Charice Surgery

Filipina singer Charice (birth name: Charmaine Clarice Relucio Pempengco), who rose to fame through YouTube and made her debut on "The Oprah Winfrey Show," has reportedly had surgery to improve her appearance.


Charice, 21, admitted she got botox injections in 2010 when she was 18 years old!

In detail, the baby-faced teen singer claimed she prepared for her debut on the hit Fox TV show "Glee" by getting botox injections and a 30-minute anti-aging procedure called Thermage "to look fresh on camera." On the other hand, her publicist, Liz Rosenberg, stated in an e-mail that the reason for getting botox injections was for muscle pain, not for cosmetic reasons.

Charice's surgeon, Vicki Belo, revealed to ABS-CBN television that she underwent these surgeries to make her "naturally round face" more narrow.

It has to be noted that Belo did the botox injections in front of the cameras.

"You chew gum and it turns out to be a favorite super-exercise for these muscles, your chewing muscles. So we will show you, this muscle here it's a bit protruding," Belo explained as she touched Charice's face. "It's like a ball, so we are going to Botox that in order to get it flat so she will have a cuter face...we want to give you the apple cheek look because it's cute, right?"



Charice claimed in the same interview: "All people will be anticipating how will Charice look? Is she good enough to pit against Rachel Berry? So of course there is tremendous pressure."

President of New York's Society of Plastic Surgeons and director of plastic surgery at Maimonides Medical Center in New YorkDr Malcolm Roth revealed he wasn't sure how someone so young could benefit from Botox.





"You would think that the makeup people could take care of (any wrinkles she might have) or that they could take care of it in post-production," he was quoted as saying.

Roth noted there might be some benefits for on-camera teens in Hollywood. "Some people do have hyperactive muscles and muscles are what create the wrinkles in certain types of expressions…It may be of some benefit for the camera, but I would be reticent to consider Botox for a normal 18-year-old," he stated.

Thermage is a non-surgical procedure that uses radio frequency technology, but Roth explained evidence was inconclusive on whether skin can be tightened without surgery.

Plastic surgeon Dr. Milind Ambe of Newport Beach called the surgeries performed on Charice's face "absolutely ridiculous."

On the other hand, plastic surgeon Dr. Val Lambros of Newport Beach endorsed the way Belo used Botox on Charice.

"This is not a wrinkle or antiaging treatment, but a sophisticated and appropriate use of Botox or (Botox rival) Dysport," he revealed, explaining: "I would support it."

"I have been doing Botox or Dysport in the big chewing muscle of the posterior jaw for about 14 years," he admitted, adding: "Not only is it great for people who grind their teeth. Some people who will wear through mouthguards on a regular basis are cured (at least temporarily) of their grinding almost immediately, but the outsize jaw muscle atrophies a little and the shape of the face changes. It can be a dramatic effect. People have no trouble chewing after this treatment either."

He also noted: "You can spot the people who grind their teeth and chew gum continuously a mile away. They have big jaws. This is a desirable look in Anglos but to Asians and rounder-faced people it is considered a negative culturally."

Chairman of the UCI Department of Dermatology Dr. Christopher Zachary was quoted as saying: "It is well established that botulinum toxin, when used appropriately, can indeed assist patients with (pain and inflammation of the jaw joint), and can specifically reduce the pain and discomfort associated with this condition. It is also recognized that such treatment can actually reduce the bulk of the masseter (jaw) muscle, hence providing the slimline look of an otherwise rounded face. So overall, I rather approve."

In reference to getting botox injections for her jaw, Dr. Alexander Rivkin, a Yale-trained facial cosmetic surgeon and UCLA faculty member, with practices in Malibu and Westwood, claimed: "Botox treatment of the masseter muscles is common in asia for both cosmetic reasons and to treat teeth grinding and tmj. It works very well for both when injected conservatively and skillfully. However, weakening the masseter muscle can, if done too aggressively, change the shape of the mouth, affecting a singer's performance. I would be very hesitant to inject a singer's masseter muscles purely for cosmetic purposes."

As for the Thermage treatments, Dr. Rivkin explained: "I disagree with what her doctor did, for the most part, most importantly, in my experience, thermage just doesn't work on young patients. The whole point of thermage is to tighten loose skin an 18 year old doesn't have loose skin! The article doesn't say where she got botox. If it was to raise her eyebrows, then perhaps it would work. If it was to smooth out wrinkles, then the same argument applies - an 18 year old doesn’t have any wrinkles! It sounds like she was taken advantage of a bit."

On his blog, celebrity plastic surgeon Dr. Anthony Youn wrote: "I would bet on the former. I often inject Botox into the masseter muscle of the jaw to cause it to shrink down. This procedure is often performed on Asians, who traditionally have rounder faces and jaw muscle overgrowth."

Dr. Paul A. Nassif, a Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeon and Rhinoplasty Specialist in Beverly Hills, California stated: "18 years of age is way too young for Charice Pempengco to have any Botox. This is not something that is necessarily common, but may be a result of the pressure of being in the public spotlight."

Miami plastic surgeon Dr. Michael Salzhauer noted: "It is not common for teenagers to be getting Botox. It is hard to believe that at such a young age she had facial wrinkles. As far as I know, there is not a minimum age requirement for Botox injections so there shouldn't be a safety issue for teenagers getting Botox injections. However, what I find concerning is what is next for her and is she mentally a candidate for cosmetic surgery at her age. Many teenagers undergo cosmetic surgery every year and it is a positive and life changing experience for them. It is important that teenagers are explained and understand the risks just like any adult."

Board certified Manhattan plastic surgeon Dr. David Shafer revealed: "Young patients getting Botox are unusual. However, if they have dynamic wrinkles that would benefit from Botox, I would not hesitate to give it to them as long as it is medically indicated.  However, the youngest patients are usually in their mid to late 20s when they start Botox."

What do you think of Charice's surgery? Was it necessary?













Feel free to comment and share this blog post if you find it interesting!