Dr Paul Nassif, the renowned surgeon and mastermind behind reality guilty pleasure, Botched, discusses his bromance with Terry Dubrow and gives YOUR EX readers his top surgery tips!
You were already a renowned, successful cosmetic surgeon in your own right before finding fame on Botched. What interested you in taking part in the show?
Well, it was my idea. One of the producers of The Real Housewives and I were having dinner, and we said, ‘It’s time for another doctor show!’ So we both came up with the idea of fixing botched surgery because I already did that. Then I called Terry Dubrow since I had known him for many, many years. And look at us! We’ve now done nine seasons already if you include Botched By Nature.
So with nine internationally successful seasons under its belt (including Botched By Nature), why do you think people are so fascinated with the show and the stories of people facing trauma over surgery gone wrong?
Number one: you have a great bromance, it’s educational, and you have incredible human interest stories. These transformations, which people love to watch, feel-good stories, but they also crazy things; patients with breasts the size of a watermelon! Our fans love asking ‘Why would that person want to do that?’… when you look at what a reality show should have we have the heart, the tears, everything!
You mentioned the bromance and banter between you and Terry, which is one of the reasons many Kiwis love the show. How different is that friendship in real life from what we see on screen?
Not much different – he still rags on me and teases me! I might be a little bit more vocal and give him more crap back in person when I finally get sick of it. But he’s a joker and our relationship is very tight, like brothers. We’ve known each other for over 20 years, so we don’t make up anything. We don’t act. It’s all spontaneous, we don’t sit there and read lines.
So we have Season 8B of Botched just come out. What’s next for Botched? Are we likely to see another eight seasons and what can we expect from this season?
We hope so. This season, you’re going to see very heart-wrenching incredible stories. You’re going to cry! The first episode is about a young girl who was involved in a motor vehicle accident. The driver was killed and she was a passenger in the back when they were hit by a drunk driver. She now has chronic pain, a traumatic brain injury, and is about to lose her left eye – if that doesn’t make you cry – I don’t know what will!
In another episode, there’s a woman who as a child, friends made her drink acid, and it destroyed her mouth. Imagine being in Mexico and living with this big eggplant on your face. That leads to the biggest and most expensive surgery we’ve ever done. It’s the best show, for me, of the whole series and it’s the very last one, so you have to make sure you watch all of them!
When you say ‘most expensive’, can you put a rough figure on what that cost?
Probably a good couple of $100,000US!
A lot of Kiwis will go to somewhere like Thailand for cheaper surgical options. Do you recommend that?
For gender reassignment surgery, Bangkok is one of the best places in the world! You can find great doctors and surgeons everywhere, but also find bad and mediocre surgeons – everywhere!
So what are your recommendations for our readers who are looking for a good and safe cosmetic surgery experience?
Check if the doctor is a real plastic surgeon. Do they have the credentials? Are they board-certified or whatever you call it in New Zealand? Do they have privileges in a hospital, if there was a problem? Do they have expertise in the things you want to have done? Do they have good reviews? A good reputation? Ask your friends. You need to do the whole gamut. Make sure their work looks natural. Make sure the doctor has good hands. Check if they have any lawsuits or litigation pending.
If our readers have a budget to get just one procedure done, to reduce the signs of aging. Is there one recommendation you generally go with to make a significant improvement?
For aging, it’s a deep plane, face, and neck lift. It rejuvenates the neck and the lower and mid-face. It takes a good 10-15 years off, as long as you do it the right way. You don’t want it to look like you’ve had a facelift.
Finally for anyone who’s not ever watched Botched, are there any personally most memorable moments that you would recommend them to check out?
I would say that, to me, the last show you’re gonna watch for this season is the most incredible transformation, and very dear to my heart. You’re going to feel for that person, you will fall in love with that patience. It’s an incredible one.
Botched: Season 8B is available to stream on Hayu now.
Article | Oliver Hall.
