Who

Perricone is the beefy dermatologist known for his line of overpriced skincare, bestselling books, frequent TV appearances, and frequent marriages.

Backstory

Perricone was a run-of-the-mill, Yale-affiliated Connecticut dermatologist when he began his conquest of the high-end skincare industry with a line of dermatological products and a bestselling 2000 book, The Wrinkle Cure. Although Yale declined to renew his contract in 2002, citing his controversial methods, Perricone has been crying all the way to the bank: Over the past half-decade, he's authored a half-dozen bestselling books, his line of cosmeceuticals now grosses tens of millions every year, and he has a glossy retail flagship on Madison Avenue. And although it isn't quite Yale, Perricone has a new faculty title on his resume these days—he's now an adjunct professor at his alma mater, Michigan State. Of course, it probably didn't hurt that he gave $5 million to the school to endow its dermatology program, which is now known as the Perricone Division of Dermatology and Cutaneous Sciences.

Of note

Perricone argues that skin breakouts and wrinkles can be cured with the right diet, nutriceuticals, and cosmeceuticals (his own, of course). His many detractors in the medical community point out that Perricone's theories haven't been properly tested and there isn't any peer-reviewed research to support his claims. Of course, Perricone's recommended diet—lots of fish protein, no junk food, lots of water—isn't going to do you any harm (whether you want to eat salmon three times a day is another issue). His product line, however, comes with a considerable risk factor: going broke. A small bottle of N.V, Perricone "firming mist," for example, will set you back $140.

In print

Perricone is the author of several books, all of which expound pretty much the same philosophy. Titles in the Perricone oeuvre include The Perricone Promise, The Perricone Prescription, The Wrinkle Cure, The Perricone Weight Loss Diet, and Dr. Perricone's 7 Secrets to Beauty, Health and Longevity.

Personal

Perricone has yet to author a book on healthy relationships, but that might be because he's been married and divorced four times. His divorce battle with his fourth wife—a former call girl named Madeleine—has been described as one of the costliest divorces in Connecticut history; the couple has spent years engaged in a nasty battle over custody of their daughter, Caitlin. (Madeleine claims that Perricone cheated and was prone to fits of rage; Perricone has accused Madeleine of being a clean freak and constantly scrubbing their child down with antiseptic wipes.) Perricone has two other kids from a previous marriage, Nicholas Jr. and Jeffrey. He lives in the Connecticut town of Madison and owns a beach home in Florida.

True story

The beefy Perricone is a big fan of weightlifting. But he didn't get that big nibbling on salmon steaks. In a court proceeding related to his divorce, Perricone admitted to injecting the human growth hormone Genotropin to bulk up.