Confessions of a Plastic Surgeon's Wife

David Hidalgo, MD & Mary Ann Tighe
Photo: Mackenzie Stroh

He's one of the best in the country—the doctor Mary Ann Tighe's friends flock to when it's time for a little work. Does that mean lipo on-demand for her? Hot- and cold-running collagen? Nips, tucks, and Botox whenever the mood strikes? Here, her honest-to-God answers.

Have I ever been tempted to have work done? Yes! Of course! In my early 30s many of my girlfriends were going to my husband for collagen injections. So I said to David, "Why can't I have collagen, too?" "Because you don't need it," he said. I pestered him till he finally agreed. I had the injections, and it hurt like hell. But I liked the way it looked, so I continued to have them. Then one day, at lunch with a friend who also went to David for collagen, we were talking about how much we liked the effect, and I said, "Yes, but it's so painful," and my friend looked at me with surprise and said, "With the liquid Valium, it doesn't hurt at all." And I said, "Liquid Valium?"

So I went to my husband. "I was waiting for you to figure out that the gain wasn't worth the pain," he said. I quit the collagen, because I figured if he was trying this hard to deny me what he thought I didn't need, I wouldn't push it.

For years my friends were going to David for facelifts, to have their eyes done, forehead lifts, you name it. And I would ask him, "Do you think I need what my pals had?" He would always say no, that he'd throw me out of his office. For years and years, that's the response I got. And then one Saturday, when I was 56—I'm 59 now—we were standing in front of the sink in the bathroom and I said to him, "Do you think I should have my face done?" And he said, "Only if you think you need it."

The first thing I did was to look again at my face.

David has an extraordinarily keen eye. So his not wanting to improve me had meant that I didn't need improvement. Looking in the mirror that day made me wonder what was wrong with me that wasn't wrong before. While I was shocked at his response, I can't say I was distressed, because I immediately assumed David would fix me. I remember thinking how soon could I rearrange my calendar so I could have the work done.


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