Linda Evangelista, 57, stuns in first modeling job since revealing rare reaction to plastic surgery left her ‘brutally disfigured’ and ‘permanently deformed’ – after spending six years living ‘in hiding and shame’ due to the botched procedure
- Former supermodel Evangelista has kept a low profile and hasn’t posed in any fashion campaigns since undergoing a fat-freezing procedure back in 2016
- However, after spending nearly six years in ‘hiding,’ the star has officially returned to the spotlight – posing for a glamorous new Fendi ad
- The modeling gig was monumental for the runway star, since it marks her return to the industry after taking a long break from modeling
- Back in September, Evangelista revealed that she retreated from the public eye after developing ‘bulges’ all over her body, which left her ‘unrecognizable’
- She explained that she had a rare reaction to a cryolipolysis procedure, which was designed to decrease fat cells, but instead, made her cells become enlarged
- She has since undergone two liposuction surgeries in an attempt to fix the problem, and announced in February that she was done living in ‘shame’
Linda Evangelista stunned in her first modeling job since revealing a rare reaction to plastic surgery left her ‘brutally disfigured’ six years ago.
Former supermodel Evangelista, 57, has kept a low profile – not posing in any fashion campaigns and only showing her face in public a few times – since undergoing a fat-freezing procedure back in 2016, which she said made her ‘permanently deformed.’
However, after spending years in ‘hiding,’ the star – who announced in February that she was done living in ‘shame’ – has officially returned to the spotlight, posing for a brand new Fendi ad while promoting the brand’s upcoming fashion show.
The 57-year-old shared a snap from the stunning campaign to Instagram on Saturday. She wore a gray sweater and three pink caps stacked on her head, as well as a pair of brown sunglasses and gloves.
She carried a few Fendi purses while looking away from the camera in the glamorous shot.
Linda Evangelista stunned in her first modeling job since revealing a rare reaction to plastic surgery left her ‘brutally disfigured’ six years ago
However, after spending years in ‘hiding,’ the star (pictured in February) announced that she was done living in ‘shame’ and has returned to the spotlight, posing for a glamorous Fendi ad
The modeling gig was monumental for the runway star, since it marks her return to the industry after taking a six-year break from modeling. She is seen earlier this month
‘On September 9 2022 @Fendi will host a special fashion show in New York City to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the #FendiBaguette, designed by @silviaventurinifendi, and two years since @mrkimjones joined the Maison as Artistic Director of Couture and Womenswear,’ she captioned the post.
The modeling gig was monumental for the runway star, since it marks her return to the industry after taking a six-year break from modeling.
Throughout the ’90s, Evangelista was one of the biggest models in the industry, posing for numerous well-known magazines like Vogue, Cosmopolitan, Glamour, Elle, and Marie Claire, and strutting her stuff in runway shows for big brands including Chanel, Valentino, Dolce & Gabbana, Ralph Lauren, and Giorgio Armani, to name a few.
However, she stopped working in 2016, and back in September, Evangelista revealed in a shocking Instagram post that the reason she had decided to retreat from the public eye was because she had developed a rare reaction to a cosmetic procedure.
Former supermodel Evangelista (seen in 1990, left, and on the catwalk in 1089, right), 57, has kept a low profile since undergoing a fat-freezing procedure back in 2016, which she said made her ‘permanently deformed’
The cryolipolysis procedure, performed by the company CoolSculpting, was designed to decrease fat cells, but instead, it made her cells become enlarged.
She said she soon began developing ‘bulges’ all over her body, which left her ‘unrecognizable.’
‘To my followers who have wondered why I have not been working while my peers’ careers have been thriving, the reason is that I was brutally disfigured by Zeltiq’s CoolSculpting procedure which did the opposite of what it promised,’ she wrote at the time.
‘It increased, not decreased, my fat cells and left me permanently deformed after undergoing two painful, unsuccessful corrective surgeries. I have been left, as the media described, “unrecognizable”.’
Speaking to People magazine in an interview months later, the former runway star detailed how she thought she was going crazy and ‘stopped eating’ when the growths started to appear on her chin, thighs, and bust area – and how she now ‘dreads running into someone she knows’ after spending decades as a catwalk sensation.
However, at the time, she said she was ‘done hiding.’ She told the outlet, ‘I can’t live like this anymore, in hiding and shame. I just couldn’t live in this pain any longer. I’m willing to finally speak.’
During the procedure, a device that’s set below freezing temperature is applied to fat deposits, which causes cell death in the tissue.
But Evangelista soon developed a condition called paradoxical adipose hyperplasia – a rare adverse effect of cryolipolysis, which has been reported in of 0.0051 per cent of the 1.5 million CoolSculpting procedures performed worldwide.
With this condition, the treated area becomes larger, rather than smaller. It can leave a ‘painless, visibly enlarged, firm, well-demarcated mass’ underneath the skin.
Evangelista detailed how within three months of her treatments, she noticed the bulges forming on her body, with the targeted areas growing rather than shrinking – before hardening and becoming numb.
Back in September, Evangelista (pictured in 2005) revealed that she had decided to retreat from the public eye was because she had developed a rare reaction to a cosmetic procedure
Evangelista told People in February that she’s ‘done hiding,’ explaining, ‘I can’t live like this anymore, in hiding and shame. I just couldn’t live in this pain any longer’
She told People that she had filed a lawsuit last September suing CoolSculpting’s parent company, Zeltiq Aesthetics Inc, for $50 million in damages, claiming at the time that she has been unable to work since the procedures.
The star alleged that CoolSculpting offered to pay for liposuction for her to correct the damage caused by PAH after her doctor contacted them. However, she said that on the eve of her liposuction, Zeltiq said they would only pay for the procedure if she signed a confidentiality agreement – which she refused.
In June 2016, Evangelista underwent a full body liposuction procedure, which she claims she paid for. She then underwent liposuction again in July 2017, and it’s unclear who covered the cost.
The cryolipolysis procedure, performed by the company CoolSculpting, was designed to decrease fat cells, but instead, she said it made her cells become enlarged. She is seen in 2003
Evangelista said she had to wear girdles, a chin strap, and compression garments for eight weeks after the liposuction to prevent the PAH coming back – but said the condition did return after her second liposuction.
The model told the outlet that she can no longer bear to look at herself in the mirror as ‘it doesn’t look like her,’ explaining that her identity as ‘Linda Evangelista, supermodel’ is now ‘gone’ due to the condition.
She added: ‘If I walk without a girdle in a dress, I will have chafing to the point of almost bleeding.
‘Because it’s not like soft fat rubbing, it’s like hard fat rubbing. [I can’t] put my arms flat along my side. I don’t think designers are going to want to dress me with that sticking out of my body.’
A CoolSculpting representative told People at the time: ‘The procedure has been well studied with more than 100 scientific publications and more than 11 million treatments performed worldwide.’
They added that rare side effects such as PAH ‘continue to be well-documented in the CoolSculpting information for patients and health care providers.’
Evangelista has hardly been seen since undergoing the procedure. In February, she stepped out for the first time without covering her face, while shopping at Manhattan’s trendy Chelsea Market.
She was also seen on a rare outing earlier this month. The Canadian fashionista was spotted keeping it casual as she stepped out in New York City in a pair of sweatpants and an oversized jacket.
WHAT IS PARADOXICAL ADIPOSE HYPERPLASIA (PAH)?
Paradoxical adipose hyperplasia is a rare, previously unreported adverse effect of cryolipolysis.
Cryolipolysis uses cooling to damage and destroy subcutaneous fat cells, without damaging the skin to reduce the amount of fat in the treated area.
This phenomenon of PAH has a reported rate of incidence of 0.0051% of the 1.5 million CoolSculpting procedures performed worldwide. Many physicians see numerous cases in their offices.
PAH causes a gradual enlargement of the treated area. It occurs when the stimulus (the freezing of fat cells) activates a reactionary process in the fatty tissue that thickens and expands the fat cells rather than breaking them down and allowing the body to process and remove them.
PAH is only known to occur following a cryolipolysis, or CoolSculpting body contouring treatment.
PAH typically cannot be confirmed until about 6 months post-procedure, with patients complaining that they are getting bigger in the exact shape of the applicator, as depicted below.
SOURCE: WIFH.COM
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