Death (literally) becomes her: Plastic surgery for the dead

"People used to say, just throw me in a pine box and bury me in the back yard," says Mark Duffey, president and CEO of Everest Funeral, a national funeral planning and concierge service. "But that's all changing. Now people want to be remembered. A funeral is their last major event and they want to look good for it. I've even had people say, 'I want you to get rid of my wrinkles and make me look younger'.

Um, excuse me, but I'm not sure I ever heard anyone suggest their loved ones should throw 'em in a box and bury them in the yard next to Fido. Still, I am absolutely fascinated by this MSNBC article regarding the high demand for plastic surgery among the dead. Apparently, as our society comes to accept cosmetic procedures as a normal--and even necessary--tool in the fight against aging, morticians are facing more requests to make their stiff clients look even better than they did in life. Um, seriously, after the jump...

Of course, the latter idea isn't completely novel. As one funeral home owner acknowledged, tissue fillers have long been used to plump lips, noses, cheeks and foreheads sunken by death. But "restorative artists," as they're referred to in the industry, have been encountering even more specific instructions regarding appearance than ever, making those who have exceptional skills as in-demand as say, someone like Patricia Wexler is to (living) Park Avenue patrons.

And while it seems easy to scoff--after all, who imposes judgement on the appearance of the deceased?--consider your own control freak tendencies, or the fact that you were appalled by the pink lipstick they put on your Aunt Mabel. In fact, perhaps the vainest sector of the population, celebrities, opt out altogether:

"We do a lot of the movie stars and they usually don't want anyone to see them dead because they can't control their appearance," says Noelle Potvin, a family service counselor at Hollywood Forever, a 109-year-old funeral home and cemetery in Hollywood, Calif. "They just want a private ceremony."

Cremation, anyone?

More ridiculous trends in the cosmetic surgery world: Bargain basement sales being offered on 5th Avenue.

--Erin

image via photobucket.com

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