Politicians are leading more than the government — they’re also inspiring cosmetic procedures.
Board-certified plastic surgeon Dr. Norman Rowe, who practices in Manhattan, the Hamptons and Palm Beach, opened his office in Florida after the pandemic — but it was about six months ago that he really “saw the big difference,” he told the Daily Mail.
“That’s when it just exploded.”
Dr. Mark Epstein, a dual-board-certified surgeon in New York City, said he first experienced a sudden surge in business in late summer last year — a time that would typically be his “slow season” — when support for Trump swelled after the failed attempt on his life.
“I noticed things were really starting to pick up … And what I was getting a sense is, is that there was a sudden change in consumer confidence, I have no other way to explain it,” Epstein, who owns Oceane Medical Aesthetics and Wellness in Hauppauge, previously told The Post.
Although consumer confidence has been shaken with talks of a possible looming recession, cosmetic procedure trends haven’t taken a hit. The procedures have been on the rise for years — but experts note a specific shift from clients idealizing celebrities to referencing politicians.
Take a stroll through the upscale enclaves of Palm Beach or drop in on a soirée at Mar-a-Lago, and one thing becomes unmistakably clear: some people are starting to look remarkably similar.
“You go to Everglades Club in Palm Beach, you go to The Breakers, you’re going to find that group of people who are put together. They take care of themselves. They want to look good,” Rowe said.
“It’s a very outdoor-oriented lifestyle and it’s always warm, so you can’t layer up and cover up with a turtleneck sweater.”
Forget “Instagram Face” — everyone now has “Mar-a-Lago Face,” a curated blend of full lips, chiseled cheekbones, wide eyes, and smooth, taut foreheads that never wrinkle in worry.
Rowe said his Palm Beach office now sees up to 15 people a day, mostly chasing the same look: Ivanka Trump’s face.
But he has to manage expectations.
“If they say, ‘I like her lips,’ I can give you the lips, or the nose, but you have to have something to work with,” Rowe explained. “If someone comes in, and they’re 4-foot-11, 200 pounds, that’s obviously not happening.”
U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem is another popular request, according to Rowe, who said his older clients think she looks “wonderful.”
But even among Mar-a-Lago’s ultra-contoured elite, there are levels.
Kimberly Guilfoyle, ambassador to Greece and ex-fiancée of Donald Trump Jr., is cited as one of the more aggressively enhanced examples, with overinflated lips and incredibly sharp features. But Rowe doesn’t believe she’s gone under the knife — just an avalanche of filler.
Cosmetic procedures can range from Botox and fillers to jaw and chin implants, as well as increasingly popular thread lifts — a less invasive alternative to a traditional facelift that offers a perked appearance with minimal downtime.
Although they do make up about 75% of his appointments, it’s not just women sitting in Rowe’s waiting room.
Men are also entering the aesthetic arena, especially as political campaigns heat up.
Former Rep. Matt Gaetz, for instance, sparked speculation last year after showing up at the Republican National Convention with a dramatically tighter “Whoville” face and perpetually arched brows.
Rowe said he’s seen a surge in male clients — many of them politicians or aspiring public figures — seeking quick, effective treatments to freshen up for TV appearances and events.
“I had people coming in for pretty aggressive lasering and things like that,” he said. “As we got closer to Jan. 20, people wanted less and less done, but they wanted to look great for inauguration; all the parties were at that time.”
He recalled that people would tell him, “I want to look better. I’m going to be on TV. I’m going to be next to Trump in the Oval Office.”
Rowe did note that although people would be standing next to Trump’s face, no one has requested to replicate it.
And while clients may be skimping on the crow’s feet, they’re not pulling back on the bills.
A face-lift can cost up to six figures. A round of Botox at Rowe’s office ranges from $500 to $3,000, and filler from $500 to $5,000, depending on how much is injected.
And these aren’t one-time procedures.
Botox typically lasts about three to four months, while lip filler should be touched up every six to 12 months. Some older, dedicated beauty queens are even re-upping their facelifts.
“I am seeing a lot of patients in their late 50s and early 60s coming in for second facelifts,” Upper East Side facial plastic surgeon Dr. Sean Alemi previously told The Post. “I would say this is up 30% since a year ago.’’
Read the full article here
