Plastic surgeons EXPLAIN Tom Cruise’s mysterious ‘sagging’ skin and how his physique stacks up

Tom Cruise, now 61, has fronted seven Mission Impossible movies and two Top Guns, and claims he performs his own stunts on every shoot.

But the recent images of the father of-three show his physique doesn’t quite match up to that of other Hollywood actors of the same age; Brad Pitt, 60 and Benjamin Bratt, also 60, who have similarly ripped physiques but without the sagginess.

What Fans Think

Fans were quick to react to his pictures on a Spanish beach – noting that his torso, while defined, looked as thought it was ‘sagging’.

Some suggested the loose skin indicated that the star has undergone cosmetic surgery like peck implants or even liposuction.

Did Tom Cruise Perform Plastic Surgery?

Now, plastic surgeons and fitness experts have explained why the bizarre aesthetic might have developed. 

Why Tom Cruise’s Torso Looks Sagging

Loose skin around the midriff could be a result of liposuction, according to Dr David Hill, a Chicago plastic surgeon.

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What is Liposuction?

Liposuction is a procedure that involves sucking out small areas of fat in areas of the body where deposits collect, such as the bottom, hips, thighs and abdomen.

‘Usually, if you lose weight naturally over time, you get less of that skin rippling and irregularity, because it’s gradual,’ said Dr Hill.

‘With liposuction, because it’s more immediate, the skin doesn’t have time to contract as much… so Tom’s Cruise’s saggy skin could be a hallmark of [liposuction].’

But if he has had the procedure done, the surgery has been done well, Dr Hill said.

‘I don’t see any hallmarks of irregular contour on his body that would suggest bad liposuction, but there is enhanced muscle definition, which is reflective of his earlier photos when he was younger. If they did it, they did it well,’ he said.

Dr Howard Sobel, cosmetic dermatologic surgeon at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York, however, said it is not possible to tell for sure whether or not Mr Cruise has had liposuction.

The skin sagging we see in the images, he says, is merely a natural sign of ageing.  

‘In any 61-year-old guy you would expect to have some skin sagging, because as we get older, we lose that elasticity in our skin.

‘The areas of your chest, and the areas below your chest, the skin around your ribs and your abs are very often the first to lose the elasticity, especially in a man.’