A plastic surgery addict who has spent over £300,000 to look like a Ken doll claims he is to get a new £50,000 nose on the NHS after his body rejected his latest implant.
Rodrigo Alves has had 42 body-changing operations - including liposuction, six-pack implants and Botox fillers - in a bid for his perfect physique. And he says he takes inspiration from Barbie’s boyfriend Ken because he thinks the plastic toy looks like the “ideal man”.
The Brazilian-born air steward, who splits his time between Spain and London, had his sixth nose job in February, but his body rejected the cartilage and a hole appeared.
The 32-year-old was admitted to hospital in Malaga, Spain, for treatment for necrosis after the skin started to die.
But now he is back in the UK and claims he is to get a full 10-hour reconstruction on the NHS involving cartilage from his rib area, to rebuild his nose from scratch.
While he has not named the hospital where he intends to have his surgery, Alves says his British GP has signed him off from work for two months while he has the procedure.
Alves, who began his transformation 12 years ago, told South West News Service: "That cartilage ruined my nose and confidence.
"Now I only have 43% of the cartilage and day-by-day my nose gets more deformed and smaller.
"My GP referred me to a reconstructive plastic surgeon via the NHS."
He added: "I have been given an appointment with a consultant in London in six weeks time and then I'm hoping surgery can be as soon as possible after that.
"I know I wasn't born in this country but I work and pay my taxes here and have a British passport so I am entitled to get help from the NHS.
"I've always paid for my other operations myself but this is an emergency because of my breathing problems."
This is not the first time Alves has fallen foul of surgical procedures. Three years ago he revealed his addiction had nearly cost him his life, after he developed an infection in his arms following a procedure to make them appear more muscluar.
The Brazilian was left immobilised, unable to wash or feed himself and was hospitalised for three weeks.
Alves decided to go under the knife for the first time in 2004 after a childhood of struggling with his self image.
His long list of surgery includes £8,000 on Botox and fillers, £30,000 on three nose jobs, £3,000 on liposuction to his jaw and £10,000 on pec implants.
He has also spent £22,000 on a fake six-pack, £7,000 on fillers to his arms, £7,000 on hospital bills, £7,000 on laser lipo, £6,000 on leg lipo and £3,000 on calf shaping.
He also indulges in twice-yearly Botox and filler top-ups and takes a cocktail of daily pills consisting of collagen tablets, anti-water retention and hair growth tablets.
He has also had the skin between his inside lip and gum cut to give him a wider smile and liposuction in his legs and back which was re-injected elsewhere in a bid to make him look younger.
Alves says he pays for the operations himself by working hard as a flight attendant, image consultant and event host.
Other sources however, claim he funds his lifestyle thanks to an inheritance from his grandparents and rental income from a property in Spain.
Previously a 32A, the then 22-year-old had the surgery in Leeds, increasing her bust size to 36DD.
Cunningham said she had been approved for the operation after telling doctors her flat chest was "ruining her life."
