Like steroids in sports, surgical enhancements are the dirty little secret of the beauty pageant world. But, unlike steroids, artificial enhancements in beauty competition aren't banned, or even particularly frowned upon.

Ligron said it is commonplace for contestants to remove a rib or two to make their waist smaller, to have breast augmentation, nose reshaping or eyebrow lifting. Complete reworking of the teeth is also de rigeuer.

"I guarantee you, of the five women on the stage, most of them had plastic surgery," she said of this year's Miss Universe final. Along with Mori, the other four finalists were from the United States, Venezuela, Brazil and South Korea.

In the United States, the subject caused a stir in 1983 when it was revealed that Miss America Debra Maffett had undergone surgery on her nose and breasts after previously losing the Miss Texas title. The Miss USA pageant has no limits on cosmetic surgery, although it has allowed contestants to use padding since 1990 to discourage breast implants.

Ligron makes all of her protege sign a statement that they were not encouraged by her staff to undergo surgery of any kind. They must also inform her of any work they have had done in the past.

Ligron said one concern is health — going under the knife involves an element of risk, and organizers don't want to get sued for encouraging a botched nose job. But another concern is that, if a contestant hits it big, before-and-after photographs are bound to surface.

"If it's very obvious, we don't want girls who look like Michael Jackson," she said. "Imagine if a girl has an operation and something goes wrong. This would be a big scandal."

But it's complicated.

Ligron says that if, for example, an otherwise beautiful woman with floppy ears gets them fixed, on her own, without coaxing, well, "I'm so happy. Thanks, you know?"

"It's the girl's decision," she shrugged. "I cannot control that."

To many contestants, that's a green light.

Rita Lamah, the 2nd runner-up in the 2003 Miss Lebanon contest, said she feels that contestants should be free to choose whether or not they opt for cosmetic surgery.

"Nowadays, through the plastic surgery, everyone can be beautiful, which, I believe, is definitely a great achievement," she said.

Ligron said surgery on the eyelids — to make the eyes appear bigger and more Western _ is especially common with Asian women. Enhancements are no guarantee of success, though.

The contestant who couldn't lift her arms — because she had just had her breasts enlarged — was vying for the Japan title last year. She was among the first that Ligron weeded out.

Nishigaki, meanwhile, is still undecided about whether she will keep her earlobes.

"But I think that getting them fixed could make me more confident," she said. "And that's what really counts."

When Riyo Mori walks into a room, she owns it.

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