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Extreme Makeovers

Aired March 26, 2004 - 21:00   ET


LARRY KING LIVE, HOST: Tonight, what kind of people want to change their looks so drastically they undergo plastic surgery all over their faces and bodies? In the next hour, you're going to meet such people, learn first-hand about the painful procedures they go through in a quest for beauty, and witness stunning transformations you've got to see to believe.

Inside "Extreme Makeovers" with the hit show's patients and the doctors, and the stylists of the extreme team, next on LARRY KING LIVE.


KING: It's in its second season on ABC. It airs Thursday nights. It's "Extreme Makeovers." It's an incredible program. And let's meet three of the people involved in it every week, and then we're going to meet a lot of, for want of a better term, patients.

Here in Los Angeles are Dr. Garth Fisher. Dr. Fisher is the famed Beverly Hills plastic surgeon who was the first surgeon chosen for this program. Dr. William Dorfman is the dentist, a pioneer in cosmetic dentistry, an expert on everything from tooth whitening to veneers, to the newest implant techniques.

And Sam "the Styleman" Saboura, stylist to the stars, has worked with people like Jennifer Aniston and Brad Pitt and Lara Flynn Boyle and Sarah Jessica Parker. Cut his teeth at the famed Fred Siegel clothing store.

How did this show come about for you, Dr. Fisher?

DR. GARTH FISHER, "EXTREME MAKEOVER": I was just, you know -- the producer came to my office, and asked me if I wanted to be a part of it and told me a little bit about the show. And thought about it. And he convinced me it was going to be a very sensitive piece, helping patients that couldn't otherwise have help.

KING: And not exploitive?

FISHER: No. It was going to be a positive blog (ph) on our profession.

KING: Did you like the idea, Dr. Dorfman? DR. WILLIAM DORFMAN, "EXTREME MAKEOVER": You know, when I first heard about it, I wasn't really sure what it was going to be. And I really just kind of put my trust in ABC and have not been disappointed at all. It's been an amazing experience.

KING: Sam, how'd they find you?

SAM SABOURA, "EXTREME MAKEOVER": I was working on a show in Hawaii for NBC. And they gave me a call. I sent in a tape, and about a week later I flew to L.A., met the network and that was that.

KING: Now, how does it work? The case comes -- how does it work? Who picks the case out?

FISHER: I think we all kind of pick the case. ABC selects the patients after, you know, they've gone through a rigorous screening process which involves, you know, Dr. Dorfman, myself. There's a lot of people involved, background checks, psychologists.

KING: How are you paid, Dr. Dorfman?

DORFMAN: You know what? My payment is just seeing the look on the people's face.

KING: But doesn't ABC pay you?

DORFMAN: The way that it works with the show is they pay the fees, like our costs for, you know, when we do veneers, they pay the fee for the veneers and things like that.

But other than that, we pretty much just do this out of the love of doing it.

KING: You, too, Sam?

SABOURA: I'm paid as a stylist on the show. I'm hired to do the image of the patients after they have their surgery. So I'm paid as a stylist.

KING: Dr. Fisher, why among all the medicines, did you choose plastic surgery?

FISHER: I really enjoyed it, and I thought my -- my talents were best suited for that particular discipline in medicine. And things just evolved. I've just been very, very happy and fortunate.

KING: Are these cases -- is the word extreme correct?

FISHER: Yes. I think they're extreme.

KING: Dr. Dorfman, why cosmetic dentistry?

DORFMAN: You know, I think I was really born to be a dentist. I mean, since I was two years old, I've always wanted to be a dentist.

KING: You like bending over? DORFMAN: It's not that part. It's just -- I don't know what it is. It just clicked. I was a little kid. I fell. I broke my teeth. I had a great dentist, and I was just inspired to be a dentist. And as I continued, I really kind of segued into the cosmetic aspects, and I just love it. It's just the most rewarding part.

KING: Sam, how did you become what you are?

SABOURA: Become what I am? I've always worked with clothing. I worked with Fred Siegel for several years as a personal shopper. And I enjoy making people look good and feel good. And the show is -- that's what this is all about. So it seems natural for me, then, to be part of it.

KING: What we're going to do on the program tonight is show you samplings. I think we have seven in all. Some of the guests are here. Some are out of town.

Let's get our first sampling from "Extreme Makeovers" before and after. His name is Jerry, and he went from below average Joe to Tennessee stud. Here's a clip from the show to give you a look at the looks he wanted to get rid of. Watch.


JERRY CZERKASIJ, "EXTREME MAKEOVER" PATIENT: Growing up, my parents tried to put braces on me. And they went crooked right after the retainer came off. I had the hooked nose. People would make fun of that. I was nicknamed the Hawk in high school.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How can I help you? What bothers you about your appearance or your body?

CZERKASIJ: My nose is very hooked or droopy. My chin, I don't have any angle to it. It sort of just rolls into my neck. My abdomen is kind of fluffy.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You're going to be a new man, my friend.

CZERKASIJ: Well, thank you very much.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Here's what Dr. Perlman did with Jerry. A nose job, chin implant, fat pads removed from cheeks, (UNINTELLIGIBLE) repositioning, lower eyelid lift, lipo under the chin, chest, (UNINTELLIGIBLE) love handles. Later, laser surgery, a new smile, and hair transplant and enhancements.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Jerry, you want to take nice, deep breaths, OK? The surgery's all over.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A few hours of surgery correct a lifetime of humiliation.


KING: And here now in our studio -- now you see him; what a difference -- is Jerry Czerkasij. Come on over, Jerry.

Jerry Czerkasij is a 40-year-old gentleman from Chattanooga, Tennessee. And it's been only about two months since Jerry had the work done.

Why did you let yourself -- why did you let them do this to you? I mean, you look great.

CZERKASIJ: Thank you. Tennessee stud, that's pretty flattering. Thank you.

KING: But you had to go through some pain?

CZERKASIJ: It was -- there was a little bit of discomfort, but it really wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. I did it because I didn't think I'd get chosen for the program. My sister called me up and said, "Have you ever thought about doing this? I know you're unhappy with your looks."

KING: And she knew you were unhappy. She didn't say, "Jerry, I know you're ugly. And you need this."

CZERKASIJ: No. That came from other people, in fact. No, no. It's -- so she knew I was unhappy, and she called me up and said, "Have you ever thought about doing this?" And it took quite a bit of time for her to come around and ask me, because she didn't want to hurt my feelings.

FISHER: Well, I think the problem is, an enormous challenge for the surgeon is setting his bar so high and your surgeon did a wonderful job. He really did a great job.

KING: Did you do the dentistry?

DORFMAN: Yes, I did all the patients you're seeing today. Jerry had a really, really difficult dental occlusion.

KING: Looks perfect.

DORFMAN: Well, now it is, but I'll tell you something. After we started working on Jerry, he came in. We zoom lightened his teeth. We straightened them out. We repositioned his lip. We repositioned his gums. We got him looking really good, and he came in for the porcelain veneers and said, "I don't think I need them."

I said, "Jerry, now you're like a B. I'll make you an A plus."

He goes, "I'll go for it." And we did.

KING: You get a lot of rewards in your work, don't you?

DORFMAN: I love doing it.

KING: Did you restyle Jerry, Sam?

SABOURA: I did restyle Jerry. I taught Jerry how to go shopping. Basically, the challenge for me is to put everyone in great clothes that express their personality. So...

KING: Now Jerry, how has this changed your life? What do you do for a living?

CZERKASIJ: I'm a respiratory therapist. So I work in a hospital situation, and I had no idea they could do this much with surgery. So it came as an amazement to myself, you know. And I'm in -- I'm in medicine.

KING: When they took the wrappings off and everything, what did you think?

CZERKASIJ: Well, it was strange, because they did it in three different stages. First, I saw my nose and chin, and I was, like, "Wow, this is incredible." Then I saw the teeth, and I almost started crying.

KING: Wow.

CZERKASIJ: I think I embraced Dr. Dorfman four times that day. And I'm not a huggy sort of guy. And then I do the hair thing with Sam. It was just amazing. I'm still giddy today.

KING: And you should be. Congratulations.

CZERKASIJ: Thank you.

KING: Congratulations, all of you.

KING: When we -- we'll go to break, and when we come back, two more cases coming up in the next segment. What an extraordinary job. What a story.

Don't go away.


UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And you have any children?


UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How old are they?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: 18, 16, and 11.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, that's amazing. Listen to you.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I know, I'm having a whole conversation with you.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK. We have one more test I want to do. Listen to this and tell me how it sounds, OK?


These things are amazing. I'm hearing the floor creak, the computer hum...


UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's going to be a very noisy world out there.




UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm very excited about this haircut.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We're going to shape it around your face to give you some nice beautiful face-framing layers. It's going to look amazing.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All right, Candace. I have seen your amazing hair change and now you get to see it for yourself. Are you ready?


UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK. Hold your breath. Here it goes.


UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Isn't it great?



KING: We're back with doctors Garth Fisher and William Dorfman, with style man Sam Saboura, all involved with "Extreme Makeovers." We've got two we're going to do in this segment.

One quick question, though, Dr. Fisher. What's the biggest reward?

FISHER: Oh, having a patient coming back and smiling and saying, "Thank you. You changed my life." And no matter what specialty you're in as a doctor, that's what that is.

KING: All right. Let's deal with our next case, our next transformation. Here's the young woman traumatized by a negative nickname from her childhood. Wait until you see this amazing change. Watch.


CANDACE STURGEON, "EXTREME MAKEOVER" PATIENT: I did not feel pretty as a little kid. My childhood and growing up years were so awkward that I didn't feel comfortable doing any of the things that normal teenagers do. I felt so uncomfortable with the way that I looked. I was teased a lot, actually. This one guy in particular used to call me Big Bird, ugly and Beaker.

FISHER: So let's go to the areas that are bothering you.

STURGEON: I don't like my eyes. As I've gotten older, they've gotten droopier. I feel like I just have a fat face, like I don't have anything up in here.

FISHER: And what size bra do you wear?


FISHER: Right.

STURGEON: Like -- kind of like a 36A.


STURGEON: Or a 38. Yes.

FISHER: And what did you want to be?

STURGEON: I don't want to be -- I just want, like, maybe a full B or...


STURGEON: ... small C, maybe.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And Candace would get a nose job, a brow lift, new cheeks, lifting of the upper eyelids, lipo work on the love handles, and bigger breasts.

And later, a dazzling new smile.

FISHER: It's great news. Listen, we just got through the surgery. There wasn't anything about any of the procedures that went less than fine.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Candace's surgery is over.

FISHER: Take care of her and don't worry about it.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All right. Thanks a lot. Bye-bye.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This was Candace before surgery. Now, after lipo, diet and exercise, this is her six-pack.


KING: Wow.

Joining us now from Lincoln, Nebraska, is Candace Sturgeon. All of our guests worked on Candace.

What's the biggest change this has made in your life?

STURGEON: You know, Larry, it's just been absolutely wonderful. I think the confidence level and my relationship with my husband have been the biggest gifts ever.

KING: Were you afraid?

STURGEON: Yes, I was. There are shots of me crying before going into surgery. Yes, I was definitely afraid. I never had surgery before, so...

KING: You had nose, breast, eyelids, brow, cheek implants, liposuction. You were a reconstruction.

STURGEON: Yes, I was. From head to toe.

KING: What do you look like? Can you do a turn-around? Let's see what you look like from behind.


The new me.

KING: You're not kidding.

What was the biggest challenge there, Doc?

FISHER: Well, she had a lot of facial symmetry and proportional issues with her face, which required a lot of work. And she had a lot of surgery, but she came through it very, very well.

KING: How has it affected your relationships, other than your husband?

STURGEON: I meet new people all the time. People come up to me and ask me about my experience, and I feel comfortable telling them all about it. And I've just met extraordinary people. I'm loving all of it. It's great.

KING: How'd you like working with Dr. Dorfman, the dentist?

STURGEON: Oh, he is the best man. I love him to death. He has the best personality, and he cares so much about each of us. And that meant the world to me.

KING: And how about my man Sam, the style man?

SABOURA: Give me some love, Candace. Give me a little bit of love.

STURGEON: I love you, Sam. You are the best. There needs to be more of you on this earth.

KING: Thank you, Candace. Continued good luck.

STURGEON: Thank you. You, too. KING: Don't dump your husband, now that you're beautiful.


KING: I know that happens.

The makeover you're about to see wasn't just about looks. For a woman named Cynthia, it was about seeing, and especially hearing. Life a whole new way. Watch.


UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Deafness and sight loss have taken their toll on her appearance.

CYNTHIA LUNCEFORD, "EXTREME MAKEOVER" PATIENT: It shows up on my face. And I think it's aging me, and it's making me look tired before my time.

FISHER: What are you concerned with?

LUNCEFORD: I look in the mirror and I'm, like, "Who is this person? That is not me." And so I'd like to look softer, prettier.


LUNCEFORD: Younger, fresher.

FISHER: Aside from your face, you're also interested in your breasts and your stomach?

LUNCEFORD: I think I could use some enhancement there.

FISHER: When you put the implants in, they'll be larger. I think you're a good candidate for this.

What we want to do is flatten this out, and I'll throw this in the trash can for you.


UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Here's what Cynthia will get: a face lift and upper and lower eyelid lift, a nose job, a brow lift, new breasts, a tummy tuck, better vision, a sparkling new smile and hopefully, enhanced hearing.

FISHER: Cynthia, the operation's all done.


FISHER: Hello. This is Dr. Garth Fisher in California. I just want you to know that Cynthia's surgery is done, and everything went really, really great.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It will be eight weeks of recovery before Cynthia's reveal. (END VIDEO CLIP)

KING: And we'll reveal it here tonight. Look at Cynthia Lunceford. Was treated by Dr. Fisher, Dr. Dorfman and our fashion associate, Sam Saboura. And look at her. Come on over, Cynthia. What an amazing story.

Her biggest problem was what, Dr. Fisher?

FISHER: She just looked tired, and she's full of a lot more mischief than you'd think. She's just wonderful. She -- she just needed freshening up and wanted to look natural.

KING: Explain the thing with the vision and the hearing that they helped?

LUNCEFORD: I was born with congenital hearing loss, and I've depended on lip reading all my life. And so when I applied for the makeover, it was in order to get Lasik so that I could see better, to help me with the lip reading.

And of course, my teeth were deteriorating. I was hoping to have a nicer smile.

And the surprise was that they also gave me the new Senso Diva hearing aids by Widex.

KING: And are you still lip reading me, or hearing me?

LUNCEFORD: It's a habit now, but I don't need to depend on it. It's amazing. It's...

KING: But you can lip-read me?

LUNCEFORD: I can still lip read. Be careful what you say under your breath.

KING: But you're hearing me, too, though, right?


KING: And what did the Lasik do?

LUNCEFORD: The Lasik gave me, actually, 15 -- 20-15 vision, better than...

KING: No kidding?

LUNCEFORD: Yes. Eagle-eye vision. And so I can see close up and far away.

KING: What was the teeth aspect of this, Dr. Dorfman?

DORFMAN: Poor Cynthia was a mess. When we started out, her teeth were just crumbling apart. It wasn't just a cosmetic case. We basically did full mouth reconstruction in her mouth and rebuilt everything.

KING: Was it tough to go through?

LUNCEFORD: It was tough to go through, only because they don't knock you out for the dental. So -- but he was a dream to work with, as all the doctors are. And I kept my focus on what I knew he would do for me, which was give me a gorgeous smile.

KING: What did Sam do? That's a lovely blouse. Did Sam pick that out?

LUNCEFORD: Well, Sam taught me how to choose great colors.

SABOURA: She has a really sexy body underneath that sexy blouse, Larry, and we actually had to accentuate it and play that up. After her surgery, her body transformed as well as her face, so we get to work on their clothes and make them feel beautiful.

KING: Do you feel at all funny? What do friends say?

LUNCEFORD: All my friends have been very supportive. They're very happy for me. They knew that I'd struggled all my life with the hearing, and as Dr. Fisher was saying, that really aged me. And this was an opportunity to have a chance to feel fabulous going into 50 next week. So thank you.

KING: Do more women do this than men, by the way?

FISHER: Yes. The numbers are increasing for men also, now.

KING: Thank you, Cynthia. Continued good luck.

When we come back, another extraordinary case with our doctors and Sam the man. Don't go away.


UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Look at your skin.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I know. It's so exciting.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, my God. It is so much better.


UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: When was the last time your skin looked this way?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You know, honestly, probably when I was like 10 years old. I -- 8 to 10.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Let me show you a picture.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, wow. That doesn't even look like me. Oh, my God.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Isn't that fantastic?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, my gosh. This is just amazing to be able to have this skin. I can't even put it into words how. I'm so happy and excited and I just feel so good about myself now.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Mission accomplished.





ANNOUNCER: Tammy's final steps, these, choreographed by fitness expert Michael George.

MICHAEL GEORGE, FITNESS EXPERT: Not only are we working your legs, but we're working balance, eye to hand coordination and we're getting your heart-rate up, which means you're burning more calories.

ANNOUNCER: Shaping those legs for her big reveal.


KING: We're back on LARRY KING LIVE, looking at the extraordinary program "Extreme Makeovers." It airs Thursday night on ABC.

OK. Now let's meet another "Extreme Makeover" candidate who went from average to over the top. Watch.


UNIDENTIFIED MALE: She grew up cute until corrosive teenage acne scarred her face and her life.

TAMMY KERGER, "EXTREME MAKEOVER" PATIENT: You know, a lot of my friends were also getting into the acne problem, as well. But it just seems like I -- my problem has never gone away. Instead of getting better, it's actually gotten worse.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: When I look at your skin under my magnifying glass, I can see that your acne is very inflammatory. The skin is a very complicated immune organ.

KERGEN: Good-bye to the old face. Hello new me.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Tammy's new me was a brow lift, nose job, upper eyelid lift, larger breasts, liposuction and later, a radiant smile, no glasses and a flawless complexion.

Candy recovers quickly and well.

FISHER: You did outstandingly well. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Typical Tammy, to a T.

KERGER: Give me another hour or two. I'll be dancing on the floor. Woo! I'm ready to start the healing process now.


KING: Joining us now from Omaha, Nebraska, is Tammy Kerger, sales support representative.


KING: Did you have any doubts about doing this, Tammy?

KERGER: No, not at all. Not at all. I would do it all again if they found something else to do. Not at all, no.

KING: You weren't afraid of any physical pain or anything?

KERGER: No, I wasn't. I think I was more nervous and just excited to start the whole process when I got there. So...

KING: How has it changed -- how has it changed your life?

KERGER: You know, I was always -- kind of had a crazy personality before. But I think more now. It's helped me build a high level of self-esteem that I never thought I would have. And just a lot more confidence now.

So I'm a lot more social than I was before, if that's possible.

KING: Dr. Fisher, what happened to the acne? I thought you can't cure acne?

FISHER: Well, she had some really great treatments, and it helped her quite a bit. And you know, skin is so important for somebody's looks.

KING: So you can cure acne, in a sense?

FISHER: We can really make it a lot better.

KING: You can?

FISHER: With the new treatments that they have.

KING: What did you do for her teeth, Dr. Dorfman?

DORFMAN: Well, first we did the zoom lightening. And then we laid about eight Da Vinci veneers on her upper and eight on the lower and made them perfect.

KING: Da Vinci veneers? Like Leonardo?

DORFMAN: Those are the best.

KING: Look at that smile. Golly.

SABOURA: She looks great, doesn't she?

KERGER: It is the one thing people notice.

KING: What's it done, Tammy, to your life in a sense? Are you -- do you approach people differently?

KERGER: You know, I always walked around with my head down. I didn't get a chance to actually look at people. Now coming back, I have a lot more confidence now I have a clear complexion. So I notice a lot more people looking, and I notice a lot more people, walking by them. I can actually say hi to them, rather than, you know, hang my head down and just hide from the world. So...

KING: Dr. Fisher, do any cases fail?

FISHER: Oh, sure, certainly. And there's a lot of risks associated with surgery.

KING: Tammy laughing...

FISHER: People have to do this for that reason, they have to be healthy, you know? And you have to pick the right patient, and she's a great patient. Great energy.

KING: Are there some people you can look at, Dr. Dorfman, and say, "It won't work"?

DORFMAN: The biggest problem we have is what we call an orthonaptic (ph) problem. If somebody's jaws are in the wrong position, I just can't make the teeth right. And we have to reject those patients.

KING: Can anyone be restyled, Sam?

SABOURA: Anyone can be restyled. Everyone has potential. Everyone has it inside. I just give them a little bit of a tool to help them bring it out and teach them. It's all about educating them and bringing out their own sense of style.

KING: When you first saw yourself fully done, Tammy, what did you think?

KERGER: You know, I was a little surprised at first, because I couldn't believe what I was looking at. I was, like, "That's not me." But then, you know, once everything -- it's kind of -- everyone asks, "How did you -- how do you see yourself now." And to me it was more of, like, a gradual healing process. So to me it wasn't such a dramatic difference than -- to me as it was to everybody else when I came back home.

KING: Any problem, Dr. Fisher, with breast implants? We've heard controversy about that.

FISHER: Well... KING: She had it.

FISHER: I think it's a great procedure, and many women do it. The most common problem is getting hardening, developing hardening around the implant. That happens frequently. So that's the most common problem, I think.

KING: Are you concerned when you do it?

FISHER: Well, you tell them the risks. It's something that you buy into. You just have to inform the patient, educate them and it's, you know, I think a great procedure.

KING: Did you have any doubts about implanting, Tammy?

KERGER: Oh, not at all. Not at all.

KING: You are a confident girl, Tammy. You must have been a great patient. "Do what you want, guys. It don't matter. I'm here. Do what you want."

Tammy, thanks a lot.

KERGER: Yes, that's pretty much what it was.

KING: Continued good luck, Tammy.

That was Tammy Kerger.

KERGER: Thank you.

KING: When we come back, there's lots more to see. We have more patients, more makeovers. I'll reintroduce our panel. You're watching LARRY KING LIVE. Don't go away.


UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Can you tighten you neck muscles for me?

ANNOUNCER: Most of Detective Rowlett's colleagues think she's on a vaction before her 20th anniversary party.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This should be a very interesting work/time experience. They have no idea. There's a couple of them there that know what's going on, but most of them do not.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Close your eyes.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think that a lot of people will be very surprised that I chose to do something like this, because this is fairly out of character for me, but I'm not nervous about it.

Let's get on with it.




UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: As you know, we're all here this evening to celebrate Peggy's 20 year career in law enforcement. What you don't know, is that the woman who is about ready to walk down this staircase, is going to look 20 years younger, because she's had an extreme makeover.

My partner, Detective Peggy Rowlett.


KING: Welcome back to LARRY KING LIVE. Tonight, we're looking at "Extreme Makeovers." Its second season on ABC. It airs Thursday nights. Our panel, the regulars on the show, are Dr. Garth Fisher, Beverly Hills plastic surgeon, Dr. William Dorfman, a pioneer in cosmetic dentistry, and Sam "The Styleman" Saboura, stylist to the stars. He's worked with some of the top people in Hollywood.

And we're look -- what, by the way, is the most common plastic surgery procedure?

FISHER: Probably Botox, collagen injections, followed by breast augmentation, liposuction.

KING: Botox is comparatively new?

FISHER: More or less. Five years or so.

KING: Comparatively new?


KING: Most common dental procedure?

DORFMAN: Definitely whitening today. Everybody does it.

KING: Can it be too white? Your teeth can look funny if they're too white.

DORFMAN: You know what, the only time that teeth look artificially too white is when they're fake teeth. But it's virtually impossible to make natural teeth look too white.

KING: So if you get dentures, don't make them too white?

DORFMAN: There you go.

KING: Because that would be obvious, then?

DORFMAN: Or bad veneer.

KING: They do brilliant work with dentures today, don't they? To be honest, they do...

DORFMAN: We can make dentures you wouldn't even know they're fake teeth.

KING: What's the No. 1 styling problem people...

SABOURA: The No. 1 styling problem is people whose suspenders need an extreme makeover. So I brought you an extreme makeover for your suspenders, Larry, because you're a fan of the braces. Those are for you.

KING: You are dirty man, Sam, but these are beautiful.

SABOURA: They're fancy. A little fancy. Extreme suspenders.

KING: I like them. I'll wear these Monday night.

SABOURA: They kind of clash with you there, but they'll be good ...

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Today they would clash.

KING: All right. Let's take a look at another extreme makeover candidate. This one is a real live CSI cop who wanted to dump her tired look for something more energetic. Watch.


PEGGY ROWLETT, "EXTREME MAKEOVER" PATIENT: I see the people at crime scenes that are deceased, and I look at myself. And I think, "Oh, my God. Some of these people look better than I do." I look dead.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How can I help you today?

ROWLETT: Well, I've got just a lot of skin. The skin's down on my eyelashes. Dark -- really dark circles under my eyes and puffy. I've had those all my life.

I don't feel like I have much of an upper lip. And I'm not looking for big, full pouty lips. I'm not -- I don't want to go there.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No movie career, right?

ROWLETT: I'm not interested in a movie career. And what I really want to do is -- is keep my character and my face.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Peggy will get a brow lift, a face and neck lift, an upper and lower eyelift, fat injections and a new chin.

Dr. Perlman's challenge...

ROWLETT: My face is tingling.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: give Peggy Rowlett...

ROWLETT: It's got a bunch of the needles (ph)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: ...the face of her dreams.

This is Peggy's wish list. Each desire, Perlman's command.

DR. JON A. PERLMAN, "EXTREME MAKEOVER": That really looks good.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: After seven hours of surgery, Peggy's wishes, granted.

PERLMAN: Surgery's over, sweetheart. You did very, very well.


KING: Hey, look at her. In Denver, Colorado, is Peggy Rowlett.

Are you a CSI cop?

ROWLETT: Yes, I am.

KING: Wow. That's interesting work.

Did your husband leave you because of the way you looked?

ROWLETT: Absolutely not. My husband left me because I probably paid too much attention to my career and not enough attention to him and to dealing with stress from the job and several other reasons. But he thought I was beautiful.

KING: OK. When he sees you now, he's probably flipped out.

ROWLETT: You know, we haven't talked about it too much, but he did congratulate me. He was very gracious and told me I looked beautiful. And he was very happy for me.

KING: How'd it change your life, Peggy?

ROWLETT: Well, it's -- I'm just ecstatic. I'm happy all the time. I think my boss said one of the best things. He says, "She smiles all the time, even when she's mad." So I thought that was a great compliment.

KING: Were you nervous?

ROWLETT: Not at all. It was -- it was a great relief for me to be away from the police department. I hadn't taken a vacation for a long time. And I definitely needed a break. And I certainly got one.

KING: What did your fellow officers think when you came back, the new Peggy?

ROWLETT: You know, they were absolutely great. I'm just overwhelmed with how kind everyone has been. And my partner kind of made a good observation, that we see so much sadness all the time that to have something really good happen to one of us kind of drew everyone closer together. And it was a great experience for the whole department.

KING: Just as an aside, I can't let you go without asking this. Are most of the CSI shows correct?

ROWLETT: Well, a lot of the shows on public television, "Cold Case Files," "New Detectives," are very accurate and excellent shows. But some of the others take a little bit of artistic license with the science. But they're entertaining.

KING: What about the teeth, Dr. Dorfman? What did we do with Peggy?

DORFMAN: Well, Peggy had really dark tetracycline stains, and Dr. Wiles (ph)...

KING: Tetracycline?

DORFMAN: Tetracycline. If you take tetracycline as a child, it makes your teeth dark. It has, like, those black bands across there. So Dr. Wells (ph) from Tennessee and I made Peggy's veneers. She looks amazing. Look at her.

KING: Are veneers paint?

DORFMAN: Veneers are thin pieces of porcelain that go on the front surface of the tooth. It's almost like a press-on nail kind of thing. But they're custom made, and they're made by a lab called Da Vinci that does an amazing job.

KING: And Sam, what did you do? Give her a new badge?

SABOURA: I gave her a new badge, gave her a really cute badge. Peggy hadn't worn a dress in years, for seven years. And so we brought out her femininity. She never wanted to wear high heels. I put her in three-inch heels. I tortured her a little bit. But she ended up looking very beautiful, very feminine. And she was one of the most dramatic transformations on the show.

KING: Peggy, were you down on yourself? I mean, why did you go on this show?

ROWLETT: Not necessarily. I had pretty good self-esteem, generally and professionally. But I'd never liked the way I looked at all. And over time, it just got worse and worse. And every time I looked in the mirror, I would just see people at crime scenes. And I just, as you said earlier, I just looked dead.

And it got to the point where I felt like I really needed to take some positive steps to make a change. I didn't know it was going to be "Extreme Makeover," but it sure worked out well.

KING: Are you dating now?

ROWLETT: Not yet, but I'm certainly looking forward to it.

KING: You will have no problem.

Thank you, Peg.

ROWLETT: Thank you very much.

KING: Peggy Rowlett in Denver, Colorado. What a -- you guys should be so proud of yourself.

We'll be right back with more. Don't go away.


UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So first, if you would, Dan, drop the shirt down to your waist.

ANNOUNCER: As surgery starts for Dan...

UNIDENTIFIED MALE; I'll mark your chest.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do you get points off if you color outside the lines?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm still in contact with my First Grade teacher and she keeps tabs on me.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I caught myself washing my face this morning, looking up, and then it hit me. I was like, "oh, there it is."

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So, I'm going to be adding some fat to supplement the fullness of your cheeks.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Just gave them away, then put my glasses and took off, so. I'll miss the old guy.



GREGG HERSHOLT: We're here because we're curious, but I think we're here because we love this guy. We want to welcome him back, and we want to see how he looks. It's a tremendous joy to present Dan Restione.



KING: Our next makeover, as we come back to LARRY KING LIVE, wanted his so badly so he could get the attention of someone he worked with. Take a look at Dan Restione before his extreme makeover.


UNIDENTIFIED MALE: After a broken marriage that shattered his world, Dan hibernated for eight long years.

DAN RESTIONE, "EXTREME MAKEOVER" PATIENT: She sat me down one day and said, "Look, I just -- I don't think I feel about you the way a wife should feel about her husband." That to me is "I'm not attracted to you." That was a confirmation of all the bad stuff I felt about myself.

I'm just starting to understand the limitations that I thought I had are not there. I feel like I've got a little bit of the roundness going on in just about everything: my chin and my neck and just the whole shape of it.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Here's what Dan gets: a chin implant and facial reshaping, liposuction of his face, his chest, belly and love handles.

RESTIONE: I'll miss the old guy. I'll miss him. Off to a good start.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: To give Dan more facial contour...

PERLMAN: Down here please. Thanks.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: ... Dr. Perlman not only adds a new chin...

PERLMAN: I like that. I don't think that's excessive.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: ... but repads the upper cheek and lip area.

PERLMAN: Start injecting some fat, try to bulk it up for him as much as possible. Right now, what remains to be done is the chest, then the central abdomen, and then finally do the grab handle areas.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Surgery over in just a few hours.

PERLMAN: Beautiful. Going to continue to look like Dan. But he's going to look slimmer, I think more masculine.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thumbs up, Daniel? All right!


KING: Whoa. Joining us now from New York, even though he works in talk radio in Seattle, Dan Restione.

Do you have your own show, Dan?

RESTIONE: No, Larry. I'm a behind the scenes kind of guy. You're talent; I'm brains.

KING: What do you make -- what are you doing in New York?

RESTIONE: Visiting family. Just getting away from Seattle. I was hoping to get away from the rain, but, you know, what do you do?

KING: I'm talent, you're brains.

RESTIONE: Well, that's what I hear.

KING: Your first and last appearance on this program, Dan. Soak it all in. All right. What do you make of all this, Dan? What do you -- what happened?

RESTIONE: Oh man, what hasn't happened. I mean, the thing is that the show, a lot of people focus on the surgery and the tools and the exterior. And it's amazing. But it's the stuff that goes on inside that's fantastic. And I'm the same guy I was. I'm just more that guy, and I'm more that guy all the time.

So the effects have just been widespread throughout my life.

KING: Were you afraid?


KING: Of the surgery?

RESTIONE: Oh, God, no. Are you kidding? I had nothing to lose. You saw me. No, no. I wasn't afraid at all. It was an experience. When they gave me my psychological testing, they found out that I was a risk-taker. And they were right. I went into it with a whole heart.

KING: Well, Dr. Dorfman, what did you do for our friend Dan?

DORFMAN: Well, Dan likes to chew his teeth. Right, Dan? He chews teeth. When I met Dan, his teeth were -- they were so short that when he smiled, you never saw them.

So what we did is we lengthened his teeth. You see, one of the signs of aging is having short teeth. So I lengthened his teeth...

KING: I never heard that term in my life.


KING: Short teeth.

DORFMAN: Short teeth. Like he ground them up.


DORFMAN: He had baby teeth. And especially after he had the work on his face, with the new lip, you saw no teeth. So he looked like he was dentureless (ph).

So we lengthened his teeth. We whitened the rest of them. And look how great his smile is.

KING: Sam, did you give him the turtleneck?

SABOURA: I did -- Dan is my fashion success story from the show. He has taken the clothes and run with them, he's changed his whole wardrobe. He looks like a model.

RESTIONE: Larry -- Larry, in terms of clothes, I was like raised by wolves. I had no idea. Sam came along and had to teach me just how to walk upright in the fashion world. And Sam, my shoes match my belt, man. I was listening.

SABOURA: He takes the tips and he runs with them.

KING: How are you doing in the female department?

RESTIONE: Things are -- things are better that way. The new look and the way I feel about myself has allowed me to be me all the time, not just when I'm around male friends. When women showed up, I would start to get a little -- a little more self-conscious. So that's been going great. That's been going great.

KING: You do mini-extremes, Sam?

SABOURA: I do mini-extremes.

KING: What, on every show?

SABOURA: Yes, they're on every show. It started halfway through the season. It is a non-surgical makeover. It happens over 48 hours. We basically show people in America that this is something they can accomplish on their own with a little bit of help, a little bit of a tip, some great talent in hair and makeup and wardrobe. And teeth.

KING: Dan, would you recommend this to anybody who has low self- esteem or doesn't like the way they look?

RESTIONE: Absolutely, but with one caveat. You've got to be ready for it. You've got to be -- you've got to be right for it. You've got to be ready to look at -- do the work on the inside.

Because as much as Dr. Fisher, Dr. Dorfman and Dr. Sam can do for you, unless you've got it inside you, it's not going to work. Because the confidence comes from inside. That's what this show does. That's what these guys do. If you've got that, then absolutely.

Anybody who's had a haircut has changed their appearance to feel better. So why is plastic surgery any different?

KING: Very well said. Boy, that sums it up.

Thanks, Dan. Continued good luck.

RESTIONE: Good luck, Larry.

KING: Keep the brains.

RESTIONE: You keep the talent. Try those suspenders.

KING: Yes, I'm going to wear the new ones on Monday.

RESTIONE: I'll be watching.

KING: Dan Restione of Seattle. He's in New York tonight. We'll come back. I was going to say our last contestant on "The Price is Right." Our last contestant from "Extreme Makeovers" is next. Don't go away.


UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Away from home, kids taunted Deshante, called her harelip, physically abused her.

DESHANTE HALL, EXTREME MAKEOVERS PATIENT: I've taken just go to school without being harassed or being tormented or being talked about and teased and dogged and just treated wrong, you know. I didn't want to leave the house.

I was really sad, I was really upset, you know. For something that wasn't my fault.




HALL: I think when I'll walk through the curtain, I'll probably look for my mom and dad.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I am so excited. I've been practicing the way I'm going to react when I see her.

HALL: I feel very confident tonight.


KING: Welcome back to LARRY KING LIVE, our last segment. Our final makeover of the show, truly an inspiration. She was already beautiful on the inside. She needed a little help on the outside. Take a look at DeShante before.


UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Kids called her a harelip.

DESHANTE HALL, "EXTREME MAKEOVER" PATIENT: Here to the roof of my mouth, from here, it was all just, you know, (UNINTELLIGIBLE).

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: She was born with a deformity called cleft palate.

HALL: There was no dating. Nobody was interested in DeShante.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: DeShante knows what she wants.

HALL: I want my nose to be more symmetrical. It's -- as you can see, not as symmetrical as I would like it to be.

If possible, I'd like my lips to be a little more fuller, more symmetrical, if possible. Definitely something done with my teeth, my front. Also, my tummy and my thighs. Not totally thrilled about those either.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Even before surgery, DeShante's mouth is being transformed by dentistry.

She will get: reconstruction of her cleft lip and disfigured nose, a thigh lift and tummy tuck and liposuction. She's already received extensive dental work.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: On this side, it was about 39. I'm going to try to get a little more roundness by taking a graft from her ear.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: with the facial puzzle in place, Dr. Yuan moves on to lipo, a thigh lift and tummy tuck.

Now, healing and time will reveal how much of the puzzle has been solved.


KING: Look at this. DeShante Hall. She's with us here in Los Angeles. She lives in Northern California. This is a makeover.

Come on over, DeShante. Join us on the set.

What a story. Now this was done by Dr. Robin Yuan, right?

FISHER: Right.

KING: Am I pronouncing it right?

FISHER: That's correct.

KING: Dr. Yuan.

Was the cleft palate, DeShante, the biggest worry?

HALL: Yes, definitely. It was something that I've lived with all of my life. And it was hard, and "Extreme Makeover" gave me the chance to change that.

KING: Didn't that used to be thought of as incurable? Long ago? If you had it, you had it?

FISHER: Long ago.

KING: Now plastic surgeons go around the world, working with children.

FISHER: It's pretty common. People do that charitably. It's really great now. You can repair these deformities.

KING: Is it harder if you're a little older?

FISHER: Well, you know, it depends on how -- how far along the problem is. I mean, no, I don't think so, necessarily. I think, you know, having the opportunity she had at this time was just absolutely...

KING: What about her teeth?

DORFMAN: Her teeth. I have to tell you something.

KING: I mean, the rest of her ain't bad, but look at that.

DORFMAN: I've done pretty much every patient on the show. DeShante, when she was in my care, and we put in her front teeth, you have to understand, she walked around with no teeth for 30 years.

When I put in her teeth, and her face lit up, I actually started crying. It was the first time I've ever done this where I was working on a patient, I started crying. I looked at her. She was crying; I was crying. I'm like, "Keep the camera on her."

KING: Is that a bridge?

DORFMAN: It is. It is. Not only is it a bridge, but we had to actually put gum tissue on the bridge, because of the cleft. But look how beautiful she looks.

KING: God, gorgeous.

What did it do to your life?

HALL: I can definitely say now that I am so happy. I am -- I'm happy. I smile all the time. All the time.

I'm engaged.


HALL: I'm engaged.

KING: You wouldn't have bet on that two years ago, right?

HALL: No. No, I wouldn't have.

KING: The men didn't come -- you know, the cleft palate is the kind of thing that people draw back from.

HALL: Right, definitely. I've had, you know, a lot of issues with the cleft palate. But you know...

KING: They changed your figure, too, though?

HALL: Yes, they did that, too.

KING: What about you, Sam, in this case?

SABOURA: What about me? Well, all these people, Larry, are beautiful. They're sexy. They have great personalities. It's all hiding inside, because they don't feel confident. And when I get them, they've had their makeover. I get to just play up all their great attributes. And with DeShante, you saw her a little bit of attitude. She wasn't that girl when I first met her. And now she's come out of her shell. She's bright and happy and sexy at the same time.

KING: You wrote a very emotional note after all this, DeShante, in which you wrote, "It's amazing how differently people treat you when you fit into their idea of beauty. It's bittersweet. I've always been this person; however, few people took the time to get to know me. Now people that wouldn't even make eye contact with me have so much to say."

What does that say to you? Don't judge a book by its cover?

HALL: Definitely. You know, I think society really has a problem with image. You know, they don't give people a chance when they don't look how they feel they should. And I'm sure I've been guilty of it, as well.

And I think that now definitely people look at me differently. They treat me differently, definitely.

KING: Well, even your own self-esteem...

HALL: Definitely. Yes.

KING: Dr. Fisher, that's a big part of this, right?

FISHER: A huge part of it. Increasing self-confidence; wonderful opportunity.

KING: Society regards aesthetics important. It's a given.

FISHER: They do.

KING: It may not be nice.

FISHER: Yes, but that's -- that's the way it is often.

KING: And teeth can change your face, right?

DORFMAN: Teeth -- everything that Dr. Fisher and Dr. Perlman and all the other doctors do, my teeth just makes it that much better. Because if your face looks great but you smile and it looks bad, you lose everything, you know?

So for me, it's just -- it's really fun. It's kind of icing on the cake.

KING: You do normal fillings?

DORFMAN: If I have to.

KING: That's boring for you, though, right? DORFMAN: I love doing this. I mean, you know, it's -- at a certain point in our careers, it's not about the money anymore. It's what you get in here at the end of the day.

KING: Sam, when you walk down the street, do you look at people and say, "I'd change that. I'd change that. I'd do this. I'd do..."

SABOURA: I do. Especially now I do. But you know, I do it with a kind of a happy eye. I want to help people more than try to change it in a negative way. People have this. She has this inside of her. I just want to bring it out and make her feel as good as she is inside.

KING: So the good feelings, Dr. Fisher, are already there, right?

FISHER: They're there. It just brings them to the surface, makes you more confident. I mean, that's the operating room term, is the confidence. It's great.

KING: DeShante, when are you getting married?

HALL: Well, I -- we had set a date some time in February, but we don't really want to wait that long. So possibly August.

KING: What do you do for a living?

HALL: I work for Barnes & Noble. I'm a supervisor there. Yes.

KING: The store?

HALL: Yes. The store.

KING: Thank you all very much. Thank you, DeShante.

And doctors, what can we say? Dr. Fisher, congratulations. Dr. Dorfman, you do amazing work.

DORFMAN: Thank you.

KING: Sam, you're my man, braces Monday. I'll wear them.

SABOURA: Monday, I'm watching, Larry. You better wear them.

KING: Our guests have been doctors Garth Fisher, William Dorfman, Sam "The Styleman" Saboura and a whole bunch of wonderful people who have new and wonderful lives from "Extreme Makeovers" on ABC.

We thank them for their help and cooperation, too.

And I'll be back in a couple minutes to tell you about the weekend. Don't go away.


HALL: Tonight was probably the most exciting night of my life.


HALL: I love you too.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You're so pretty.

HALL: Thank you.

I feel like a princess. I felt really beautiful. I just feel on top of the world tonight.



KING: Thanks for joining us on this edition of LARRY KING LIVE, a look at "Extreme Makeovers." Stay tuned now for more news on CNN, your most trusted name in news. Good night.


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