulled and unsuspecting Jen over and started hamming it up for the cameras, kissing her on the temple and stuff. Don't you want to throw up all over him? The best spread in this issue is "Inspired by C3P0" (Fig. 2). With the sidebar, "Copying Chewbacca Can Get A Little Hairy." Lastly, in an interview with Julia Roberts, she says, "People get wildly famous, and they get incredibly slim. It never happened to me, not matter how hard I tried."
Grade: D- (fish)

Star
"$10 Million Tell-All"
John Mayer has been telling friends that he is thinking of going public with all of Jennifer Aniston's juicy secrets. A pal says: He's been keeping notes in his daily journal since the moment they met, and he knows he could make millions of dollars. For instance: Jen called John Brad in bed, which freaked John out, and he told her, "I can't compete with the sexiest man alive." Jen does yoga or Pilates for four hours a day and John thinks she is obsessed with exercising. She likes to watch hours and hours of reality TV, which isn't really a "juicy" secret. Jen is really aggressive in bed and likes to do role-playing stuff. She dressed up for him a few times and agreed to have sex in unconventional places once or twice. John has lots of pictures of Jen in Mexico smoking and drinking — "and she doesn't look like the girl next door." And: John told friends he liked to photograph Jen while she was sleeping. A source says she was wearing next-to-nothing, had no makeup on, and her hair was a wreck — not the kind of thing she would want to get out. Moving on: "Knifestyles Of The Rich& Famous" Details Gwyneth Paltrow's nose job (Fig. 3). Did she also used to have brown eyes? Anyway, a doctor who doesn't treat her thinks some cartilage was removed. When it's subtle, you know it was a good surgeon! An insider says Prince William "popped the question" to Kate Middleton during a romantic getaway. Blind item: "Which rehab grad has given up trying to hide her off-the-wagon status? She knocked back vodka at LA's Bardot and a few days later followed her partying with a drive." Kristen Stewart is sick and tired of all the attention Robert Pattinson gets: "Except for filming together and mandatory work functions, Kristen refuses to be in the same room with Rob." Katie Holmes must be pregnant, because at the Japanese premiere of Valkyrie she had hair extensions, she was glowing and she wore a loose dress that "accented a slight bulge in her belly." Plus: "At one point," an insider tells Star, "she glanced at her stomach and smiled shyly." Oh dear: "Rihanna & Chris Sex Tapes!" Exclamation point the mag's, not ours. An insider says: "They've had tons of crazy nights in bed, and Chris has recorded many of them." Apparently Rihanna likes dressing up as a dominatrix, and role-playing. Next, Nicole Richie is telling friends she is having twins and hoping that they are boys. In a reversal, there's a piece called "Incredible Shrinking Dudes," with Benji Madden, Vince Vaughn, Seth Rogen and Josh Gracin — usually the mag picks on the ladies' bodies! Lastly: "Step Stars: They're not bio babies, but these celebs treat their partners' kids like their very own flesh and blood. All together now: Aww!"
Grade: C- (earthworm)

Us
"Caught In An Affair."
In an amazing feat of reporting, the mag has security cam stills of LeAnn Rimes and Eddie Cibrian making out over dinner. Cibrian you may know from Third Watch, or as a guest star on Dirty Sexy Money, Samantha Who, or Ugly Betty. A restaurant staffer says: "I saw them holding hands across the table during the entire meal, laughing and kissing. They kept blowing out the candle on the table and making out over it." Cibrian is married to a model and has two kids; they were wed in 2001. Rimes was married in 2002 at the age of 19. The two met on the set of a cable movie Northern Lights. There are also pictures of Rimes driving to a hotel, having a friend go in and book a room. The friend comes out and gives her the key; then she goes inside. Cibrian shows up; then he leaves four hours later. A friend says Rimes and her husband are "more like best friends. You don't feel any sexual heat." And! Rimes was seen carrying a book titled For Better Or For Worse: Divorce Reconsidered. Moving on: Britney rejected a $3 million dollar book deal. She "summoned" publishing honchos to discuss writing her autobiography, but was "unkempt" and "out of it" at the meetings and turned the offers down because she was hoping for $8 million, like Hillary Clinton got. The Jen/John split story in this mag is kind of Choose Your Own Adventure-ish; they supply various reasons, you pick whichever you like: "It was amicable, they both wanted different things." or: "John does want to get married and have kid, just not right now" or: "It never seemed that serious. I think she liked dating a younger guy" or "Her friends suspected he was using her for press" or: "The whole thing is a publicity stunt they're both in on" or: "She's always either all the way hot or all the way cold. But that doesn't mean it won't be on again tomorrow."
Grade: C (owl pellet)

Fig. 1

Fig. 2

Fig. 3

Life & Style
"Devastated By Tragedy." Everything you need to know about DJ AM and Travis Barker's horrible plane crash. The mag choose Mandy Moore and Nicole Richie as cover subjects because they both had sex with AM at some point. Classy. Mandy has flown to see AM and Nicole apparently burst into tears when she heard about the crash. Moving on: Melanie "Scary Spice" Brown says," Curvy is the new thin." Is Taylor Momsen growing up too fast? She's fifteen and has been wearing very short dresses (Fig. 1). Lastly: Gerard Butler visited Jennifer Aniston's West Hollywood house around 5pm on September 20th and left 3 hours later, "grinning ear to ear." Was it a date?
Grade: F (toilet seat with blood on it)


OK!
"How I Stay Thin …But Keep My Sexy Curves." Kim Kardashian works out a lot! Even though the mag promises 5 ways to lose inches fast, it delivers 3 different things KK likes to eat: Crunch Bar Dibs, granola bars, chicken salad with almonds. Plus, she drinks water and likes to sleep. She wants to get in really good shape because she wants to have kids soon. Also, she's only 115 lbs but everyone thinks she's 130 because she looks bigger on TV. Next: Hugh Hefner says Sarah Palin would make a great centerfold. Lastly, Tom Cruise's sister Lee Anne Devette is running Tom's life; recently she's been going to his business meetings.
Grade: D- (toilet seat sprayed with piss)


In Touch
"Have They Split?" For the past two weeks, Brad Pitt has been on various business trips, which led Perez Hilton to report that he and Angelina Jolie had broken up. It's the same old stuff — he wasn't around! She might have post-partum depression! A source says when they were strolling in the garden, Brad tried to avoid her! (Intern Margaret says, "What is this, Pride & Prejudice?") There's a helpful graphic calendar of Brad's comings and goings for the month of September (Fig. 2) so you can keep track at home. Next: Drew Barrymore was spotted making out with her Whip It! co-star Landon Pigg. He's 25, she is 33; the mag questions if she is falling in love too fast. Meanwhile, Kirsten Dunst and Justin Long are dunzo. Moving on: An "exclusive" interview with Audrina (was it supposed to be the cover story?) about moving out of Lauren Conrad's house. She reveals the "real reason" she had to move out: "I felt like a guest and it was uncomfortable. It also didn't have enough storage space." She has purchased a 3 bedroom Tuscan-style villa in the Hollywood Hills. "My master bedroom has a balcony and beautiful views of the whole city. And there's a waterfall in the back." Well, you deserve it, Audrina. You've done so much! Also inside: Jessica Stroup and Dustin Milligan from 90210 are hot and heavy and there's a picture of them making out. Whitney from The Hills may be back with her ex, Ben Lyons. Verne Troyer has a new girlfriend, a 22-year-old model named Dominique. Vanessa Minnillo says: "My goal is to be acting and winning an Oscar." 10 stars who conquered eating disorders include: Jessica Alba, Anne Hathaway, Geri Halliwell and Portia de Rossi.
Grade: D+ (warm toilet seat)


Star
"Inside Suri's Lonely Life." Intern Margaret LOL'd at the cover line, "The Secrets She Tells Her Dolls." The story is all about how Suri uses baby talk to tell her "friends" the things she dreams about: A little sister and a pet. Apparently Suri went to the Build-A-Bear store with her dad, after hours, and the magazine offers extensive analysis of the stuffed animals she picked out: Bunny Big Ears, a stuffed beagle, a monkey, and a bear. A source says Katie is willing to get Suri a dog or cat, but Tom isn't. "He doesn't want pet hair on their nice furniture, or a dog or a cat jumping up on Suri's nice designer dresses." Moving on, there's another awesome headline on this Lindsay Lohan story: "Booze, Coke & Cutting!" Basically in the past few months Lindsay has been drinking, snorting coke, taking pills and showing up with cuts on her arm. She slips drinks under the table and when she drinks she craves cocaine. She was at a L.A. house party in August, got trashed and passed out before midnight and Sam had to put her to bed. Sam also hides razors from her. Also inside: Miley Cyrus has developed a vocal cord nodule and might need surgery. Blind item! "Which A-list actress is going bald? Sources say that too much styling and too few vitamins are causing her trademark red locks to fall out in clumps, and she's been wearing wigs to hide it." Lastly: In a "Diva Demands" story about what stars' contracts require backstage, Mariah Carey specifies bendy straws, Cristal champagne, Diet Coke, seltzer, Snapple and apple juice. Her tea must be made with Poland Springs water and her deli turkey has to be sliced precisely wafer-thin. Beyoncé needs juicy baked chicken: legs, wings and breast only; HEAVILY SEASONED!! Mary J. Blige insists that housekeeping not vacuum near her room and demands a brand new toilet seat, two humidifiers and a sofa of fine fabric, no leather.
Grade: C- (no toilet paper)


Us
"A Gossip Girl's Untold Story" As reported by Star earlier this month, Leighton Meester comes from a crime drama family. Her mom, Connie, was in jail serving a 10 year sentence when she gave birth to Leighton; he father, Doug, had also been arrested and served time for marijuana possession. Her mother wasn't small time, either: Connie helped smuggle 1200-pound shipments of marijuana on small private planes from Jamaica to the U.S. with her sister and elderly father. Even though she plays snooty Blair Waldorf, Leighton says,"It's hard for me to relate to people who were born with silver spoons in their mouths." She went to Beverly Hills High but didn't fit in; they made fun of her clothes. Question: Do we think she's had a nose job? (Fig. 3) Her 2002 nose seems different from her 2004… Next: Leo DiCaprio and Bar Refaeli are back on. Hugh Hefner says his relationship with Holly Madison is "in transition." Seems like she wants kids and he says it's not in the cards. But! Someone is moving out and getting a spinoff show, who could it be? A story called "Can You Believe They're The Same Age?" is fairly interesting: Sienna Miller and Britney Spears are both 26; Megan Fox and Amanda Bynes are both 22; Angelina Jolie and Drew Barrymore are both 33; Shannen Doherty and Mary. J. Blige are both 37; Courteney Cox and Sarah Palin are both 44.
Grade: C (toilet paper that won't come off of the roll)


Fig. 1



Fig. 2



Fig. 3

• Did Hulk Hogan have an affair while he was still living with his wife, Linda? And was the woman he slept with a friend of his daughter, Brooke? [Perez Hilton]
  
• Nicole Richie's baby! On the cover of People! Cute! [People]
  
• Someone styled & shot Lindsay Lohan to look like a tired tranny hooker on the cover of Paper magazine. [The.Life Files]
  
• March 17: The date a judge will tell Sir Paul McCartney how many millions he has to give to ex Heather Mills. Mark your calendars! [Mirror]
  
• Is Amy Winehouse back on drugs? Friends say she feels rehab is turning her into "some sort of zombie with no emotion." She apparently says she feels "numb" and recently held a lighter over her hand and purposely burned her skin. Fuck. [The Sun]

• A court in Norway has postponed Amy's drug possession hearing. She was arrested there last October on charges of marijuana possession. She and Blake Incarcerated were due in court Friday, but Blake is due in court in the UK Friday, so he won't be able to make it. So many court dates, so little time. [USA Today]
• Gossip columnist Cindy Adams wrote that pregnant Nicole Kidman was drinking white wine backstage during the Oscars; Kidman's publicist, who was with Nicole backstage, says the beverage was tea and that Adams is "an idiot, and you can quote me." [News.com.au]
• Jenna Bush had a girls-only spa weekend bachelorette party in Boca Raton; her fiancé had a boys' weekend in Miami. [People]
• Jessica Simpson is traveling to Kuwait to "entertain" the troops. Just what they need. [People]
• High School Musical star Ashley Tisdale had a nose job in November; her recently released doll has her old nose. LOL. [MSNBC]
• Something is going on between Jonathan Jaxson of gossip site JJ's Dirt and Perez Hilton, but it's sort of too early to think about it. The gist: Sex tape in return for blogging help. "I fell in love with Perez. I thought he had a huge heart...but he's just a [bleep]hole," Jaxson says. YAWN. [Page Six]
• Jessica Alba says she was called a slut in 6th grade because she had big boobs. That ain't right. [Page Six]
• Did Selma Blair and model boyfriend Matt Felker split because he came home and found her with another man? [Gatecrasher]
• Britney Spears went to the Betsey Johnson store on Melrose in L.A. and asked if they could copy a Dolce & Gabbana dress. They were all, "uh, no." So she bought the yellow wig on a mannequin in the window. [Gatecrasher]
• The LAPD is investigating suspected drugger/robber Sam Lutfi, though they won't come out and say it. [TMZ]
• Kevin Federline is turning 30 next month with a huge party in Las Vegas. Think Brit's invited? [People]
• Lynne Spears has been praising her ex-husband Jamie for taking control of Britney's troubled life. A family friend says, "He's gathered a team of reputable people who are around [Britney] now. She's not well, but for the first time in a long time she has people around her who really care about her." [People]
• Gwyneth Paltrow has shot a public service announcement for UNICEF to raise money for HIV prevention. [People]
• Is Kate Hudson trying to bag Justin Timberlake? A source says she has been "texting him nonstop." But she's also seeing Owen Wilson, apparently. So. [Gatecrasher]
• Blind item! "Which TV vixen, based in L.A., spent a lot of the writers' strike downtime in New York City? Word is that she was cheating on her boyfriend with her girlfriend." [Gatecrasher]
• That diamond band, wedding-ish ring Ashlee Simpson's been wearing? "It's a promise ring," she says. From Pete Wentz, natch. [Rush & Molloy]
• Bill Cosby is hosting the Playboy Jazz Festival, if you care. What would Claire Huxtable say? [AP]
• Isaiah Washington was on Capitol Hill meeting with the Congressional Black Caucus and lobbying to preserve the history of an island known off the coast of Sierra Leone. [Politico]
• A judge won't let Ja Rule post bail for his homies, who are co-defendants in a gun possession case. [Yahoo News]
• Josh Hartnett: Forced to fly coach. [Page Six]
• Oooh, Ludacris, Thandie Newton and Gerard Butler star in the new Guy Ritchie movie! [Page Six]
• Boy George denies he kept a 28-year-old Norwegian dude handcuffed in his apartment. Do you really want to hurt me??? [Yahoo News]
• Naomi Campbell remains hospitalized in Brazil, though her doctor says she is "completely cured and walking." Be well! [Yahoo News]

Unfortunately, the Archives of Surgery is reporting that infection at the site of incision happens to one in 20 patients — male or female — who undergo breast surgery, so guys enjoying their new tits had better watch out because infection leads to higher hospital costs. As for undo-plasty, costs vary but patients seem to gain a sense of contentment afterward. The Tribune interviewed 40-year-old Deborah Dunn, who got a nose job to fix a bump from a childhood injury. Post-procedure, "Every time I saw myself, I wanted to punch myself in the nose to make it all go away," she says. Doctors have reconstructed her nose to be more like the old one and Dunn admits, "I feel like I have myself back." But seriously, there is no ⌘-Z in life: Isn't the ultimate undo-plasty not to go under the knife in the first place?

After Plastic Surgeries, More Do An About-Face [Chicago Tribune]
Pectoral Implants Gaining Popularity [UPI]
Breast Surgery-Infection Rate Is 5.3% [Wall Street Journal]

Dodai: I think the pressure to have more "refined" features got to Tyra. Have you seen her as a kid? Check out the still (above) from George Michael's "Too Funky" video: Her nose is mad wide in the bridge! Check out this picture from 1997. Or this one from 2000. Compare them with this one, from 2007! I know Miss Banks works her angles and has fantastic makeup, but something is different. It's not at the bottom, by the nostrils — it's the bridge. And it's subtle. That's how you know she had a good surgeon!

Tracie: The pictures that Dodai showed me are really convincing (especially that black and white one from when she was a kid), but Tyra has been so vocal about her anti-plastic surgery stance that I find it hard to believe that she would have had work done. She's said, "I am totally against plastic surgery. A lot of people think I have breast implants because I have the biggest boobs in the business. But I was a 34C when I was 17." She even had a doctor give her a breast exam in front of her studio audience to prove her rack is real. And in both interviews and on her show, she's discussed the importance that makeup and hair weaves play in the way she looks, admitting that it takes over two hours to be transformed into the Tyra that we see, saying "I'm not ugly, but my beauty is a total creation." And while I'm very aware of her affinity for choreographing reality, I still think that her slimmer nose could be a product of contouring, as she demonstrated here:

Gawker Media polls require Javascript; if you're viewing this in an RSS reader, click through to view in your Javascript-enabled web browser.