Linda Evangelista has revealed that “tape and elastics” were used on her face, jaw and neck for her cover shoot for British Vogue.
The supermodel was candid about the measures that were taken for the photoshoot after she underwent a cosmetic procedure that she says left her “brutally disfigured”.
The iconic supermodel recently settled a lawsuit with Zeltiq CoolSculpting after a fat-freezing cosmetic treatment led to her developing paradoxical adipose hyperplasia (PAH), a rare adverse effect of the procedure in which fatty tissue grows instead of shrinking.
For her return to the pages of the fashion bible, the 57-year-old’s make-up artist Pat McGrath gently drew her face, jaw and neck back with tape and elastics.
“That’s not my jaw and neck in real life – and I can’t walk around with tape and elastics everywhere,” Linda told the magazine.
“You know what, I’m trying to love myself as I am, but for the photos… Look, for photos I always think we’re here to create fantasies. We’re creating dreams. I think it’s allowed.
“Also, all my insecurities are taken care of in these pictures, so I got to do what I love to do.”
Elsewhere in her emotional interview, Linda admitted that she would never have undergone the cosmetic procedure if she had known of the possible risks involved.
“If I had known side effects may include losing your livelihood and you’ll end up so depressed that you hate yourself… I wouldn’t have taken that risk,” she said.
To counter the side effects of her procedure, the 57-year-old revealed she has undergone liposuction and tried extreme diets, but nothing has had the desired result.
Linda said: “I have incisions all over my body. I have had stitches, I have worn compression garments under my chin, I’ve had my entire body tightly girdled for eight weeks – nothing helped… I was losing my mind.”
British Vogue reported that Linda is still struggling with her self-image, can no longer look in the mirror or have have anyone touch her body.
The Canadian star insisted: “Am I cured mentally? Absolutely not. But I’m so grateful for the support I got from my friends and from my industry.
“I miss my work so much, but honestly, what can I do? It isn’t going to be easy. You’re not going to see me in a swimsuit, that’s for sure. It’s going to be difficult to find jobs with things protruding from me; without retouching, or squeezing into things, or taping things or compressing or tricking…”
The full feature is in the September issue of British Vogue, which is available from Tuesday. Read the full interview with Linda at www.vogue.co.uk.