Ashley Judd Denies Plastic Surgery, Cites Steroids for Her Puffy Face

Over the past couple of days, Ashley Judd’s photos were circulating the Internet over speculations that the actress had undergone plastic surgery or dermal fillers because of her unusually puffy cheeks. 

Rumors of the actress’ plastic surgery started after she appeared on a Canadian talk show to promote her new show Missing.  However, her representative immediately released a statement saying the star has been “battling an ongoing, serious sinus infection and flu,” requiring her to take heavy doses of medication, including steroids.

Steroids may lead to swelling, apparently making Judd’s cheeks “puffier” than usual.

On Wednesday, the actress tweeted “Thanks to all asking how I’ve been feeling, still very sick (flu + viral infection in sinuses = wicked) but staying positive & having fun.”

Meanwhile, RadarOnline.com was the first to write about Judd’s unusual appearance which was allegedly caused by too much dermal fillers such as Restylane and Juvederm.  However, many doctors came to her rescue saying that steroids and bouts of sinus infection can trigger swelling especially in the face.

And with three weeks of having sinus infection and “two rounds of drugs,” it is not uncommon to have some swelling in the cheeks.

Many people are also not convinced by rumors of celebrity plastic surgery because the actress has apparently gained some weight—something which may also lead to “chubby cheeks.”

Perhaps the rumors of plastic surgery was based on assumption that Judd has joined the bandwagon of celebrities with “pillow face,” which is a term used by doctors describing over-plump faces due to excessive use of dermal fillers like Restylane and Sculptra, leading to a very unnatural appearance.

Because of having a pillow face, celebrities like Madonna, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Pamela Anderson, and Courtney Love were once dubbed as “cheeky girls,” which is some kind of derision.

Why Plastic Surgery Focuses on Beauty and Youth

In modern society, beauty and youth are the most sought-after physical attributes, which have resulted in an upswing in cosmetic plastic surgery.  In fact, this sector is continuously growing in the US over the past couple of years even if medical spending has slowed down.

Our brains are hardwired to prefer symmetric face and body, which is a universal definition of beauty, because it often connotes health and virility, which are important for any species to spread its genes.

Since the latter half of the 20^th Century, the US society has been more focused on physical improvements to the extent that beauty and youth have somewhat turned into a new indicator of social worth.  This trend is different from many Eastern societies where age is concurrent with higher social status, respect, and prestige.

However, the quest for beauty is an age-old story that even literature has depicted women from ancient civilizations using vegetables dyes to color their faces, hair adornments, and clothing to enhance their appearance.  For this reason, it would be safe to surmise that our desire for physical improvements is purely a human nature and deeply ingrained into who and what we are.

Going back to plastic surgery, the trend nowadays is facial rejuvenations such as facelift, Botox injection, and dermal fillers—procedures that aim to make the face look youthful. 

According to a 1994 study, older women are mostly concerned with their face, which is why facelift and Botox injection are popular among them; while younger ones are more preoccupied with their body, which is why liposuction, breast augmentation, and other body contouring procedures are popular among this age group.

Nowadays, modern society—or at least in the US—physical signs of aging are somewhat seen as something which must be minimized or even eradicated; rather than being treated as completely natural and inevitable.

Employment is arguably the primary reason for the growing popularity of cosmetic plastic surgery.  In fact, it is not uncommon for aging American workers to seek facelift, dermal fillers, and Botox injection believing that looking youthful would make them appear competitive against younger workers.

Some economists and even plastic surgeons believe that the condition of job market to some degree affects the plastic surgery trends.  Because of insecurity and fear of appearing old and “incompetent,” Botox injection, chemical peels to remove wrinkles and age spots, and dermal filler treatments had skyrocketed during the recent economic slowdown.