Twins have identical makeover

They are twins and, like all twins, they think alike. They both decided they did not like the way they looked, and both decided to do something about it.

As the pictures show, the change was radical. Caroline and Catherine, 33, used a team of surgeons, stylists and make-up artists to make themselves look more like each other.

They claim they were sick of being known as the "ugly twin" and the "pretty twin". The list of procedures they went through in seven weeks included tummy tucks, major dental work and nose and breast reconstructions.

The pain each woman suffered was immense. "It was like a train had run over my chest," said Caroline. "The plastic surgery wasn't too bad but the dental work really hurt. I spent seven and a half hours in the chair one day. I had no idea how much it would hurt."

The surgery, which was paid for by the makers of Extreme Makeovers - on Living TV tonight at 10pm - cost almost £40,000.

"We would have never been able to afford it but it has really made a difference to our lives, particularly for Caroline," said Catherine. "I used to get upset at being known as the pretty twin. Now when we go out she seems to get more attention from guys than me, which is taking some getting used to."

The twins moved in together once the programme was finished, with Catherine leaving her home in San Jose, California, to be with Caroline in Carson City, Nevada. Catherine, a hair stylist, claims the surgery has "brought them closer together than ever". As children, the girls were identical. However, Catherine broke her sister's nose while playing when they were young.

This, coupled with the fact that their parents could only afford braces for Catherine, led to Caroline being known as the "ugly twin".

The list of procedures carried out on the two women is staggering. For Caroline, a dog groomer, everything from a tummy tuck to major dental reconstruction was crammed into seven weeks.

The biggest part of the makeover was correcting her teeth, which had grown weak due to a lack of dental care. "My teeth were almost crumbling in my mouth," she admitted. Dentists covered 20 of her teeth with porcelain veneers, remodelled her gums and carried out lip surgery and two root canal treatments.

She was also given a chin implant to improve her profile, along with a breast enlargement, thigh liposuction and nose reconstruction. "It's made a massive difference to my confidence," she said. "Since the surgery I've started my own business, which I just couldn't have done before. I would definitely do it again."

Even "pretty" Catherine was put under the knife. She had a tummy tuck, breast enlargement and other procedures.

Meanwhile, the terrestrial channel Five is planning to broadcast a new docu-soap that features plastic surgery. Doctors will provide commentaries as they perform the nips and tucks on Plastic Surgery Live.

The surgery will be shown "as live" with a short delay after it is performed, in what is thought to be a first for UK terrestrial television.

It follows the denunciation of several US reality shows featuring cosmetic surgery makeovers.