Can Simon Cowell's head get any bigger? From chiselled youth to fleshy-faced mogul, we look at the changing face of the X Factor supremo

• Simon's large head took centre stage on this week's X Factor
  
• His cheeks appeared puffy and face inflated
  
• Doctors blame star's aesthetic treatment
• Factors such as lack of sleep and sun damage could perpetuate cycle

By Naomi Greenaway for MailOnline

Published: 09:23 EDT, 2 September 2014 | Updated: 07:30 EDT, 3 September 2014

The X Factor's search for the next 'big thing' commenced this weekend, but the judges need look no further than Simon Cowell's face, which is possibly the biggest thing on the show.

Of late, the new dad's face seems to have inflated somewhat. The difference between Simon's appearance now and when he first appeared on the X Factor in 2002 is startling.

So what might be causing this puffiness? 'Let's be frank. The first and most obvious factor is that he’s put on weight. He’s aged, he's over 50 and it shows,' says Harley Street cosmetic doctor Dr Dan Dhunna. Although admittedly, at 55, the music mogul is looking pretty good.

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Left: Simon slim-faced in 1985; Right: Looking puffy-faced in 2012

‘I’ve met Simon several times - backstage at X Factor a few years ago and at charity events - and, gosh, his face has really changed since then.'

But are there are other factors that have caused this mega transformation from the slim-faced Simon who dated Sanita back in the eighties to the puffy version we see on our screens today?

'It looks like he's had fillers in the cheek area to try and improve the contours and lift the lower face but as a result he looks a little unnatural and too cheeky,' says Dr Dhunna.

The changing face of Simon: in the eighties (left) and in 2001 (right)

He may not have change his T-shirt but he does change his face: in 2002 (left) and 2003 (right)

'In my opInion some celebrities, like Melanie Griffiths and Madonna, have over-filled their faces in the cheek area and I think he's fallen into that trap,' he continues.

'Men generally have flat faces with only a little bit of a cheek bone. Unfortunately some cosmetic doctors don’t understand the artistics between male and female face and they inflate the male face like it's a woman's.

'So you get these round cheeks like Simon's, which doesn’t work on a man because it looks abnormal,' he adds.

It's no secret that Simon has a penchant for Botox. During an interview with newsreader Emily Maitlis, published in the Radio Times last year he said of his lifestyle, ‘I work out three or four times a week, I have Botox, take tons of vitamins and vitamin infusions.’

Dr Dhunna also points out that Simon's large head is caught in a vicious cycle. 'He’s been very vocal about having Botox treatment but the problem is, if you have treatment over time, the forehead maintains smoothness but the rest of the face loosens, which can look quite odd in comparison. This perpetuates the need for fillers in the cheek area.'

The widening face of Simon: in 2004 (left) and 2005 (right)

Same outfit, different year: in 2008 (left) and 2010 (right)

According to Dr Dhunna, Simon's sun habit also means he's more likely to keep needing fillers. 'You always see pictures of Simon on his jet ski in Barbados but all that sun exposure is robbing the skin of collagen and elastin, which makes it loser so the tissues sag more. So when you try to improve that with fillers, the cycle continues.'

Medical aesthetic doctor, Dr Carolyn Berry adds that there are many other factors that can cause a puffy face, known in medical terms as a 'moon face'.

'Alcohol, steroid treatment, and lifestyle choices can all be a factor. People take steroids for all sorts of reasons from asthma to atheritis. But there are other medications that can also cause the face to flare up,' she says.

A smiling Simon: in 2011 (left) and 2012 (right)

The latest inflation: in 2013 (left) and this weekend (right)

'In Simon's case it's most likely to be a combination of lifestyle choices and problems with the aesthetic treatment he's had. Maybe he's had Botox too close to filming and it hasn't settled down,' continues Dr Berry.

'If you think about Simon’s lifestyle, he's admitted before that he doesn’t sleep well and if he isn't getting a decent night's sleep that could contribute to a bloated appearance,' adds Dr Berry.

When he appeared on Piers Morgan's Life Stories a few year ago, the 55-year-old admitted, 'Almost every night I will be working until four or five in the morning...I take sleeping pills almost every night because I freak out at the thought that I can't sleep. The more I think about it, the more it bothers me.'

And with a new baby in his life, Simon's sleeping regime is likely to have further deteriorated.

Well if this season's talent isn't engaging enough, at least there is something to keep us transfixed by the X Factor - the enigma that is Simon Cowell's inflatable head.

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