Danish PM rebuffs plastic surgeon's unsolicited beauty advice

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen has publicly responded to a male plastic surgeon who offered unsolicited advice about her appearance, including a proposal to 'fix' a small spot on her nose. She received the message shortly after returning from a visit to Ukraine, during which she was exposed to air raid sirens.

Frederiksen, a member of the Social Democrats and Denmark's second female prime minister, shared a screenshot of the exchange on Instagram, in which the unidentified doctor offered to address the mark on her nose. Her reply was direct: she said she was happy with her body and did not need a male plastic surgeon's opinion on it.

Years of appearance-based comments

The prime minister said she has lost count of the messages she has received over the years about her looks, including comments calling her teeth and hair unattractive, criticism of a mark on her nose, and unsolicited suggestions to get Botox. The 48-year-old, who has led Denmark — an EU and Nato member — since 2019 and is one of Europe's longest-serving heads of government, has gained a higher international profile this year for standing up to US President Donald Trump's repeated claims regarding Greenland, a semi-autonomous Danish territory. She is also a strong supporter of Ukraine in its fight against Russian aggression.

Frederiksen said she does not offer opinions on other people's appearances and encouraged the public to focus on more meaningful topics when writing to her. While she said such remarks left her feeling indignant, she added that she was thinking of everyone who has to live with their own 'imperfections' every day.