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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

I really do not like DH new look after having cosmetic surgery!

161 replies

cinnamontroll · 01/11/2025 13:01

I’ve been married to DH for 22 yrs. We have a pretty good marriage overall I think.
3 years ago he lost a significant amount of weight (215lbs) and he looks absolutely fantastic and is in great health now. He has been approved for skin removal surgery on the NHS but they are only doing chest and arms (which is fair I think) as it’s not considered cosmetic.
He wanted to also have an upper and lower blepharoplasty on his eyes. He said it bothered him and made him look older than he was. I said I understand and wanted him to feel better about himself as he’s worked tremendously hard living a ketogenic lifestyle and I’m proud of him for this.

Last month he went abroad to have the procedure done and now it’s about 4 weeks later I have to say I hate the way it’s changed his whole eye look! He looks like he’s always staring so intensely now and it stresses me out as they just are not the same eyes I’ve loved since we were 20yrs old. The surgery itself was done perfectly and the lower blepharoplasty does look good as he has no bags under eyes anymore but the eyelid just so startling to me now. I don’t say much about it as I know he’s happy with the results but it’s so hard to get used to him looking different!
I honestly do not know whether to ever say I don’t like it or not?

To give you an idea, Bradley Cooper has recently had this done to his eyes and he gives the same kind of wide eyed look now too. Many people are commenting on this I’ve seen online and fear people may be also thinking this about him or talking behind his back about it.

AIBU to raise my thoughts about it or should I keep my thoughts about his new look to myself?

OP posts:
Thelankyone · 02/11/2025 08:00

thankgoditssaturday · 01/11/2025 23:27

After having been a nurse in ‘plastics’ for a few years ( 20 years ago) I would say people are mentally ill if they get plastic surgery ( as a poster did say here) but I did come to think there were many who were very insecure and lacking in confidence or coerced by family or partners. I had certain patients asking me 30 mins post op how they looked. I saw partners trying to influence the surgeons decision about breast sizes, mothers coaxing daughters to have larger breast sizes. In the end I had enough as I found it pretty depressing and sickening. I can think of a smaller percentage where the individuals had a real need; breast reductions, deviated septum’s. I came away glad that Im happy to age warts and all.

That is the craziest thing I’ve ever read. Plenty of people get plastic surgery for very valid reasons, be they chin enhancement, nose correction etc. and I don’t beleive for one moment you were a nurse who both sat in the consulting room where size was discussed and then also were post operative too.

thankgoditssaturday · 02/11/2025 07:18

@minishiteboardyou obviously didn’t read my post properly!

minishiteboard · 02/11/2025 03:44

thankgoditssaturday · 01/11/2025 23:27

After having been a nurse in ‘plastics’ for a few years ( 20 years ago) I would say people are mentally ill if they get plastic surgery ( as a poster did say here) but I did come to think there were many who were very insecure and lacking in confidence or coerced by family or partners. I had certain patients asking me 30 mins post op how they looked. I saw partners trying to influence the surgeons decision about breast sizes, mothers coaxing daughters to have larger breast sizes. In the end I had enough as I found it pretty depressing and sickening. I can think of a smaller percentage where the individuals had a real need; breast reductions, deviated septum’s. I came away glad that Im happy to age warts and all.

People are ill if they get plastic surgery? You are nuts.

thankgoditssaturday · 01/11/2025 23:27

After having been a nurse in ‘plastics’ for a few years ( 20 years ago) I would say people are mentally ill if they get plastic surgery ( as a poster did say here) but I did come to think there were many who were very insecure and lacking in confidence or coerced by family or partners. I had certain patients asking me 30 mins post op how they looked. I saw partners trying to influence the surgeons decision about breast sizes, mothers coaxing daughters to have larger breast sizes. In the end I had enough as I found it pretty depressing and sickening. I can think of a smaller percentage where the individuals had a real need; breast reductions, deviated septum’s. I came away glad that Im happy to age warts and all.

Gettingbysomehow · 01/11/2025 23:07

CoolFineDoneWicked · 01/11/2025 13:52

They look weird on everyone.

Yes they do.

CocoRats · 01/11/2025 20:18

Bradley Cooper is beautiful not helpful sorry

nixon1976 · 01/11/2025 18:24

shhblackbag · 01/11/2025 13:12

I just looked up Cooper. Don't blame you. You'll get used to it, and I wouldn't say anything. But I do understand.

Me too. Sorry, he looks terrible.

Lovelyview · 01/11/2025 17:31

I think you can't say anything op but I know exactly why you don't like it. I'm 58 and I love characterful faces. I'm sad that trying to iron out blemishes is giving people uncanny, stretched out, plumped up faces. I really like mine and my husband's wrinkles although I have always taken care of my skin. I even like the scar on my chin from when I came off my bike. It feels like my history and personality is in my face. Hopefully your husband's face will relax a bit and you'll get used to it.

party4you · 01/11/2025 17:28

BerryTwister · 01/11/2025 16:16

@Otterdrunk and yet we’re constantly told they can’t get on the housing ladder because it’s too expensive. But they pay thousands for unnecessary surgery, they pay someone else to paint their nails, they spend £8 on a fancy coffee if they’re out for more than 10 minutes, and they can’t survive with fewer than 500 TV channels!

What the fuck 🤣 where did you get all that from? You’ve got a great imagination.

Charliede1182 · 01/11/2025 17:26

I think the time to express negative sentiment about it is BEFORE the procedure.

There is sweet fanny adams he can do about it now, so saying you don't like it is only going to cause hurt and not achieve anything positive.

Obviously if he is considering having anything else done then by all means express your views on that.

Ultimately though if someone is unhappy with their appearance then it is their right to deal with it in the way that makes them happy, and as long as it has then I would let it be.

I had a boyfriend in my 20s who didn't want me to have a breast reduction. I chucked him!

party4you · 01/11/2025 17:26

JamieCannister · 01/11/2025 14:05

This is precisely why cosmetic surgery should be illegal except for rectifying genuine defects in situations where making things worse is impossible. eg removing a large growth or pinning back ears.

Why do you think people can’t make their own informed choices? OP may not like it but her husband might. I imagine as with everything it’ll settle with time and ageing.

susiedaisy1912 · 01/11/2025 17:14

Catpiece · 01/11/2025 16:16

Does he look permanently surprised?

He shouldn’t do as it doesn’t lift the brow it just cuts out excess skin over the eyelid.

iloveeverykindofcat · 01/11/2025 16:50

JamieCannister · 01/11/2025 14:05

This is precisely why cosmetic surgery should be illegal except for rectifying genuine defects in situations where making things worse is impossible. eg removing a large growth or pinning back ears.

This doesn't make sense. Where do you draw the line between defect and normal variation? Especially in the case of something like ear pinning. Wherever you draw the line, you just push the next x percentiles of variation into the "defect" category. I had this conversation once with a doctor friend - there are/were some doctors who believe its acceptable to give the shortest boys growth hormones for 'social reasons'. They aren't short due to a health condition, they're just at the extreme end of height distribution. So say you push up the bottom two percentiles of 'normal' height. Now a new set of people are the shortest.

Lookinginthelibrary · 01/11/2025 16:47

The only thing to say is you looked lovely before and you look lovely now, unconditional.
Surgery is the wrong answer to the question of low self worth.

And aargh, my upper eyelids are really affecting my vision now, I had just about talked myself into having the upper bleph, I have so much eye strain. Now this thread has blown that plan out of the water, because my problem is that I am too vain to have people know I have had it done. And I don't want to look different.

TheZanyZebra · 01/11/2025 16:45

JamieCannister · 01/11/2025 16:15

Do you think I should be able to have my spine cut if I decide I wish to become wheelchair-bound? If not way not.

yes, that's exactly the same. Making your nose a bit smaller, getting firmer boobs, reducing your wrinkles to look your age and not 10 or more years older, looking the best you possibly can- the way you die your hair, whiten your teeth, generally take care of yourself

It's absolutely the same as self-mutilation and becoming an invalid.

Thelankyone · 01/11/2025 16:35

JamieCannister · 01/11/2025 16:15

Do you think I should be able to have my spine cut if I decide I wish to become wheelchair-bound? If not way not.

What a horrific thing to write. I mean I understand some people can’t take it if someone disagrees with them but this is so extreme.

Thelankyone · 01/11/2025 16:33

JohnTheRevelator · 01/11/2025 16:32

Is a blepharoplasty what Simon Cowell has had done? I've always thought he looks a bit odd since then.

He’s had upper eyelid surgery, Simon has had a lot of work. Like a lot.

JohnTheRevelator · 01/11/2025 16:32

Is a blepharoplasty what Simon Cowell has had done? I've always thought he looks a bit odd since then.

Wednesdaysone · 01/11/2025 16:30

Wrong thread sorry

BerryTwister · 01/11/2025 16:20

TorroFerney · 01/11/2025 16:15

that's interesting, I have just had an upper bleph but because the skin was obscuring my eyesight. I can't imagine having it done if I didn't have loads of loose skin, it must feel really tight.

I don't wear much make up at all though - I wonder if people think I look weird.

@TorroFerney a friend of mine that this done. Her upper eyelids were drooping so much it blocked her upper visual field. She had proper corrective surgery done. She still looked like herself and her age, but without such drooping eyelids. It was nothing like the crazy cosmetic stuff people seem to have.

Gowlett · 01/11/2025 16:20

Eye surgery is so obvious. It changes your looks.
Mel B. Gwyneth Paltrow. Now Bradley Cooper…

You’ll just have to think of it as new version of him.
Like we all eventually got used to the new Renee Z.

BerryTwister · 01/11/2025 16:16

Otterdrunk · 01/11/2025 16:11

I do think cosmetic surgery is being so normalised by social media that “upper bleph” & “deep plane facelift” will become part & parcel of ordinary ageing for our younger generations if we’re not careful.

@Otterdrunk and yet we’re constantly told they can’t get on the housing ladder because it’s too expensive. But they pay thousands for unnecessary surgery, they pay someone else to paint their nails, they spend £8 on a fancy coffee if they’re out for more than 10 minutes, and they can’t survive with fewer than 500 TV channels!

WonderlandWasAllAHoax · 01/11/2025 16:16

JamieCannister · 01/11/2025 16:15

Do you think I should be able to have my spine cut if I decide I wish to become wheelchair-bound? If not way not.

Why not, if you're willing to pay for all the associated costs?

Catpiece · 01/11/2025 16:16

Does he look permanently surprised?

JamieCannister · 01/11/2025 16:15

WonderlandWasAllAHoax · 01/11/2025 16:10

That's for the individual to decide - it should be absolutely nothing to do with the law or anyone else.

Do you think I should be able to have my spine cut if I decide I wish to become wheelchair-bound? If not way not.