Is it in the genes or the injections? These stars just aren't who they used to be

Changing faces ... Megan Fox, Jackie Stallone and Heidi Montag

SIMON Cowell has caused a stir with his ballooning bonce – but he’s just the latest in a long line of celebrities hell-bent on defying the ageing process.

The X Factor mogul – who’s confessed to having Botox twice a year – sported a puffy face when he appeared on Jay Leno’s US chat show earlier this week.
Whether his swollen chops improve the 53-year-old’s appearance is open to debate, but many have tried and failed – and then tried again and failed some more.
However, stars wouldn’t seek cosmetic assistance in the first place if there weren’t enough proven successes to instil them with the confidence to hand over their credit cards.
While Jocelyn Wildenstein – aka the Bride of Wildenstein or Catwoman – has become the poster girl for anti-surgery campaigns, the likes of Kylie Minogue, Katie Price and Nicole Kidman have all wisely adopted a moderate approach after reportedly embracing Botox.
Here’s a rundown of ten stars who have undergone startling transformations, for better or for worse...

PETE BURNS

The puff daddy ... Pete Burns, then and now

Eccentric Pete burst on to the scene singing Dead Or Alive’s chart-topper You Spin Me Round (Like A Record) in 1984.
Ironically, after years of facial augmentation, Pete has ended up looking somewhere between dead and alive.
In 2007, the star revealed he was suing his plastic surgeon for “wrecking his career and life” over a botched attempt to remove lip implants.
He went on to win £450,000 in damages from Dr Maurizio Viel in a 2009 out-of-court settlement.
Despite undergoing procedures maiming him to the extent he thought his face would “fall off”, Pete is still a regular in the operating room.

LESLIE ASH

Pout trauma ... Leslie Ash

The words "trout pout" have become synonymous with the former Men Behaving Badly actress.
To celebrate turning 40 in 2000, Leslie decided to treat herself to a pair of plumper lips.
It was the second time she had sought the services of her mum’s plastic surgeon pal – only on this occasion Leslie was injected with liquid silicone that set around her muscles, making it impossible for doctors to remove.
She had the injections at the family friend’s flat, meaning she had no legal comeback – and her lips remain abnormally large to this day.
Recalling her horror, she explained in 2009: “I felt absolutely stupid that I could have destroyed myself like that so easily.
“It took a while before I could talk about it.”

BARRY MANILOW

Hip singer ... Barry Manilow

The legendary crooner has steadfastly denied he’s gone under the knife – despite rumours he had a complete upper and lower facelift in 2003.
Could It Be Magic, maybe?
Pictures of the 69-year-old in more recent times have added to the speculation, with many experts in the field claiming his fake-looking face is proof that he’s a loyal customer of cosmetic quacks.
In Barry’s defence, the Can’t Smile Without You singer’s famous conk remains unchanged – and he puts his strange appearance down to a bit of Botox and steroid jabs for chronic hip pain.
He said: “They had to keep giving me steroid shots. And steroid shots blow you up. They blow your body up and, most of all, they blow your face up.
“So when I see those pictures with my face blown up, they attributed that to me and bad plastic surgery.”

COURTNEY LOVE

Big surgery spender ... Courtney Love

Getty

Hole rocker Courtney has always been open about her various nips and tucks over the years, including several botched jobs on her nose, breasts and lips.
She’s complained of surgery that left her with a “wonky” mouth and vowed to quit cosmetic enhancement after an encounter with the “freaky” Bride Of Wildenstein.
But that all changed in 2010 when she began paying visits to a New York doctor who performed a new form of surgery on her called the stem cell facelift.
Despite frequent efforts to improve her appearance, Courtney, 48, clearly rues the day she decided to tamper with her mug.
She blogged in 2007: “I just want the mouth God gave me back; it was perfectly cute, and I had nice big lips.”

MEGAN FOX

Transformer ... Megan Fox

Getty/Scope

The 26-year-old actress has staunchly blasted claims she’s had work done – but her transformation from fresh-faced aspiring star to flawless Hollywood vixen can’t be ignored.
After she was ditched from the Transformers franchise, pals of the new mum said the sacking exacerbated Megan’s obsession with flawlessness.
One pal told In Touch mag: “She was terrified that losing Transformers was bad for her career, so she decided to transform herself into what she believed to be beautiful.
“Now she looks like an entirely different person.”
Speculation has also been rife that Megan has had her boobs enhanced, and US plastic surgeon Dr Robert Guida recently estimated she’d had almost £40,000 worth of ops.

HEIDI MONTAG

From beauty to Barbie ... Heidi Montag

The US reality star caused shockwaves when she bid farewell to the stunning natural blonde she used to be – and turned into a busty Barbie girl.
Heidi, 26, infamously underwent ten ops in one sitting in 2009 and soon revealed she wanted more – despite insisting she’s not hooked on surgery.
Speaking after her dramatic transformation, she said: “I don't think I am addicted.
“When you're addicted, you have to do it every day, and thank God I don't do it every day. I like to do it all in one day... knock it out.
“It's excruciating, but beauty is pain.”
Volatile Heidi went on to suffer a spectacular meltdown on Twitter, ranting that she’s got no friends.
And she’ll be prone to meltdowns for the rest of her life – every time she falls asleep near a radiator...

JACKIE STALLONE

Supergran ... Jackie Stallone

Wenn/Capital

She may have lips that bear an uncanny resemblance to a rubber ring, but there’s no denying Sylvester Stallone’s mum looks years younger than 90.
Jackie stunned crowds at the Los Angeles premiere of her son’s action flick The Expendables 2 in August when she hit the red carpet in a mini-skirt and face more suited to a 60-year-old.
Experts estimate she’s splashed around £70,000 on her appearance, but not everyone agrees she cuts a sight that’s pleasing on the eye.
Dr Aamer Khan, who runs the Harley Street Skin Clinic, said: “Her arms and legs look fabulous.
“Her skin appears very smooth for her age and her chest is almost flawless, but it’s just such a pity about the face.”

MICKEY ROURKE

Looking swell ... Mickey Rourke

xposure

The Hollywood actor learned a harsh lesson after admitting he “went to the wrong guy” for his plastic surgery.
Once an Eighties heart-throb, Mickey re-emerged from his movie hiatus midway through the Noughties looking puffy and a far cry from his former self.
No doubt his dalliance with boxing during his extended career break didn’t help.
Mickey claims he underwent the knife to correct the damage done by all the punches he’d taken.
He revealed: “I had my nose broken twice. I had five operations on my nose and one on a smashed cheekbone.
“I had to have cartilage taken from my ear to rebuild my nose and a couple of operations to scrape out the cartilage because the scar tissue wasn't healing properly.
“That was one of the most painful operations, but the worst was haemorrhoids.”

JOAN RIVERS

Lifted ... Joan Rivers

The sharp-tongued comedienne is fast approaching 750.
That figure would surprise few if it referred to her age, but it’s actually the number of plastic surgeries she’s (nearly) had done.
Though she finds smiling and performing any kind of facial expression a struggle, Joan’s heavily enhanced face defies her 79 years.
Recalling the beginning of her relationship with cosmetic ops, she said: “I used to have a friend who was a plastic surgeon... so, like, every two years, we'd do a tune-up... fix this, fix that.
“So it's been a lot, but it's never been like, 'Facelift!' – if that makes any sense.”

DEMI MOORE

Turning back the clock ... Demi Moore

There aren’t too many 49-year-olds at risk of being asked for ID at an over-30s club night.
But with her toned body and wrinkle-free face, actress Demi could pass for someone half her age.
Despite endless rumours she’s spent a fortune on surgery, the star insisted in 2009: “It's completely false - I've never had it done. But I would never judge those who have.
“I don't like the idea of having an operation to hold up the ageing process - it's a way to combat your neurosis. The scalpel won't make you happy.”
She must have a fountain of youth in her back garden that she drinks from...