Podcast Summary:

Legacy — Episode: Facelifts | From Jericho to Kardashian | 1
Host: Afua Hirsch & Peter Frankopan
Date: April 9, 2026

Overview of the Episode

This episode explores the surprising and often overlooked history of facelifts and facial modification, weaving together ancient practices, the influence of war, shifting beauty standards, and the deep impact of modern pop culture. Afua and Peter analyze how our relentless pursuit of youth and conformity has shaped—and been shaped by—societies from ancient Jericho and Egypt to contemporary Kardashian culture. Together, they question the reputations and motivations of such interventions, and consider their legacy—both cultural and personal.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Pop Culture & the Legacy of the Kardashian Look (00:32–02:14)

Discussion Kickoff: Afua challenges Peter on Kardashian knowledge, using the Kardashians’ global influence over aesthetics as a jumping-off point.
Afua: “I am kind of fascinated by why they are a thing, because I still don't really get what the thing is. It’s a bit like Gertrude Stein said about San Francisco, there’s no there there.” (01:07)
Facelifts in Popular Culture: Kris Jenner’s youthful appearance sparks a conversation about the viral, almost “natural” new facelift styles and how they differ from traditional, obviously surgical looks.
Main Theme Introduced: The episode will explore the history and meaning of facelifts—from ancient times to today.

2. Ancient Origins of Facial Modification (04:04–07:09)

Millennia-Old Obsession with Youth: Afua highlights how legends and real medical attempts to preserve youth stretch back thousands of years.
Archaeological Evidence: Peter references skulls from Jericho showing trephining—modifications for both ritual and possibly aesthetic reasons (04:54).
Ancient Egyptian Practice: Gold thread in mummies’ faces suggests early skin-tightening; the Edwin Smith Papyrus documents surgical treatments for facial trauma and appearance (05:44).

Notable Quote:

Peter: “Some Egyptian mummies have been found with gold thread beneath the skin, which suggests an attempt, an ancient attempt, at skin tightening...if you’re going to tighten the skin, why not use gold?” (06:21)

3. Body Modification, Belonging & Identity Across Cultures (07:09–10:45)

Cranial Molding in Africa: Afua explains head shaping among the Akan and Yoruba, linking it with identity, status, and ancestry (07:09).
Wider Historical Context: Peter brings in the Huns and Eurasian nomads—cranial binding for visible status and differentiation. (09:25)
Summary: Modification wasn’t just for beauty, but denoted belonging, status, and submission to group ideals.

4. War, Injury & the Evolution of Facial Surgery (10:45–13:57)

Surgery Born of Trauma: Cosmetic operations often arose from the need to reconstruct faces after injury, especially noses, which were both accidental and punitive targets (10:45 & 12:48).
Ancient India & the Origins of Plastic Surgery: Sushruta’s skin grafts for nose reconstruction cited as foundational for both medical and aesthetic procedures (10:45–11:59).

Notable Quote:

Peter: “War is one of the key drivers of all sorts of changes… above all, to do with recovery from injuries.” (11:59)

5. The Social Status of the Nose & Shifting Beauty Norms (13:57–19:16)

The Nose’s Significance: Afua unpacks the prominence of the nose in culture and personal identity: “Your nose is a denoter of identity—even if it’s a misperceived identity, it affects how you interact with people.” (14:27)
Historical and Cultural Biases: References to Cleopatra’s mythical “beautiful nose” and how beauty norms are constructed and shift over time (15:50).
Modern Pressure: Afua critiques the homogenization of beauty ideals (influenced by racism, colonialism, media, and fashion) that create unhealthy pressures to conform.

Notable Quote:

Afua: “The idea that you should radically change your body every few years that a different trend comes along seems to me inherently unhealthy.” (18:57)

6. From Cosmetics to Surgery: Origins of the Modern Facelift (19:16–24:56)

Classical Sculptures and Reality: Peter references Augustus, pointing out the gap between depictions and descriptions, underscoring that presentation has always mattered (19:16).
First Modern Facelifts: The “father” of the facelift, Eugen von Hollander, developed the basic technique in 1901 for a Polish aristocrat. The surgical aim: tighten the face for youth (19:16–21:13).

Notable Quote:

Peter: “The question was, why does it matter what you look like? And the answer is, it always matters how you present yourself.” (19:16)

Limitations of Early Techniques: Early facelifts just stretched skin; the effect was temporary and unnatural (“the wind tunnel look”) (21:13–23:40).
SMAS Approach: In the 1970s, surgeons began working with deeper layers of muscle and fascia, leading to more natural and lasting (but not permanent) effects (23:40).

7. Facelifts as a Site of Socio-Technical Exchange (22:41–24:56)

Symbiotic Evolution: Techniques developed for reconstructing war and accident injuries informed cosmetic surgeries for the wealthy, and vice versa.

Notable Quote:

Afua: “It's a very symbiotic relationship between war and beauty. Because throughout the history we've discussed, rich people experimented to look desirable, and that created techniques that helped soldiers or people injured in war. Similarly, techniques designed to help people injured in war contributed to the techniques that rich people were using to try and improve their appearance.” (26:44)

8. Global Plastic Surgery Hotspots and Eurocentric Beauty Norms (26:44–28:58)

Modern Context: Surprising “capitals” of plastic surgery are in places marked by conflict, like Mosul and Damascus, because of both war injuries and the desire to conform to Eurocentric beauty ideals, especially de-Arabising facial features.
Critical Reflection: The hosts flag this as problematic—a form of cultural erasure linked to globalization and media homogenization.

9. The Future: Deep Plane Facelift & Next Episode Teaser (24:56–29:28)

Modern Innovation: Peter mentions the development of the “deep plane facelift” for more effective mid-face rejuvenation—flagged as controversial and the subject for next episode.
Unanswered Questions: The hosts promise further discussion about digital influence, affordability, access, and the psychology behind eternal youth.

Notable Quotes & Moments

Afua on Beauty Norms:
“It can't be healthy for everybody in the world to feel a self-loathing about their appearance ... The idea that you should radically change your body every few years that a different trend comes along seems to me inherently unhealthy.” (18:57)
Peter on Social Significance:
“It's interesting. I mean, the idea of cutting people's noses off who are thieves or prisoners of war is a way of deliberate humiliation. It's disfigurement that is highly visible.” (13:57)
Cleopatra’s Nose — Myth of Beauty Power:
Peter: “If Cleopatra's nose had been shorter, the whole face of the world would have changed ... The idea that the nose could be sexy or particularly beautiful or entrancing was something I learned from comic books and I’ve subsequently found, I think, to be untrue.” (15:50)

Important Timestamps and Segments

| Timestamp | Segment Description | |-----------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 00:32 | Afua introduces Kardashians and cultural obsession with changing looks | | 04:04 | History of altering appearance, ancient rituals and surgery | | 07:09 | African & Eurasian head shaping for status and identity | | 10:45 | Birth of reconstructive plastic surgery: India, Tibet, ancient warfare | | 13:57 | Symbolic importance of the nose; judicial punishments and identity | | 19:16 | Augustus and presentation vs reality; modern facelift’s roots | | 21:13 | ‘Wind tunnel’ facelifts and the journey to more natural techniques | | 23:40 | Emergence of SMAS (muscle/fat-lifting) techniques | | 26:44 | Cosmetic innovation in conflict zones; Eurocentric pressures | | 28:58 | Teaser for next episode: technology, cost, and the culture of youth |

Tone and Style

The episode features a lively, curious, and sometimes lightly skeptical tone, with hosts playfully challenging each other's assumptions and blending anecdote, academic history, and cultural criticism. Their approach is inquisitive, often personal, and refreshingly irreverent about both ancient kings and modern influencers, without shying away from tough ethical questions.

Listen For Next Episode…

A deep dive into the controversial “deep plane facelift”
How digital technology, globalization, and accessible cosmetic surgery are changing the way we see ourselves—and each other
Further exploration of the tension between medical necessity and cosmetic aspiration

Podcast Summary:

Legacy — Episode: Facelifts | From Jericho to Kardashian | 1
Host: Afua Hirsch & Peter Frankopan
Date: April 9, 2026

Overview of the Episode

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Pop Culture & the Legacy of the Kardashian Look (00:32–02:14)

Discussion Kickoff: Afua challenges Peter on Kardashian knowledge, using the Kardashians’ global influence over aesthetics as a jumping-off point.
Afua: “I am kind of fascinated by why they are a thing, because I still don't really get what the thing is. It’s a bit like Gertrude Stein said about San Francisco, there’s no there there.” (01:07)
Facelifts in Popular Culture: Kris Jenner’s youthful appearance sparks a conversation about the viral, almost “natural” new facelift styles and how they differ from traditional, obviously surgical looks.
Main Theme Introduced: The episode will explore the history and meaning of facelifts—from ancient times to today.

2. Ancient Origins of Facial Modification (04:04–07:09)

Millennia-Old Obsession with Youth: Afua highlights how legends and real medical attempts to preserve youth stretch back thousands of years.
Archaeological Evidence: Peter references skulls from Jericho showing trephining—modifications for both ritual and possibly aesthetic reasons (04:54).
Ancient Egyptian Practice: Gold thread in mummies’ faces suggests early skin-tightening; the Edwin Smith Papyrus documents surgical treatments for facial trauma and appearance (05:44).

Notable Quote:

3. Body Modification, Belonging & Identity Across Cultures (07:09–10:45)

Cranial Molding in Africa: Afua explains head shaping among the Akan and Yoruba, linking it with identity, status, and ancestry (07:09).
Wider Historical Context: Peter brings in the Huns and Eurasian nomads—cranial binding for visible status and differentiation. (09:25)
Summary: Modification wasn’t just for beauty, but denoted belonging, status, and submission to group ideals.

4. War, Injury & the Evolution of Facial Surgery (10:45–13:57)

Surgery Born of Trauma: Cosmetic operations often arose from the need to reconstruct faces after injury, especially noses, which were both accidental and punitive targets (10:45 & 12:48).
Ancient India & the Origins of Plastic Surgery: Sushruta’s skin grafts for nose reconstruction cited as foundational for both medical and aesthetic procedures (10:45–11:59).

Notable Quote:

Peter: “War is one of the key drivers of all sorts of changes… above all, to do with recovery from injuries.” (11:59)

5. The Social Status of the Nose & Shifting Beauty Norms (13:57–19:16)

The Nose’s Significance: Afua unpacks the prominence of the nose in culture and personal identity: “Your nose is a denoter of identity—even if it’s a misperceived identity, it affects how you interact with people.” (14:27)
Historical and Cultural Biases: References to Cleopatra’s mythical “beautiful nose” and how beauty norms are constructed and shift over time (15:50).
Modern Pressure: Afua critiques the homogenization of beauty ideals (influenced by racism, colonialism, media, and fashion) that create unhealthy pressures to conform.

Notable Quote:

Afua: “The idea that you should radically change your body every few years that a different trend comes along seems to me inherently unhealthy.” (18:57)

6. From Cosmetics to Surgery: Origins of the Modern Facelift (19:16–24:56)

Classical Sculptures and Reality: Peter references Augustus, pointing out the gap between depictions and descriptions, underscoring that presentation has always mattered (19:16).
First Modern Facelifts: The “father” of the facelift, Eugen von Hollander, developed the basic technique in 1901 for a Polish aristocrat. The surgical aim: tighten the face for youth (19:16–21:13).

Notable Quote:

Peter: “The question was, why does it matter what you look like? And the answer is, it always matters how you present yourself.” (19:16)

Limitations of Early Techniques: Early facelifts just stretched skin; the effect was temporary and unnatural (“the wind tunnel look”) (21:13–23:40).
SMAS Approach: In the 1970s, surgeons began working with deeper layers of muscle and fascia, leading to more natural and lasting (but not permanent) effects (23:40).

7. Facelifts as a Site of Socio-Technical Exchange (22:41–24:56)

Symbiotic Evolution: Techniques developed for reconstructing war and accident injuries informed cosmetic surgeries for the wealthy, and vice versa.

Notable Quote:

8. Global Plastic Surgery Hotspots and Eurocentric Beauty Norms (26:44–28:58)

Modern Context: Surprising “capitals” of plastic surgery are in places marked by conflict, like Mosul and Damascus, because of both war injuries and the desire to conform to Eurocentric beauty ideals, especially de-Arabising facial features.
Critical Reflection: The hosts flag this as problematic—a form of cultural erasure linked to globalization and media homogenization.

9. The Future: Deep Plane Facelift & Next Episode Teaser (24:56–29:28)

Modern Innovation: Peter mentions the development of the “deep plane facelift” for more effective mid-face rejuvenation—flagged as controversial and the subject for next episode.
Unanswered Questions: The hosts promise further discussion about digital influence, affordability, access, and the psychology behind eternal youth.

Notable Quotes & Moments

Afua on Beauty Norms:
“It can't be healthy for everybody in the world to feel a self-loathing about their appearance ... The idea that you should radically change your body every few years that a different trend comes along seems to me inherently unhealthy.” (18:57)
Peter on Social Significance:
“It's interesting. I mean, the idea of cutting people's noses off who are thieves or prisoners of war is a way of deliberate humiliation. It's disfigurement that is highly visible.” (13:57)
Cleopatra’s Nose — Myth of Beauty Power:
Peter: “If Cleopatra's nose had been shorter, the whole face of the world would have changed ... The idea that the nose could be sexy or particularly beautiful or entrancing was something I learned from comic books and I’ve subsequently found, I think, to be untrue.” (15:50)

Important Timestamps and Segments

Tone and Style

Listen For Next Episode…

A deep dive into the controversial “deep plane facelift”
How digital technology, globalization, and accessible cosmetic surgery are changing the way we see ourselves—and each other
Further exploration of the tension between medical necessity and cosmetic aspiration