Valerie Bertinelli Reveals Her Relationship With Cosmetic Procedures

Valerie Bertinelli is sharing her story, detailing her long love-hate journey with aesthetic enhancements.

The actress gets candid in her new book, "Getting Naked: The Quiet Work of Becoming Perfectly Imperfect," revealing her experience after going under the knife and experimenting with different cosmetic procedures. She shares the influence behind her decision to alter her looks and the aftermath of her choices.

While Valerie Bertinelli did not have a very charming experience with her procedures, she sends no judgment towards those who decide to alter their looks and weight.

Bertinelli spilled the tea on the cosmetic procedures she had undergone in her new book, which was released on Tuesday, March 10. She noted that she got a breast augmentation and experimented with Botox. The actress explained that after trying Botox in 2019 for the first time, she realized it was not for her.

"I didn't like it and had a mini freak-out when I saw it changed the shape of my eyebrows, which changed the shape of my face, which was a shock because my face is the way I recognize myself," she recalled. 

The TV personality stated that she did not want to see that version of herself whenever she looked in the mirror and wondered where her old self had gone.

US Weekly reports that Bertinelli gave insight into the reason she decided to try Botox as a woman in her fifties. She longed to look younger than her actual age, but all she saw at the end was a "puffy, distorted version" of herself in the mirror.

"I was doing battle against puffy eyes, jowls, saggy skin, basically looking my age." She added that she desired to look "younger" and "not so tired" but wasn't sure what "age [she] wanted to look," Bertinelli wrote.

After stressing that she holds no ill feelings towards the use of plastic surgery or Botox, especially when it works for others, Bertinelli pulled back the curtain on her relationship with her boobs.

She explained that she went under the knife because she was dealing with "a complicated relationship with her breasts." The TV star noted that she was mocked for their size and the constant teasing cut to the bone.

"Mine were mocked relentlessly. They were called 'little quarters,' 'itty-bitty titties,' and 'tiny boobies.' I took it all to heart. Instead of appreciating the changes my body was going through, I dreaded them. I had no idea what I was supposed to look like; I only knew it was wrong," the author recounted.

Explaining further, the "Hot in Cleaveland" star noted that her decision to get breast implants did more harm than good to her body. She was initially hopeful for a positive outcome, though uncomfortable after the surgery. 

"For the first two weeks, everything was great. About a week later, my right breast took on shades of green, yellow, and blue. The next day, it started to swell and turned a dark purple. I felt myself getting dizzy. By nighttime, I was running a fever," she wrote.

Due to the infection, her right breast needed about six months to heal, after which she went under the knife once more for a corrective surgery. The whole experience left her with two different-sized breasts, but she is looking to have another procedure to even them out.

Nearly three years ago, Bertinelli was slammed by an online user for using Botox. She started off acknowledging the negativity that surrounds the use of the popular facial treatment.

She explained that she had tried the injectable because she felt it would help enhance her facial features, particularly her "genetically puffy eyes," and in turn give her the "deep-set eyes" she always wanted.

E! News reports the star called out the online user's message, saying, "You're trying to shame me, and you're a woman. Like, what made you go out of your way to try to shame me?"

Bertinelli continued urging that women need to stick together rather than shame others who do things to make them feel good or more comfortable in their skin. Reminding her online community of the daily pressure women face to fit into a particular frame of looks, she said: "We're all in this together."

With the rising use of GLP-1 medications for weight loss, Bertinelli shared her take on the subject. She told PEOPLE that while she has not tried it yet, she supports those who use them to aid their weight loss journey.

"I think whatever anybody does to help themselves get to a better place, where they feel good about themselves, they should do it." The TV star added that she understands that losing weight is a real struggle, hence she does not judge anyone who chooses to go that route. 

The actress urged listeners to do away with criticizing others for their body size, as well as the things they do to alter their bodies, adding that she might decide to use those medications later on if she sees the need to.

Bertinelli revealed that she is holding back on getting a neck lift because of her painful experience with her other cosmetic surgeries, particularly the breast implants, which left her with a serious infection.

In January, Bertinelli sat with Drew Barrymore, recalling a painful career experience she had where she lost a gig because she was a size 12 at the time.

The Blast reported that this revelation came during the "Memory Bank" segment of "The Drew Barrymore Show," where she brought a throwback picture from her 2012 Hollywood Walk of Fame ceremony.

She revealed that at the time the photo was taken, she was already struggling with her self-confidence. She had been working as the face of a diet company and had lost 50 pounds.

After some time, she regained weight and struggled to maintain herself as a size 4. The diet company reached out to her, saying they were firing her as she had moved up sizes and was finding it impossible to maintain being so petite.

"They eventually said, 'We can't keep going with you because you're gaining weight again,'" the actress recalled.

Will Valerie Bertinelli ever go under the knife again?