Kerri-Anne Kennerley defends use of cosmetic surgery
Kerri-Anne Kennerley has no issue admitting that cosmetic surgery, Botox and Fraxel are part of her beauty routine.
The TV personality, who is the December cover star of the Australian Women’s Weekly, told the publication: “There was always that stigma attached to it, but then you do get to the ‘I don't give a toss’ age and stage, and people can say whatever they like.”
In a new tell-all biography A Bold Life, out October 31, Kerri-Anne writes: “I have regular Botox injections because I hate having a frown line that makes me look cranky when I’m not.”
However, she says her secret weapon is Fraxel, a laser treatment that “burns off dark patches and freckles”.
“If you look at early photos of me in the ‘80s and ‘90s, even on Midday, my freckles were black. People used to call in and complain saying ‘You should put make-up on her chest, she's got so many freckles’,” she recalls.
“When I had a basal cell carcinoma (BCC) on my nose my dermatologist suggested Fraxel. He said, ‘we'll watch it for a while; sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't’. And knock on wood I never got the skin cancer back.”
Since then Kerri-Anne has become a fan of Fraxel as a preventative measure for skin cancers but also to achieve her beautiful complexion.
“I had my whole face Fraxeled some years ago… It’s not for the fainthearted and the treatment is quite uncomfortable at first. The next day you feel as if you have really bad sunburn. Your eyes puff up so much you can hardly see, but after a week I was thrilled,” she said.
"My dermatologist now uses Fraxel as a precursor to getting skin cancers. It traumatises your skin and makes the collagen and everything work a lot harder and it fights any skin cancers growing through. After that I had my arms and hands done."
Kerri-Anne, 64, like many of that generation, didn’t know about the damaging effects of the sun when she was young and is now paying the price.
“We never knew about how harmful the sun was when I was a kid in Queensland. Through the ‘90s, from Midday for 10 years, I'd have at least a couple of skin cancers burned off every year. Maybe just two or three at a time, but I would have had dozens and dozens done, every single year for at least 10 years. They kept growing through. But since I've had the overall Fraxel, I haven't had one burnt off.”
Other treatments Kerrie-Anne recommends are chemical peels “to keep your skin fresher” and a light treatment called Omnilux to reboot collagen.
“I’ve had all these things done and will continue to do so in the future,” she writes in her book. “I am happy with what I’ve done. I think it is subtle and tasteful.”