The Lopez sisters made headlines when they revealed their mum let them have surgery when they were just teenagers. Jennifer Lopez had a boob job, liposuction and bum implants during a five-hour operation when she was just 15, all paid for by her mum.
“Surgery is addictive, it’s a quick-fix solution. I will definitely have lipo again if I need to.”
And her younger sister Karen started even younger. She had a nose job at 14, followed by a boob job at 15 and bum implants at 16. Also paid for by her mum.
Now, they say they’re addicted to surgically changing their bodies. Jennifer adds: “Surgery is addictive, it’s a quick-fix solution. I will definitely have lipo again if I need to.”
In the UK, the legal age of consent for cosmetic surgery is 16, but most reputable surgeons won’t operate until 18.
However, the girls’ mum Lesley, 43 – who had boob and bum implants in her 20s – was able to arrange the operations in her native Colombia, where regulations are more lax. The surgeries combined came to around £8k.
Jennifer, now 23, and Karen, now 20, begged her for surgery because they were desperately unhappy with their looks. Lesley, who refused to comment as Closer went to press, has been criticised for letting them go under the knife. But Karen insists: “I don’t think Mum did anything wrong. I’m grateful to her.”
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A recent survey by Girl Guiding UK found that almost half of girls aged 16 to 21 would consider surgery to boost their self-esteem. However, experts warn that teenagers can be left psychologically damaged after having surgery so young.
Consultant psychologist Dr Cecilia D’Felice says: “There’s far too much pressure on young girls to look a certain way.
The fact some are turning to surgery is disturbing – and for a parent to allow it is simply irresponsible.
“Having plastic surgery in your early teens will interfere with your growth as your body is still developing and can be psychologically harmful. It’s a radical step – at 14 or 15, you’re not mature enough to handle such a big decision and you could end up regretting it.”
Statistics show 39,000 women had cosmetic surgery in the UK in 2011, a six per cent increase on the year before. And the Lopez sisters insist their body transformations have changed their lives for the better.
Size 12 Jennifer, who’s a secretary, says: “People may think we were too young, but I was so unhappy. I was chubby and shapeless with 32AA boobs and shy and self-conscious.
“I tried dieting to lose weight, but I was impatient and I didn’t think my boobs would get any bigger. Mum just wanted what was best for me and now I love my round bum and 36C boobs – they’ve helped me become a more outgoing person.”
Karen, a sales assistant, who says she’s a size 8, adds: “Girls are jealous of my bum and men compliment me, it’s a massive confidence boost. I felt too skinny as a teenager.”
"When I asked for the surgery, she said no at first and that I should wait until I was 18, when my curves might develop. But I wanted the results straight away."
Jennifer, who’s single and lives in south London near Karen, first went under the knife in 2004. She idolised pop star J-Lo, who she coincidentally has the same name as. She says: “I had a boyfriend and refused to take off my bra when we fooled around, because I was embarrassed about my chest. I envied curvy women like J-Lo.
“I knew Mum had had her boobs and bum done. When I asked for the surgery, she said no at first and that I should wait until I was 18, when my curves might develop. But I wanted the results straight away. I kept on asking every day, saying how unhappy I was until, a year later, she agreed.”
A family friend in Colombia recommended a surgeon and Jennifer flew out there for a consultation. Her mum couldn’t afford to go with her, but she stayed with an aunt who went with her to the appointment.
She recalls: “The doctor wasn’t fazed by my age, it’s normal for teens to have surgery in Columbia. I was only planning on having a boob job, to get to a 36C, but he told me I could have lipo at the same time on my stomach, legs, arms and neck, then the fat could be pumped into my bum to make it rounder – a common procedure there. I’d been thinking of having my bum done in the future and it made sense to have it all done in one go. The surgeon said he could do a special deal for the lot and it would cost £2k.”
Lesley – who had split with the girls’ father when they were young – agreed she could have it and paid the fee using money from her savings and cleaning job. Two weeks later, Jennifer flew back for the five-hour op.
Jennifer says: “I was so nervous but I kept picturing the perfect body. When I came round, I was in agony – my boobs and bum were covered in bandages. I went to stay with my aunt for a few days, then Mum flew over. She’d saved up so she could be there for me.
“The first four days were torture, I was in so much pain. But after two weeks, I started feeling better and, when the bandages came off, it was the best feeling. My boobs looked fuller and my bum was round and pert. I finally felt proud of my body and started showing it off in clingy dresses.
“When I got home, my friends and boyfriend thought I looked great. Some girls were a bit bitchy, calling me ‘fake bum,’ but I didn’t care.”
Spurred on by the results of her sister’s surgery, Karen went on to have a nose job two years later, aged just 14.
Spurred on by the results of her sister’s surgery, Karen went on to have a nose job two years later, aged just 14.
She says: “I thought Jennifer looked really good, but I was more concerned about my nose. It was too wide and kids called me ‘big nose.’ After agreeing to Jennifer’s work, Mum could hardly refuse me.”
Karen went to Colombia for the op, which also cost 2k, and was so pleased she began to push for a boob job. Her mum consented and, a year later, aged 15, she went ahead with the £2k surgery – taking her from a 32AA to a 34C.
Karen, who’s also single, says: “I was really skinny and I wanted to look grown-up and sexy. I loved the results – I felt like a woman. I don’t think my boobs would’ve grown naturally.”
And a year later, aged 16, she followed her sister again and had lipo as well as a bum implant, costing a further £2k.
She says: “I tried eating a bit more to gain weight, but it was going to the wrong places and my bum was still flat. After the surgery, I finally felt confident.”
Four years on, Karen says she’s happy with her body, but would have lipo again if she gains weight. Jennifer – who has a four-year-old son from a previous relationship – has had top-up lipo on her stomach and another boob job after it was discovered she had faulty PIP implants. It cost another £2k, but this time she paid for it herself.
Both girls insist they haven’t suffered any psychological side effects from having surgery so young. Jennifer says:
“The only downside is getting too much male attention from sleazy men. Some girls hate on us, calling us fake, but I think it’s just jealousy.
“The only downside is getting too much male attention from sleazy men. Some girls hate on us, calling us fake, but I think it’s just jealousy."
“I know people will think we were too young, but we were really insecure and it gave us back our self-esteem. I’m not surprised more young girls want surgery, there are so many perfect images of celebrities, it’s hard not to feel the pressure. We did. But if you have the money and it makes you happy, why not do it? Life’s too short to feel unhappy.”