TV Guide
February 22, 2003
Extreme Nightmare
Catherine Hickland And The Naked Truth
Considering a tummy tuck? A chin implant? A nose job? If so, Catherine Hickland -- who stars as sexy crackpot Lindsay Rappaport on ABC’s One Life to Live -- wants to spare you some grief. The actress has joined forces with Dr. Garth Fisher, who performed the cosmetics surgeries in the hit ABC reality special Extreme Makeover, to market a five-part home video series called “The Naked Truth About Plastic Surgery.” Hosted by Hickland, each of the straight-shooting, blow-by-blow tapes (available for $29.95 at www.nakedtruth.com) covers a specific type of enhancement, ranging from Botox and facelifts to liposuction and – a subject the suds queen knows only too well – breast augmentation.
In 1988, Hickland underwent what she presumed was a simple breast lift, only to find her bust size had increased from 34C to 36DD. “My breasts had been a fine, perfectly acceptable size, and all I wanted was for them to go north – instead I got the body of my doctor’s dreams,” says Hickland, 47, who blamed herself for not being better informed or asking more questions. She spent the next several years in physical and emotional agony: “I looked ridiculous. My new boobs brought me attention I didn’t want or need, but the surgery had been so painful I was scared to death to fix the problem.”
Until 1997, that is, when Hickland realized she “couldn’t stand the live in someone else’s body for even one more day.” After doing extensive research, she met with Fisher, who reconstructed her breasts to their previous size. But she took a pass on the lift she’d initially wanted. “I was so grateful to get back my self-esteem I didn’t care which was I was pointing,” Hickland cracks. “My mistake cost me $21,000. Now I solve the problem with an $18 Wonderbra.”
Fisher, who’s star in a six-part Extreme Makeover sequel premiering April 4, says the tapes will “revolutionize the consultation process. They arm you with the facts that you need to find the right doctor and ask the right questions.” Adds Hickland, who is taking no fee for her participation: “I am not against plastic surgery, but I want people to make smart decisions. I don’t want anyone feeling the shame I felt.”
