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Identical twins opt for facelifts on same day

Twins Christine Martin (left) and Diane Reeve

For identical twins Christine Martin and Diane Reeve, looking at each other is like looking in a mirror.

So when the ageing process started to catch up with the Norwich sisters, it was staring them in the face all too plainly.

And when the idea of having a facelift was mooted, it was obvious to both that it would only be an ordeal they could face together.

So the 55-year-olds scoured the country in search of a surgeon who would operate on them within hours of each other.

Christine, from Cringleford, had her surgery in the morning, and Diane, from Little Melton, in the afternoon and the pair are pleased with the results.

Christine, who is retired, said: “I think we kind of knew there would come a time when we wanted to put the clock back a bit.

“Mostly the reaction was 'you are mad, you don't need it doing', but it was for ourselves really.

Before the facelift.

“I think the change is subtle. With surgery people expect miracles and for you to suddenly look 10 years younger but it's not like that: they can't change your skin, just correct things like a sagging jawline or eyelids.

“The most major transformation has been in the eyelids. It's not easy getting older and I think the more pride you take in your appearance the harder it is to accept. I also think as an identical twin you are probably more aware of how you are looking to other people because it's like looking in a mirror each time you look at each other. I think you look at each other in a more critical way because deep down you are thinking 'this is how I look'.”

For the twins, having the procedure on the same day was important, but not because they were worried about spending any time looking different.

Christine, who has three children, Nick, 22, Lizzie, 21, and Laurie, 19, said: “It's quite an ordeal to go through and I think we needed each other to egg each other on. We wanted it done together so there would never be any question of the other one backing out or being too scared having seen what the other has been through.”

The twins started discussing the possibility of having facelifts five years ago and finally took the plunge in April last year at a cost of £6,500 each. The procedure was carried out by a surgeon from the Hospital Group at its Dolan Park Hospital in Bromsgrove, Worcestershire. After two days the bandages were removed and the sisters were allowed home.

Christine said: “We actually get more pleasure from looking at each other than any one else noticing a minor change in us.

“I look at her now and it's like turning the clock back and I think she looks lovely.” While technically identical, there are some differences to tell them apart: for example, Diane, who lives with husband John, 57, and has two daughters, Natalie, 29, and Nicole, 27, has hair that is a bit shorter and a bit lighter.

Unlike when their mother Elsie dressed them identically as toddlers, the twins do not plan to dress like each other, but do admit that about a third of each of their wardrobes is the same.

Christine says: “We have exactly the same taste, the same figures and so things will suit both of us.

“If I love something I know she will love it too. It's more to do with the same taste rather than deliberately setting out to dress the same.”

In the past the sisters have gone out and unbeknownst to each other bought the same clothes. When they worked together they would often accidentally turn up to work in the same outfits and cause confusion for their colleagues. However, nowadays when they meet up they are likely to ring beforehand to check they are wearing different clothes.

But the things they most often bought which were the same were birthday cards for their parents.

Christine says: “My parents often got exactly the same card from both of us. I think that 75pc of the time we would pick the same things from a shop.”

Do you have a story for the Evening News? Contact reporter Kim Briscoe on 01603 772419 or email kim.briscoe@archant.co.uk