What Happened to Demi Moore’s Face? Not Buccal Fat Pad Removal According to Dr. Zelken. A Lip Lift?

Ms. Demi Moore- America’s sweetheart for sure, and a woman who is aging gracefully, has recently gained attention for alarming photographs on the runway of a fashion show. She looks more gaunt than typical, leading many Internet sleuths and pseudo-experts to offer unfounded and unfiltered opinions about what may have happened. It is always interesting to study other’s opinions, but I am compelled to speak up because nobody seems to have gotten it right. First thing’s first, we need to establish a diagnosis. Ms. Moore appears, at least in a certain light, to have a cross-cheek depression, sometimes called a “Joker” deformity.

Many people feel that buccal fat pad removal has caused a noticeable shadow below her cheekbone and at the corners of her mouth. However, as I suggest in this video, Ms. Moore may have had buccal fat pad removal years ago, because prior to her most recent pictures, she has a noticeable hollow below her cheekbone and above her jawline signifying that she never had buccal fat pad excess. Indeed, bichectomy is very popular amongst actors and models alike. Whether or not this woman has had previous buccal fat pad removal has yet to be determined and no one needs to know. However, buccal fat pad removal did not cause her most recent appearance on that runway show. But assuming she has had it at some point, it may have predisposed her.

The “Joker deformity”, also known as a cross-cheek depression is a telltale sign of a facelift. Dr. Lambros and Dr. Stuzin described this years ago, and I wonder why nobody else has mentioned it is discussing Demi Moore’s looks. Of course, it is not really a deformity as many patients go out of their way to achieve this look. From the looks of it, Demi may have had a solid facelift. It is impossible to say whether she had one, but I bet she did. Many of the wrinkles that we see in more recent photos have really gone away. She has an uninterrupted, and possibly augmented, jawline. I am not seeing much for jowls here. She has the fullness in her cheeks and the excellent cheekbone structure that she is so well known for. Unfortunately, a lip lift, her existing buccal hollow, and a facelift, have conspired with her existing anatomic features to create an alarming set of shadows in a certain light.

Let me reiterate we do not know how long it has been, or whether she had something done. In addition, let us be honest: she was prancing down a runway. If you were to prance down a runway with lights cast from above, possibly making a duck face, don’t you think this would exaggerate any pre-existing features or shadows that occurred? To better understand the nature and extent of the so-called deformity of Demi Moore’s face, we need to see more pictures, in different sets of lighting, and over a long time period. Then, and only then, could internet sleuths and pseudo-experts make more educated speculations about whether Ms. Moore had something done to her face, and what in fact was done. Again, she has lost a lot of weight, she is aging, and she does appear gaunt. She has been through quite a bit lately.

But this is not simply because she had buccal fat pad removal, I am sure of that. It is more likely the result of a weight loss, aging, bad lighting, and an unfortunately timed snapshot. Even worse, maybe we are studying an image doctored for the sake of a tabloid’s bounty.

If this so-called “joker deformity” looks familiar to you, and your loved one are interested in correcting it, autologous fat transfer or even filler injections are typically enough to correct many of the issues. Of course, a well-designed facelift operation could prevent this from occurring in the first place. If you are interested in a facelift and are worried this may occur, an easy way of telling is to put two fingers on your cheek and jawbone and pull them back. If this gives you the appearance of a joker deformity, it is something to mention to your board-certified plastic surgeon. Thoughtful fat injection at the time of surgery in the mid face can prevent this from happening. If you have had a facelift and wished to have this addressed, we can correct it with hyaluronic acid fillers, Sculptra, or autologous fat. In many cases, you do not need to go back to the operating room to fix this. If you have any other questions do not hesitate to email or ask here.