Sia got liposuction. Who cares? Actually, a lot of people. Here's why.
Australian singer Sia, known for covering half of her face with lavish wigs during performances, revealed on social media Saturday that she underwent a liposuction procedure. A medication caused her to gain weight that she couldn’t lose by altering her diet or exercise habits, or taking other medications, she said.
“Had to take a medication that made me put on a lot of weight that I just can’t shift with exercise or thyroid meds so I went in for lipo today,” Sia posted. “Please know that I am so lucky to have the resources to change the way I look and that when you see me looking crazy foxy again that I want you to know it did not come from diet and exercise.”
Sia acknowledged that she’s “insecure like most people” and that fame gives her anxiety. After all, she covered her face with wigs because she was “worried about being ugly,” and wanted to avoid publicity.
Altering her appearance, she said, is her way to address her “confidence issues” and feel better about herself. In October, Sia revealed that she got a face lift while presenting an award at the 2023 Daytime Beauty Awards in Los Angeles.
“Transparency is beautiful. Self-care takes many shapes,” one person commented on Sia’s post. “Safe ways & amounts of altering appearances to help self-confidence are never shameful. One of the many reasons I admire you!”
Experts agree that plastic surgery and other cosmetic procedures are nothing to be ashamed about, and that transparency among celebrities is critical to help dismantle historic albeit unhealthy beauty norms. Embracing such vulnerability reminds people, particularly young girls, that they weren’t supposed to be born with the fuller lips or chiseled jaw lines they see in the media.
“I want to be truthful about all of my procedures,” Sia wrote, “so I don’t contribute to the system that tells us we aren’t enough.”
Other celebrities have adopted similar goals. Actor Kaley Cuoco, was lauded for openly discussing her plastic surgeries, and Dolly Parton famously said "if something is bagging, sagging or dragging, I'll tuck it, suck it or pluck it."
The harms in celebrities lying about cosmetic procedures
When celebrities conceal the fact they had work done on their bodies, they deceive people into thinking that certain aesthetic features can be obtained naturally.
"Many celebrities look good naturally, but many also have work done. And when they're not honest about it, I think they're being unethical because they're in the spotlight,” Dr. Daniel Barrett, a plastic surgeon in Beverly Hills, previously told USA TODAY – unlike average people who can benefit from and take advantage of keeping their body alterations private.
“They… have a moral obligation to be transparent about anything they've had done that helps them achieve a certain look," Barrett said.
The consequences of this deception on mental and physical health can be detrimental and long lasting, experts say.
"The psychological pressure to meet societal beauty standards can be difficult to manage, especially because it can leave you feeling like you're never good enough," Naomi Torres-Mackie, a clinical psychologist and head of research at the Mental Health Coalition, previously told USA TODAY. The pressure to be perfect can also contribute to disordered eating, experts say.
Torres-Mackie calls these beauty comparisons "a rigged race that's unwinnable,” adding that it’s still the norm to “hide all imperfections at any cost” despite the push for body positivity.
Research shows that people who “worship” celebrities are more likely to struggle with depression and anxiety, be concerned about their body image and gravitate toward cosmetic surgery to meet beauty standards.
Its equally as important to discuss when cosmetic procedures go wrong
In 2021, Sia said she had liposuction on her “double chin” twice during a 2021 interview with Dr. Gabor Maté. The “double chin” actually consisted of muscles she used to sing. Sia also said that she had liposuction on her stomach that “went wrong.”
“It looks like someone threw a hammer into my guts,” Sia said. “I did that to myself because I was insecure… the lengths we go to in this industry is pretty phenomenal.”
Dr. Troy Pittman, a Washington D.C.-based plastic surgeon, said raising awareness about the normality of cosmetic procedures and the reality that they can sometimes go wrong is important. Doing so paints a realistic picture of the risks associated with plastic surgery, injections and other procedures.
In a 2022 American Society of Plastic Surgeons article, Pittman praised Amy Schumer for opening up about her liposuction procedure after she had surgery to treat endometriosis.
"Amy Schumer had a great experience, and she did something she never thought she was going to do,” Pittman said, “and that raises awareness just as much as Linda Evangelista sharing her horrible experience with body shaping devices.”
Comparing your looks to others? Try these tips
While admitting to cosmetic work requires vulnerability, experts say that doing so can help others feel better about natural features they’re concerned don’t meet beauty standards.
It can be tempting to compare yourself to seemingly perfect celebrities or influencers, but Torres-Mackie said it’s healthier to separate who you are from what you or others look like.
"In a culture where a lot of value is placed on appearance, it takes a lot of effort to distance yourself from that," she said. "Consider unfollowing social media accounts that leave you feeling bad. Be mindful as you scroll about which accounts leave you feeling good and which leave you second guessing your own value. Unfollowing those is a way of practicing trigger elimination."
More:Celebrities often deny, keep quiet about their plastic surgery. Why that's problematic.