During her early years at the studio, she was photographed and dressed in plain garments or frilly juvenile gowns and costumes to match the "girl-next-door" image created for her. They had her wear removable caps on her teeth and rubberized discs to reshape her nose. Eventually, on the set of "Meet Me in St. Louis" when she was 21 years old, Garland met Dotty Ponedel, a makeup artist who worked at MGM. After reviewing the additions to her look, Garland was surprised when Ponedel said that the caps and discs that Garland had been using were not needed, as she was “a pretty girl.” Ponedel became Garland's makeup artist. The work that Ponedel did on Garland for "Meet Me in St. Louis" made Garland so happy that Ponedel became Garland's advisor every time she worked on a film under MGM.