Explaining Sandra Bullock 's mystery lump

Celebrity with bad plastic surgery? Cosmetic doctors have many possible explanations for Sandra Bullock’s swollen right cheek.

Photo: Sandra Bullock displayed no swelling at the 2010 Oscars. (Getty Images photo)
Slide show: “Any plastic surgery for Oscar nominees?” (2010)

CELEBRITY PLASTIC SURGERY GONE BAD?

Sandra Bullock on March 25 / Photo courtesy of Zimbio.com

Actress Sandra Bullock, 46, aroused concern and speculation recently when she appeared with a large lump on her right cheek.

She hasn’t discussed her odd appearance, which led some celebrity watchers to conclude that she was a victim of bad plastic surgery, specifically a facelift malfunction.

Speculation has ranged from a wide variety of medical problems to the suggestion that she simply was chewing a wad of nuts or gum when she unwittingly stepped into paparazzi photographers’ line of fire on March 25.

The website Awful Plastic Surgery concluded that Bullock had undergone a “threadlift,” a minimally invasive treatment in which a doctor threads barbed sutures under the skin, attaches them to tissue of the lower face and pulls it upwards.

The procedure was popular in the middle of the last decade, but its popularity declined after many doctors reported problems.

AwfulPlasticSurgery.com said, “Threadlift procedures are minimally invasive, however there can be complications when threads break. Patients are left with an uncomfortable lump that takes a while to disappear. I guess Sandra Bullock will not be seen in public for a few months.”

Whatever the reason for Bullock’s lump, cosmetic doctors’ discussion of the possible causes highlights the many ways plastic surgery can go wrong.

Plastic surgeon Dr. Richard Fleming of Beverly Hills said that a threadlift malfunction was “one of the many possible explanations” for the lump, but he was among only a few doctors accepting that possibility.

Sandra Bullock on March 25 / Photo courtesy of Zimbio.com

“The swelling is over Ms. Bullock’s right parotid salivary gland and appears to be a salivary gland seroma,” a buildup of fluid, said plastic surgeon Dr. Michael Persky of Encino. “This can occur from needles (or ‘threads’) puncturing the parotid gland (not an intended part of the procedure). Looks like Ms. Bullock got ‘blind-sided’ by her physician. There is a reason that ‘thread-lifts’ are generally frowned down upon by the vast majority of facial plastic surgeons.”

Dermatologic surgeon Dr. David Sire of Fullerton, who did threadlifts several years ago, said he had never seen such a serious reaction to the surgery.

Plastic surgeon Dr. Terry Dubrow of Newport Beach and dermatologist Dr. Lorrie Klein of Laguna Niguel agreed.

Klein said, “A threadlift would not leave a lump like that. If it left lumps or bumps they would be small and look like pinched skin.”

Plastic surgeon and blogger Dr. Tony Youn of Michigan said he has been told Bullock was having problems with her salivary glands and was being treated by an ear, nose and throat specialist.

Youn said, “I was sent this photo by a celebrity magazine a couple weeks ago and asked to comment. They said their sources had information that she was having a problem with her parotid [salivary] glands and was being treated by a ENT. Sounds reasonable!”

Dermatologist Dr. Vince Afsahi of Tustin and Newport Beach said, “It could be a foreign-body granuloma — a type of inflammation that occurs when the body rejects a substance placed in the skin. This could be caused by anything from silicone-based fillers to other artificial substances.”

Sandra Bullock on March 31 / Photo courtesy of Zimbio.com

Plastic surgeon Dr. Edward Domanskis of Newport Beach said the lump might conceivably be a sign of a buildup of blood, lymphatic fluid, or even pus after a facial procedure — but he doubted that that was the explanation.

Many doctors said they suspect the photo was digitally altered.

Plastic surgeon Dr. Val Lambros of Newport Beach, for example, said, “99% it’s Photoshop. 1% chance of a parotid tumor infection or blockage.”

In this case, however, digital manipulation of Bullock’s image is unlikely, because so many variations of the same photo exist, shot one after another.

An even simpler explanation is also possible.? Dubrow said the March 25 photos look as though “they photographed her in the middle of a gum chew or eating peanuts.”

A March 31 photo (bottom picture above) suggests that Dubrow might be right.? This may show Bullock’s face after her mouthful of food from March 25 is long gone.

Or perhaps a small lump remains visible in the March 31 photo, as if Bullock’s swelling had started to respond to medical treatment.

In either of those cases, the next time we see Sandra Bullock, it’s likely that she once again will look like her normal, chipper self.

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