Marc Jacobs shared the immediate aftermath of his facelift on social media because he does not “want to live [his] life with shame”.
In a post to his Instagram earlier this month, the fashion designer gave his followers a glimpse of his face post-procedure.
The photograph showed him dressed in black and white pyjamas, with his entire head wrapped in gauze and drainage bags with fluid and blood on each side of his ears.
Speaking to Vogue, the 58-year-old said he hadn’t thought twice about whether or not he should share his facelift because he has always been transparent about his cosmetic procedures.
In 2010, the designer attended the 2010 Met Gala after-party wearing a baseball cap. When asked why he was wearing the hat, he told people he had just had a hair transplant.
“People were amused and amazed that I answered. But, honestly, what’s the difference? I don’t even see it as an effort to be transparent.
“I’m doing what I normally do, which is living my life and sharing it with anybody who is interested,” he said.
He added: “I don’t want to live my life with shame, you know? I find that the way I do that is by being open, transparent, and honest about things. Yes, I’m vain. I find there is no shame in being vain.”
The designer revealed that he had decided to get a facelift after years of Botox, fillers, and thread lifts – a procedure where medical-grade thread material is inserted into the face and tightened to lift the skin – were no longer as effective.
Speaking on the beauty standards set by social media and Hollywood, Jacobs said that while “transparency, disclosure and honesty” have become much more important in other parts of society, there is still a sense of shame associated with vanity.
“You know, we all have filters on our phones. We all retouch and filter our pictures. That’s the world we live in,” he said. “It’s like this thing we do because the audience wants it, but the audience wants it because we do it. So it’s this funny little circle.”
He said he finds it “crazy” when an actor or other public figure denies having undergone a cosmetic procedure.
“And they say like, ‘Oh, it’s olive oil, I bathe in seltzer’. It’s like, come on. Like all those things might be true, but they’re not why your neck is tight,” he added.
