The real life Barbie & Ken
Man sets out to buy 'perfect face'
A 32-year-old man from Staffordshire has set up a website in order to find sponsors to fund his quest for a perfect male face.
Tim Whitfield-Lyne, who is unemployed, estimates he will need at least £20,000 to realise his dream.
But one plastic surgery expert has said seeking to attain model looks is "ill-advised".
Mr Whitfield-Lyne, who insists he is not mentally ill, said anyone who did sponsor him would be able to have a say in how his face was changed.
He is also willing to have his surgery filmed for a TV documentary.
Mr Whitfield-Lyne, a former public schoolboy, said: "I am happy with myself as an individual but I'm not happy with the exterior of my face when I look in the mirror.
"I want to restructure my face rather than keep the one that nature gave me.
"We all have choices in this world, and mine, as a unique individual, is to alter my appearance."
He added: "I am not mentally unstable or have major insecurity issues. The question is can surgery turn an average looking guy into someone with male model looks?"
'Ill-advised'
Mr Nicholas Parkhouse, a consultant plastic surgeon and spokesman for the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons, told BBC News Online: "Plastic surgery in a quest for perfection based on models and film stars is ill-advised.
"The results are disappointing at best and at worst can result in devastating surgical damage and complications which may be very difficult to put right"
Dr Priscilla Choi, British Psychology Society chartered health psychologist said: "In society, we have a very large emphasis on physical appearance - that's very, very important.
"I don't see how the choice [of having cosmetic surgery] can't be available, given that we have got the technology and the knowledge about how to do it.
But Dr Choi, from Keele University added: "It's quite an extreme thing to do, and it's a shame that people feel they are not happy enough with what they look like."
Becoming Barbie: Living Dolls
Real Life Couple Are Models Of Plastic Perfection
For millions of little girls, the Barbie doll has been the pinnacle of plastic perfection for more than 40 years.
“I think a lot of little 6-year-old girls or younger even now are looking at that doll and thinking, ‘I want to be her.’ And it’s something they grow out of,” says Cindy Jackson, 48, who admits that she never outgrew her obsession with becoming Barbie.
“I looked at a Barbie doll when I was 6 and said, ‘This is what I want to look like.’”
Cindy wasn’t born with good looks. She bought them. And along the way, she’s bought a lot of attention to her odd goal of becoming a living doll. .
“This is who I’d like to be,” says Cindy. “This is glamorous.”
Cindy grew up a farm girl in Fremont, Ohio. “I wasn’t that good looking. And my sister was really, really a pretty girl,” recalls Cindy. “She was breathtaking. And everyone used to talk to her more and smile at her more and notice her first.”
But Cindy says she had a lot going for her, even with her old looks: “I was recognized as being highly intelligent when I was a child. I was never shy. I was never lazy. And I was never lacking in ambition.”
At 21, Cindy packed up her things and moved to London, where she went through a lot of changes – including a short career as a punk rocker. Finally, at 33, she began the grand transformation.
“I just wanted to look better,” says Cindy. “Barbie was the blank canvas I filled in all those years ago. It was still my role model.”
Cindy didn’t have any of Barbie’s looks, but she did have some money, which she inherited. It was enough to begin the surgeries that made her as plastic as her role model.
“I had laser surgery on my forehead,” says Cindy. “I’ve had upper eyes done, lower eyes done twice. Cheek implants, nose job – two nose jobs.”
She also had four facelifts, a chin reduction, several chemical peels, and more.
“My upper lift has been cut and rolled upwards to shorten the gap between my nose and mouth,” adds Cindy. “My eyebrows, eyeliner and lip liner and the full lipstick is tattooed on.”
It took 31 operations and 14 years, but Cindy’s strange passion for plastic surgery got her a new look -- and a spot in the Guinness Book of World Records.
How much did all that surgery cost? “About $100,000,” says Cindy. “But I did get quality discounts.”
And that doesn’t include maintenance. For instance, her lips will not permanently stay pouty. They’ll have to be re-inflated every few months.
“How much of the problem with your old looks do you think was a perception problem in yourself,” Schlesinger asks Cindy.
“Absolutely zero,” says Cindy. “It’s not that deep. It’s not that psychological.”
Since Cindy re-invented herself, she has made some snapshot friendships with Ivana Trump, Michael Jackson and Sarah Ferguson. She’s also written a book, which she sells on her own Web site.
She now makes a living becoming a kind of celebrity. But just like a surgeon needs a scalpel, or a tummy needs a tuck, a Barbie needs a Ken. And Cindy got hers soon enough.
Tim Whitfield Line, 36, was a web designer who lived north of London. He saw Cindy on television, and all of a sudden had a new goal in life.
“I wanted to be a male version of her,” says Line.
It didn’t take long. About one year and $50 thousand later, he’s now Miles Kendall -- new name, new face.
“People call me shallow. But I call society shallow. Because they treat me differently now,” says Miles. “…I mean I wanted to look better anyway. I did. Who doesn’t? People like me or Cindy Jackson go a bit further. A lot.”
They’re just perfect, and delighted – and just friends. But whatever went on between Barbie and Ken is not going on here.
But as Barbie and Ken, Cindy and Miles credit their new faces for their new lives. Cindy helped Miles open his new bar, and it’s a goal he says he reached with the help of plastic surgery.
“The point is I’m content inside. I don’t worry about my looks anymore,” says Miles. “I want to concentrate on more important things in my life, which I’m doing now.”
And Cindy, at 48, is also content to be the poster girl for plastic surgery, a plastic image she’s dreamt about becoming since she was 6 years old.
“The surgery was a means to an end. That’s all,” says Cindy. “There are so many people who are being held back by their looks, and if that can help give them a better quality of life and make them happier – what else is more important in life?”
A 32-year-old man from Staffordshire has set up a website in order to find sponsors to fund his quest for a perfect male face.
Tim Whitfield-Lyne, who is unemployed, estimates he will need at least £20,000 to realise his dream.
But one plastic surgery expert has said seeking to attain model looks is "ill-advised".
Mr Whitfield-Lyne, who insists he is not mentally ill, said anyone who did sponsor him would be able to have a say in how his face was changed.
He is also willing to have his surgery filmed for a TV documentary.
Mr Whitfield-Lyne, a former public schoolboy, said: "I am happy with myself as an individual but I'm not happy with the exterior of my face when I look in the mirror.
"I want to restructure my face rather than keep the one that nature gave me.
"We all have choices in this world, and mine, as a unique individual, is to alter my appearance."
He added: "I am not mentally unstable or have major insecurity issues. The question is can surgery turn an average looking guy into someone with male model looks?"
'Ill-advised'
Mr Nicholas Parkhouse, a consultant plastic surgeon and spokesman for the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons, told BBC News Online: "Plastic surgery in a quest for perfection based on models and film stars is ill-advised.
"The results are disappointing at best and at worst can result in devastating surgical damage and complications which may be very difficult to put right"
Dr Priscilla Choi, British Psychology Society chartered health psychologist said: "In society, we have a very large emphasis on physical appearance - that's very, very important.
"I don't see how the choice [of having cosmetic surgery] can't be available, given that we have got the technology and the knowledge about how to do it.
But Dr Choi, from Keele University added: "It's quite an extreme thing to do, and it's a shame that people feel they are not happy enough with what they look like."
Becoming Barbie: Living Dolls
Real Life Couple Are Models Of Plastic Perfection
For millions of little girls, the Barbie doll has been the pinnacle of plastic perfection for more than 40 years.
“I think a lot of little 6-year-old girls or younger even now are looking at that doll and thinking, ‘I want to be her.’ And it’s something they grow out of,” says Cindy Jackson, 48, who admits that she never outgrew her obsession with becoming Barbie.
“I looked at a Barbie doll when I was 6 and said, ‘This is what I want to look like.’”
Cindy wasn’t born with good looks. She bought them. And along the way, she’s bought a lot of attention to her odd goal of becoming a living doll. .
“This is who I’d like to be,” says Cindy. “This is glamorous.”
Cindy grew up a farm girl in Fremont, Ohio. “I wasn’t that good looking. And my sister was really, really a pretty girl,” recalls Cindy. “She was breathtaking. And everyone used to talk to her more and smile at her more and notice her first.”
But Cindy says she had a lot going for her, even with her old looks: “I was recognized as being highly intelligent when I was a child. I was never shy. I was never lazy. And I was never lacking in ambition.”
At 21, Cindy packed up her things and moved to London, where she went through a lot of changes – including a short career as a punk rocker. Finally, at 33, she began the grand transformation.
“I just wanted to look better,” says Cindy. “Barbie was the blank canvas I filled in all those years ago. It was still my role model.”
Cindy didn’t have any of Barbie’s looks, but she did have some money, which she inherited. It was enough to begin the surgeries that made her as plastic as her role model.
“I had laser surgery on my forehead,” says Cindy. “I’ve had upper eyes done, lower eyes done twice. Cheek implants, nose job – two nose jobs.”
She also had four facelifts, a chin reduction, several chemical peels, and more.
“My upper lift has been cut and rolled upwards to shorten the gap between my nose and mouth,” adds Cindy. “My eyebrows, eyeliner and lip liner and the full lipstick is tattooed on.”
It took 31 operations and 14 years, but Cindy’s strange passion for plastic surgery got her a new look -- and a spot in the Guinness Book of World Records.
How much did all that surgery cost? “About $100,000,” says Cindy. “But I did get quality discounts.”
And that doesn’t include maintenance. For instance, her lips will not permanently stay pouty. They’ll have to be re-inflated every few months.
“How much of the problem with your old looks do you think was a perception problem in yourself,” Schlesinger asks Cindy.
“Absolutely zero,” says Cindy. “It’s not that deep. It’s not that psychological.”
Since Cindy re-invented herself, she has made some snapshot friendships with Ivana Trump, Michael Jackson and Sarah Ferguson. She’s also written a book, which she sells on her own Web site.
She now makes a living becoming a kind of celebrity. But just like a surgeon needs a scalpel, or a tummy needs a tuck, a Barbie needs a Ken. And Cindy got hers soon enough.
Tim Whitfield Line, 36, was a web designer who lived north of London. He saw Cindy on television, and all of a sudden had a new goal in life.
“I wanted to be a male version of her,” says Line.
It didn’t take long. About one year and $50 thousand later, he’s now Miles Kendall -- new name, new face.
“People call me shallow. But I call society shallow. Because they treat me differently now,” says Miles. “…I mean I wanted to look better anyway. I did. Who doesn’t? People like me or Cindy Jackson go a bit further. A lot.”
They’re just perfect, and delighted – and just friends. But whatever went on between Barbie and Ken is not going on here.
But as Barbie and Ken, Cindy and Miles credit their new faces for their new lives. Cindy helped Miles open his new bar, and it’s a goal he says he reached with the help of plastic surgery.
“The point is I’m content inside. I don’t worry about my looks anymore,” says Miles. “I want to concentrate on more important things in my life, which I’m doing now.”
And Cindy, at 48, is also content to be the poster girl for plastic surgery, a plastic image she’s dreamt about becoming since she was 6 years old.
“The surgery was a means to an end. That’s all,” says Cindy. “There are so many people who are being held back by their looks, and if that can help give them a better quality of life and make them happier – what else is more important in life?”
Source: cbsnews
What do you think of Cindy and Miles? (google them to put names to faces)
Do you think cosmetic surgery is ever OK?
Would you ever consider cosmetic surgery?
If you could change anything about your face or body, what would you change?
Are there any famous people who look better after plastic surgery? What about examples of surgery gone wrong?
Comments
I’ve read this article and I think we are more and more obsessed with our appearance and our wrinkles. I would consider cosmetic surgery only if I had a physical defect it made me feel so unhappy I couldn’t have a relationship with the others.
A few days ago I’ve seen a movie which Nicole Kidman worked in; I like her very much but in this film she had a strange expression in her face.
See you tomorrow!
I agree.
I think that there are very few celebrities who haven't resorted to the knife nowadays.
I would consider cosmetic surgery only if I had a physical defect WHICH made me feel SO UNHAPPY THAT I couldn’t have a relationship with OTHERS.
A FEW DAYS AGO I SAW a movie which Nicole Kidman STARRED IN; I like her very much but in this film she had a strange expression ON her face.
My 2 cents on the topic.
What do you think of Cindy and Miles? (google them to put names to faces): I think both of them had the balls to improve something of themselves they really cared about – the appearance – without going too extreme. At least until now. Maybe they’re not as shallow as they sound in the articles – all that Barbie & Ken comparisons – or maybe they are indeed, but they took risks in order to get something they wanted. I don’t completely share the goal – I guess I prefer another kind of standard even in just physical beauty - but I understand beauty is important in this material world and at least they were brave enough to go through not so easy processes to get what they wanted.
Do you think cosmetic surgery is ever OK? Yes. I think it’s even necessary in some cases, mostly clinical/medical ones – accidents or some physical congenital damages. But it’s OK for me too if the person feels better with it, from small silly changes to transex surgeries. As far as the person understands the risks involved in surgery and don’t abuse the procedures and would be a personal decision. The problem starts where a person feels that need to change because too much social pressure – advertising or other factors, but as soon as someone wants to improve her/himself because of personal reasons I think it's OK - from their skin to the brains/souls :-)
Would you ever consider cosmetic surgery? Right now the risks involved in surgery don’t compensate me for the benefits, even if some cases of health surgeries. I'm not as brave as Barbie & Ken, probably because I’m too conscious of the percentage of surgeries that end in bad terms or with many long term issues. Or perhaps I don’t care about appearances that much. But for example I do use cosmetics, what it’s basically the same principle but in a smaller version: I dye my hair and use makeup regularly because I like it, as a way to improve and express myself, and because the consequences in case of going wrong at using those products are usually quite small – allergies or a not so perfect hair hue. For me, it’s a thing about how much you pay for it – not in money terms but in case ‘it all went wrong’ ones. It's a question of compromise/sacrifice and balance.
If you could change anything about your face or body, what would you change? Hair colour: it’s something I already do. I feel myself closer to redhead than brunette so I get my hair dyed from time to time, I must admit nowadays in a more conventional way than I used to do when I was young. Sometimes I must have my moles removed but only when they grow too much or change colour – for 'cancer safe' reasons and also for avoiding bigger scars in case they continue growing too much even if they're finally not tumoral ones.
If no health risks at all, I would probably do eye surgery to correct myopia but right now I can still manage with glasses and contact lenses.
Probably if fewer risks and recovery issues involved, I would try a breast reduction both because of cosmetic & health reasons, but this is still a procedure that is not recommended unless extreme cases. I’m also evaluating right now a stomach reduction my doctor suggested – also because of both cosmetic & health reasons – but I'm not convinced.
And who knows, maybe one day I try liposuction and make soap from my own fat after it – as a good Palahniuk fan – but this is closer to fantasy than reality right now ;-)
Are there any famous people who look better after plastic surgery? What about examples of surgery gone wrong?: Better: many of them, from Marilyn Monroe to Elsa Pataky. Great example of subtle but effective plastic surgery.
Gone wrong examples: unfortunately many examples too, from extreme cases – Joan Rivers, to not so extreme but impacting in her skills or public image as Isabelle Adjani or Renee Zellwegger. I agree with Montse: Nicole also went a little bit too far.
And not 'gone bad' examples but hey, I miss so much Redford & Eastwood's wrinkles xD
I have never had a problem with my receding hairline though the thought of going completely bald on top leaves me feeling uneasy. I doubt I would feel the need to get a hair transplant but you never know.
The thing about Cindy and Miles is that they set out to be Barbie and Ken lookalikes. Apparently, Cindy is the most operated woman in the world. In both cases, the result was not worth the eye-watering cost.
... I think both of them had the balls to improve something about themselves they really cared about – the appearance – without going too far / over the top. At least until now. Maybe they’re not as shallow as they sound in the articles – all those Barbie & Ken comparisons – or maybe they are indeed, but they took risks in order to get something they wanted. I don’t completely share their goal – I guess I prefer another kind of standard even in the case of physical beauty - but I understand beauty is important in this material world and at least they were brave enough to go through not so easy processes to get what they wanted.
... - accidents or some physical congenital damage. But it’s OK for me too if the person feels better with it, from small silly changes to transex surgeries. As long as the person understands the risks involved in surgery and doesn’t abuse the procedures and it is a personal decision. The problem starts when a person feels the need to change because of social pressure – advertising or other factors, but as soon as someone wants to improve her/himself because of personal reasons I think it's OK - from their skin to the brains/souls :-)
Would you ever consider cosmetic surgery? Right now the risks involved in surgery don’t outweigh the benefits, even for health reasons. I'm not as brave as Barbie & Ken, probably because I’m too conscious of the percentage of surgeries that turn out badly or with many long term issues. Or perhaps I don’t care about appearances that much. But for example I do use cosmetics, which is basically the same principle but in a smaller way: I dye my hair and use makeup regularly because I like it, as a way of improving and expressing myself, and because the chances of something going wrong because of using those products are usually quite small – allergies or a not so perfect hair hue. ...
... At some point, I must have my moles removed ...
If there are no health risks at all, I would probably have eye surgery to correct myopia but right now I can still manage with glasses and contact lenses.
Probably if there were fewer risks and recovery issues involved, I would try breast reduction for both cosmetic & health reasons, but this is still a procedure that is only recommended in extreme cases. Now, I’m also evaluating a stomach reduction which my doctor suggested – also for both cosmetic & health reasons – but I'm not convinced.
And who knows, maybe one day I'll try liposuction ...
Gone wrong examples: unfortunately many examples too, from extreme cases – Joan Rivers, to not so extreme but impacting on her skills or public image, such as Isabelle Adjani or Renee Zellwegger. I agree with Montse: Nicole also went a little bit too far.
...