Life with a lift

Mike Sciacca

If you didn’t know Mike Verlich prior to 2005, you’d never know he

had physically undergone a major transformation at the end of last

year.

The Huntington Beach resident, 38, became a “new” person in August

when he became a participant on the ABC’s “Extreme Makeover.”

Verlich, who is a member of the Los Angeles Sheriffs Dept. Motor

Detail, had 11 procedures performed and was featured on the show’s

first national broadcast of the new year on Jan. 6.

Despite the numerous surgical procedures he went through during a

10 1/2 hour operation on Friday, Aug. 13, the changes in his

appearance seem subtle when you meet him.

The outcome for Verlich, however, went well beyond any surgery.

“It’s hard to explain what the change has done for me, except that

it has brought me a security within myself and a confidence in my

appearance,” he said.

Verlich was a nice-looking person to begin with, but insecurities

in regard to his ears -- which date back to his childhood, he said --

as well as sinus problems he suffered due to the five times he

fractured his nose, had him interested in correcting “the problems.”

“I had set aside money to have my ears and nose fixed,” he said.

“Then, this program came along. I had been through a lot recently, so

I figured, why not go for it now?”

Verlich, a former U.S. national couples figure skater and

alternate to the 1992 U.S. Olympic team, had been reeling from the

break-off of his engagement to his fiance just days before their

scheduled wedding last spring.

In July, he went to an open casting call for “Extreme Makeover.”

After a few interviews, he was selected for the show.

His procedures didn’t cost him a dime.

“They paid for everything,” he said.

That “everything” included a nose job, lower eyelid lift, chin

implant, ears pinned back, liposuction of the abdomen, “love handles”

and chin, removal of skin cancer, tattoo removal, Botox on forehead

and frown lines, LASIK eye surgery, eight upper and four lower

veneers and Zoom whitening done to his teeth.

His surgeries were performed in Beverly Hills by members of the

“Extreme Team,” which included prominent plastic surgeons, eye

surgeons and cosmetic dentists, hair and makeup artists, a stylist

and a personal trainer.

Verlich recuperated in what is called the, “Makeover Mansion,”

described as a “luxury mansion” tucked away in the Hollywood Hills.

In addition, Verlich dropped a total of 36 pounds, and now weighs

192.

Yep, there’s a new sheriff in town.

“I was swollen and bruised, so it was hard to appreciate the

transformation right away,” said Verlich, noting that it can take up

to six months for a patient to begin wearing their “new look” well.

“But the biggest thing right off the bat, was my teeth. They had

spaces in them before and were duller, but now they were so straight

and so white. I thought I looked like Tiger Woods.

“I always hid my smile before. Now, I smile a lot.”

Verlich said he was never worried about catching any gruff from

his family, friends and co-workers, for undergoing the transformation

and having his makeover aired on national television.

All were supportive, he said, stating that only a couple of people

had liked him the way he looked prior to his transformation.

Bud Radovich, a friend and roommate of Verlich, was one of those

people.

“I’ve known Mike awhile, and I liked the way he looked before,” he

said. “He was a nice-looking guy already, but when he revealed his

new look, he looked like a Ken doll. His new look threw me off. He

looked good, but it was just a shocker, seeing the ‘new’ Mike. The

first thing I noticed were the teeth. Man, they were so white but

now, they’ve toned down a bit.

“What’s funny is that he looks better a couple of months after the

surgery, because the swelling has gone down even more. But is Mike

the same guy he was before? Yes, he’s the same guy. He’s just a good,

sensitive guy. This is a good thing he’s done for himself. We used to

call him, ‘Compton Mike,’ because he used to work in Compton. Now, we

call him, ‘Malibu Mike.’”

Radovich was one of several friends and family members who

gathered at the Muckenthaler Cultural Center in Fullerton for the

taped unveiling of the “new” Mike Verlich last Sept. 29.

Verlich was kept under wraps, so to speak, from the media until

after the show ran on Jan. 6.

He watched the show with friends at Hurricanes in Downtown

Huntington Beach.

“Watching the reactions at the ‘reveal’ taping was priceless,”

Verlich said. “I looked a the different faces that were there.

Everyone, at that moment, was forming their own opinion, and you

could see it on their faces. I will never forget that.”

It is said that you can’t judge a book by its cover. Even though

Verlich has had his external appearance altered, he says the interior

will stay the same.

“Anybody who knows me, knows I’m the same Mike that I was before,”

he said. “They all say that the surgery didn’t change me, just the

way I look. The difference would be for the people who didn’t know

the old Mike, but it’s just the physical.

“I ultimately did this for me, and I’m glad I did. I never felt

that this wasn’t the right thing to do. I’d recommend this to anyone

who wants to feel better about the way they look. I definitely feel

better about myself.”