Exclusive Interview! Lisa Rinna Reveals: 'How I Told My Daughters About My Lip Reduction Surgery'

The mother of two and the star of the new reality show Harry Loves Lisa says she discussed her recent lip reduction surgery with her two girls: “They knew I was tired of people only seeing my lips.”

Over the years, Lisa Rinna’s oversize pucker has made even more headlines than her career (which boasts long-running stints on Days of Our Lives and Melrose Place). So with her recent lip-reduction surgery behind her — as well as the debut of her new reality show, Harry Loves Lisa, with husband Harry Hamlin (Wednesdays at 10 p.m. EST on TV Land) and the release of her second book, Starlit — Lisa, 47, is back to focusing on what matters most: her family. The mom of Delilah, 12, and Amelia, 9, talks with HollyBaby.com about postpartum depression and being a MILF and says she was honest with her kids about her plastic surgery. She admits, “I don’t think they would ever do something like that.”

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Did you have a conversation with your daughters about your recent lip-reduction surgery?
Yes, I did. They understood it. They knew I was tired of people only seeing my lips. My girls would love me anyway, though. I’m their mom! But I was open and honest with them — like I am with everything. I think honesty and love are the best things you can give your kids. Also, it’s important to be in the moment 100 percent and not thinking of your grocery list, or all the other things you have to do, when you’re spending time with them. Being present as a parent gives your kids higher self-esteem than anything.

People say raising girls is much harder than raising boys. What’s the hardest part for you?
I just want to raise strong women, who go after their dreams and aren’t afraid to stand up for themselves. That can be hard because I don’t think I had high self-esteem growing up. So I try to tell them how great they are and how important the inside is and not the outside. But I think I’m a good example of what not to do in a lot of ways, like going out and having my lip done at 24. My girls see that it’s crazy to try to change yourself. I don’t think they would ever do something like that.

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You’ve spoken out about your postpartum depression after having both of your girls. What can you tell other moms who might be going through it themselves?
Get help. Talk about it. It’s so taboo. You think, “How can I feel this way after having a beautiful child?” But we’ve seen on the news what happens when people suffer alone — there can be very tragic consequences. I had a woman come up to me in the bathroom in Target who said, “Thank you so much for talking about postpartum. I wanted to kill myself. I was so in the depths of darkness and I felt so alone. But I thought, ‘Wow, if Lisa Rinna went through it, maybe I can get through it.’” So I’m so glad I opened up about it. Other women need to know that they’re not alone.

You write books, have a new show, run a clothing boutique and are a hands-on mom to your two daughters. Do you have any advice for moms trying to juggle it all?
Moms just need to believe in themselves and pat themselves on the back more, and know that they’re doing the best job that they can. There’s no reason why you can’t be a mother and work or follow your passion or start a small business. We can do anything we put our minds to. We might be exhausted at the end of the day, but we can do it!

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When’s the last time you patted yourself on the back for a job well done?
That’s rare! Recently, it was 11 p.m. and I thought to myself, “Damn, I can’t believe I started at 6 a.m. and I’m just finishing now, but I got it all done. I dropped this one off and picked this one up and carpooled here…” Like most moms, I think I’m actually stronger and more capable than I give myself credit for. Moms are always looking at what we didn’t get right. We need to cut ourselves some slack.

What’s the hardest question you’ve had to answer as a parent?
One of the hardest was, “Mom, why didn’t you graduate from college?” It was a really hard question because of course you want your kids to go to college. I was just really honest and I told them that at the time I wanted to be an actor and I wasn’t accepted into the “Acting 2” class, and I thought, “I don’t want to continue to go to school because I knew I was there to act.” So I said to them, “I didn’t continue. But if I could do it again, I wish I would have.”

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You’ve been described as a MILF. How does that make you feel?
It feels good. I like the fact that I’m 47 and I work hard and I still look good and I feel good. So why shouldn’t that be celebrated? That’s a good message to send to women of all ages: You’re never too old to be sexy!

—Patty Adams Martinez