Palm Beach plastic surgeon explains obsession with 'Mar-a-Lago face' and the person who inspired trend

PALM BEACH, FLORIDA: A new status symbol has become a new trend in Palm Beach - the "Mar-a-Lago face".

According to plastic surgeon Dr Norman Rowe, the phrase "Mar-a-Lago face" has been coined as the copy-and-paste appearance is distinctive among President Donald Trump's supporters, colleagues, and friends, and it's neither cheap nor easy to acquire.

Palm Beach plastic surgeon reveals clients' obsession with 'Mar-a-Lago face'

The 'Mar-a-Lago face' is a combination of full, pillowy lips, sharp, high cheekbones, angular, wide eyes, and frozen, taut foreheads free of any blemish, wrinkle, or crease.

Speaking to the Daily Mail, Dr Rowe said, "'I opened up in Palm Beach after the pandemic, but then about six months ago, that's when I saw the big difference. That's when it just exploded."

"You go to Everglades Club in Palm Beach, you go to The Breakers, you're going to find that group of people who are put together. They take care of themselves. They want to look good," he added.

Rowe also mentioned, "It's a very outdoor-oriented lifestyle and it's always warm, so you can't layer up and cover up with a turtleneck sweater."

Rowe added that he sees up to 15 people every day in his Palm Beach office, and they all have the same goals. Many of them point to the same influential figures as references.

He said that most of his female clients want to look like Ivanka Trump. Rowe estimates that the 43-year-old's face must rank as Palm Beach women's most wanted.

"People will come in and say, 'I want to look like her, I like her eyes, I like her nose, I like her lips'," Rowe revealed.

He added that Kristi Noem, secretary of Homeland Security, is another popular template, especially among his older clientele, who say, "I like her look, she looks wonderful."

The plastic surgeon added that his clients are prepared to go to extremes to get the results they want, despite knowing that it is not for the faint of heart, nor shallow of pocket.

Clients shell out thousands of dollars for perfect 'Mar-a-Lago face'

Dr Rowe mentioned that clients undergo Botox injections, facial filler, chin and jaw implants, face lifts, or thread lifts, in their quest to look more like Ivanka or Noem.

Moreover, he added that clients shell out tens of thousands of dollars in pursuit of the perfect 'Mar-a-Lago face'.

Interestingly, a facelift can be a six-figure deal, while a session of Botox at Rowe's office ranges from $500 to $3,000, and filler from $500 to $5,000, as per the amount injected, according to the Daily Mail.

Meanwhile, Rowe admitted that when it comes to the bottom line, the sky is the limit.

He added that a part of his job is to manage his clients' expectations.

"If they say, 'I like her lips', I can give you the lips, or the nose, but you have to have something to work with. If someone comes in, and they're four foot eleven, 200 pounds, that's obviously not happening," Rowe said.

Interestingly, Rowe suspects Ivanka's "maintenance" includes the use of laser treatments, Botox, and a bit of filler, per the outlet.

Notably, Kimberly Guilfoyle, ambassador to Greece and ex-fiancee of Donald Trump Jr, is looked at as one of the most extreme examples of 'Mar-a-Lago face'.

Meanwhile, Rowe thinks she has achieved her pouted lips, smooth forehead, and lifted cheekbones without actually undergoing plastic surgery.

"I think she's just doing a lot of filler. Her hairline looks good, which is another telltale sign that someone has not had a facelift. If they have, their hairline will change," he said.

Plastic surgeon reveals many politicians came to his office as election neared

Rowe revealed to the outlet that it is not just the ladies of Palm Beach who feel the pressure to conform to 'Mar-a-Lago face' standards.

Former US Rep Matt Gaetz sparked plastic surgery rumors in 2024 at the Republican National Convention (RNC) where he sported a visibly altered look.

Gaetz's brows and taut skin prompted speculation about cosmetic procedures, as many surgeons theorized that he had overdone the Botox, according to Daily Mail.

Rowe said that as the 2024 election neared, he noticed that many politicians visited his office requesting tweaks from laser treatments to Botox injections.

"I had people coming in for pretty aggressive lasering and things like that. As we got closer to January 20, people wanted less and less done, but they wanted to look great for inauguration, all the parties were at that time," he said.

Rowe added, "They wanted the one-week downtime at most, or a thread lift, which is very popular, and gets rid of the turkey gobbler."

He also mentioned that aspiring politicians would come to his office and say, "I want to look better. I'm going to be on TV. I'm going to be next to Trump in the Oval Office."