ALISON BOSHOFF: The secret behind Simon Cowell’s striking new look is a £25 Korean face mask 

Simon Cowell’s beauty regimen, which already includes Botox, fillers and lots of hair care and colouring, has been expanded to include regular use of an Insta-famous face mask from South Korea, which costs $30 a time (£25 ).

The cult Hanacure face masks promise instant firming and brightening and the ‘reversal’ of numerous signs of aging, including wrinkles, hyperpigmentation and loss of elasticity.

A gel and a serum are painted onto the skin, and the reaction between them causes the mask to dry to a stiff crust that makes it impossible to talk, eat and drink for about 30 minutes, before washing it off.

A friend in Cowell’s field says he recently started using them and swears by the results. The recommendation is to use one a week for a month. One friend said: ‘He’s a big fan and he’s also been turning his friends and colleagues into them.’ This is said to explain the current brightness of him.

Simon, pictured on the left in 2002, compared to his new look in 2022, on the right

And the secret? This all-in-one facial from South Korea. Hanacure is available for £25 and has become a phenomenon on Instagram due to its impressive results.

Other famous fans of Hanacure, which launched in 2017, include Kim Kardashian and actress Drew Barrymore, who shared photos of herself in the ‘crust’ stage on Instagram. One beauty writer said that she made her look like one of the Stone Men in Game of Thrones.

Cowell, 63, has long been open about his beauty regimen. Fifteen years ago, he would gleefully admit that he used Botox when she considered it unusual. He said: ‘I’ve had Botox, but then again, almost everyone I know has. Botox is no more unusual to me than toothpaste. Works. You do it once a year, who cares?

And when asked what he did and when, he would often quip, ‘Maintenance sucks!’

He has suffered various health problems in recent years. He was hospitalized in October 2017 after collapsing at his London home and falling down the stairs. He said: ‘Sometimes we get a reminder that we are not invincible and this was certainly mine.

‘It was a big shock. They think I passed out because I had low blood pressure, so I have to take good care of myself to fix it.

He began a diet, losing three stones. He denied getting a gastric band after America’s Got Talent viewers were shocked by how different he looked.

Take a look at our ever-changing faces of Simon Cowell from 1985 to 2022, here.

Who? Simon Cowell’s ‘unrecognizable’ appearance left fans in shock after he took the stage at the Royal Variety Performance this week.

My God! He previously raised concern from fans in a new video shared on social media earlier this month.

Other celebrities, including Drew Barrymore (pictured), also wear the Hanacure face mask.

He said: ‘People have said, ‘Oh, they put a gastric band on,’ but I didn’t. If he had, he would admit it. This diet is all about what you put into your body.

He continued: “I met this doctor in Los Angeles and he told me my diet was terrible and I had to cut out fatty foods and certain drinks.” I could see the difference. Cutting out the sugar made a big difference.’

Some viewers of X Factor: Celebrity in 2019 were concerned that she seemed to be slurring her words, but she simply had new veneers on her teeth.

There were also reports of a neck lift or facelift with threads at this time, but he did not confirm them. He said: ‘There are many things you can do now. You don’t just have to fill your face with fillers and Botox. But you have to be very careful with some of these things.

In August 2020, he broke his back after falling off his electric bike in Malibu. He had a six hour operation and metal bars were put in his back. As part of his recovery, he began walking as a hobby.

2022: The music mogul turned heads during his appearance at the Variety Club Showbusiness Awards in November, where he was joined by glamor couple Lauren Silverman.

The many faces of Simon Cowell have been documented by MailOnline this month.

Cowell is currently on vacation in Barbados with his fiancee Lauren Silverman and their son Eric. On Christmas Eve last year, he proposed to her on a beach in the same country in front of Eric and Cowell’s stepson, Adam.

However, despite the rumors that they will get married in the Caribbean this year, they tell me: ‘You can rest assured, there will be no wedding this Christmas.’

Plans are developing, very slowly, for a small wedding sometime next year, most likely in the UK.

Comedian Frank Skinner said: “I remember Simon Cowell when he had his first face. I’ve known him for a long time. The current one is a bit Slipknot. He’s actually quite scary.

‘It looks like his nose is juggling his eyes. They are at different levels. You’d think a man with his money could get the best plastic surgeon in the world.