If you spent any time on the weird side of the internet over the last decade, you’ve definitely seen them. The twins. High, bulbous cheekbones that looked like they were trying to escape their skin. Chins that seemed sculpted from granite. For years, the internet was obsessed with the Grichka Bogdanoff plastic surgery rumors, turning the French TV stars into living memes long before they tragically passed away in early 2022.
But here’s the thing: Grichka and his brother Igor never actually admitted to it. Not once.
It’s kind of wild when you look at photos of them from the 1970s. Back then, they were the "it" boys of French television, hosting Temps X, a sci-fi show that basically introduced France to Star Trek and Doctor Who. They were genuinely handsome guys—chiseled, sure, but in a very natural, "boy band" sort of way. Fast forward to 2010 at the Cannes Film Festival, and they looked like they’d stepped out of one of the alien worlds they used to talk about on TV.
The Denial: Why Grichka Said It Wasn't Surgery
Honestly, the way Grichka handled the questions was fascinating. Whenever a reporter would ask about the "elephant in the room," he’d give these cryptic, almost scientific-sounding answers. They’d talk about "technological experiments" or "advanced protocols" they were testing. They loved the idea of being pioneers, not just in physics (which is a whole other controversy) but in human biology.
They once famously told an interviewer that they were "experimenting" with their own faces, but they were adamant that it wasn't "plastic surgery" in the way we think of it. No scalpels, no anesthesia. This led to a massive amount of speculation. Were they using experimental fillers? Were they just obsessed with a look that the rest of the world found jarring?
The "Alien" Aesthetic
The transformation didn't happen overnight. It was a slow, creeping change that started in the 1990s.
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- Cheekbones: They became increasingly prominent, eventually looking like large spheres under the skin.
- The Chin: Grichka’s chin lengthened and broadened significantly.
- The Lips: Both brothers developed incredibly full, almost swollen-looking lips.
Most experts who looked at the photos—people like Dr. Karan Chopra and other celebrity plastic surgeons—have pointed toward a likely combination of permanent fillers like silicone or fat grafting. When you put too much filler into the face over thirty years, the tissues eventually give way, leading to that "pillowy" but heavy look.
Was It Actually a Medical Condition?
One of the most common theories floating around—and one that honestly makes a lot of sense if you ignore the brothers' denials—is acromegaly.
Acromegaly is a hormonal disorder that develops when your pituitary gland produces too much growth hormone during adulthood. It causes your bones to increase in size, particularly in your hands, feet, and face. People with acromegaly often end up with a very specific look: a protruding jaw, a widened nose, and thickened lips.
Does that sound like the Grichka Bogdanoff plastic surgery results? Sorta.
But there’s a catch. Acromegaly usually affects the hands and feet too, and there was never any evidence that the twins had the "spade-like" hands associated with the disease. Plus, the chances of identical twins both developing the exact same rare pituitary tumor are astronomical. It’s much more likely that they were chasing a specific aesthetic—one that made them look more "extraterrestrial" and suited their brand as cosmic explorers.
The Luc Ferry Revelation
If you want the "insider" scoop, you have to look at what their close friends said. Luc Ferry, a former French Minister of Education and a long-time friend of the twins, spoke out after their deaths. He basically confirmed what everyone suspected but the brothers refused to say.
Ferry noted that they weren't sick; they were just chasing youth and a very specific, "refined" version of themselves. He mentioned Botox and other cosmetic treatments, suggesting that the brothers' refusal to admit to the work was part of the "mystery" they built around their lives. They wanted people to think they were evolving beyond the "human" standard.
The Tragedy of the Meme
It’s easy to joke about the memes. "Bogged" became a shorthand in the crypto world for market manipulation, usually featuring a photo of Grichka on the phone. But behind the memes was a real person with a real (and very strange) life.
Grichka and Igor were brilliant in their own way—they both held PhDs, even if the scientific community heavily disputed the validity of their theses (the "Bogdanov Affair"). They lived in a world of their own making, where science, science fiction, and physical appearance all blended into one weird reality.
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When they both died from COVID-19 within days of each other in late 2021/early 2022, the world finally stopped laughing at the photos and started looking at the tragedy of it. They were 72 years old, but they had spent decades trying to look like they were from the future.
Why It Matters Today
The Grichka Bogdanoff plastic surgery story is a cautionary tale about "filler fatigue" and the loss of perspective that can happen in the quest for a "perfect" or "unique" look.
- Tissue Overload: Your face can only hold so much volume before the skin loses its elasticity.
- The Echo Chamber: When you're a celebrity, you can usually find a doctor who will say "yes" to one more injection, even when they should be saying "no."
- Identity Loss: By the end, the brothers didn't look like themselves anymore. They looked like the characters they had created.
If you’re looking at these photos and wondering how to avoid a similar fate, the answer is usually "less is more." Modern cosmetic work is moving away from the "overfilled" look of the 2000s toward "Baby Botox" and subtle enhancements that respect the natural bone structure.
If you want to understand the psychological side of why someone would do this, you might find it helpful to research Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD). While never diagnosed in the twins, many experts suggest that the "twinning" of their surgeries indicates a shared obsession with a non-existent physical ideal.
Next Step: You might want to check out the early 1980s clips of Temps X on YouTube. Seeing Grichka before the transformations is the only way to truly appreciate how far down the rabbit hole he actually went.
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