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While most of the kids on "Modern Family" have changed a bit as they've grown up, Reid Ewing admits his altered appearance was due to something a little more extreme.
In a new blog post for The Huffington Post, the actor -- who plays Haley Dunphy's sometimes-boyfriend Dylan -- reveals he's had numerous plastic surgeries since he started out on the show back in 2009 ... and blames body dysmorphia for his obsession with appearance.
"In 2008, when I was 19 years old, I made my first appointment to meet with a cosmetic surgeon. I genuinely believed if I had one procedure I would suddenly look like Brad Pitt," he reveals in a very candid blog.
He then explains how he woke up from his first surgery "screaming my head off in pain," before spending two weeks in a hotel hiding from the world while he recovered.
"After all the swelling finally went down, the results were horrendous. The lower half of my cheeks were as hollow as a corpse's, which, I know, is the opposite of what you'd expect, as they are called cheek implants," he continues.
He then went to another doctor, who suggested he get a chin implant.
"Only a few days passed when I noticed I could move the chin implant under my skin, easily moving it from one side of my face to another," his horror story continues. "I rushed back to the surgeon, and acknowledging he had made a mistake, he operated on me again."
Ewing says he was 20 at the time of these procedures -- and would go under the knife "several" more times with two more doctors over the next couple years.
"Each procedure would cause a new problem that I would have to fix with another procedure. Anyone who has had a run-in with bad cosmetic surgery knows this is true. In terms of where I got the money to fund my procedures, it may not be as expensive as you would think," he explains. The new business model for cosmetic surgeons is to charge less and get more people in and out. I used the money I saved from acting and then borrowed from my parents and grandmother when I was most desperate."
"Much of this was going on during the same time period I was shooting 'Modern Family,'" he adds. "Most of the times I was on camera were when I'd had the numerous implants removed and was experimenting with less-noticeable changes to my face, like injectable fillers and fat transfers. None of them last very long or are worth the money."
Finally, in 2012, he vowed never to have another surgery -- and hopes his story will help others seriously consider the implications of their actions before going under the knife.
"Before seeking to change your face, you should question whether it is your mind that needs fixing," he says.
"Plastic surgery is not always a bad thing. It often helps people who actually need it for serious cases, but it's a horrible hobby, and it will eat away at you until you have lost all self-esteem and joy," he adds in conclusion. "I wish I could go back and undo all the surgeries. Now I can see that I was fine to begin with and didn't need the surgeries after all."
