Marilyn Monroe: before and after pics

Photo credit: surgicallyenhancedstars.blogspot.com

Over the years, Hollywood icon and sex symbol Marilyn Monroe has always been a subject for speculation as to whether or not she went under the knife due to sheer disbelief of her beauty and comparison of old photos. Finally, her medical records have the answer.

The star's facial X-rays prove that she had plastic surgery done during her transformation from Norma Jean Baker to the famous blonde bombshell we all came to know.

To top it off, Marilyn fans can add these files to their memorabilia. Julien's Auction House puts up a collection of X-rays and doctor's notes documented by Hollywood cosmetic surgeon Michael Gurdin from 1950 to 1962 for sale. This includes a medical record that reveals Marilyn's chin implant made of carved bovine cartilage (under her alias "Joan Newman") for a chin deformity in 1950. It also shows a small nose fracture which proves that Monroe had a minor rhinoplasty beginning of her career. These files are dated June 7, 1962, a week after Marilyn's 36th birthday and just two months before her untimely death from barbiturates overdose.

Marilyn Monroe, under alias Joan Newman's facial X-ray

Photo credit: Julien's Auctions

"Nobody really thought about Marilyn Monroe having plastic surgery. It was always speculation - did she or didn't she," Martin Nolan, Julien's Auction executive director, told Reuters. "They thought she was a natural beauty... They didn't want to believe."

Within hours after announcing the pieces up for bid, Nolan reported that interested buyers in England, Australia, and Ireland have already contacted him. He estimates to sell around $20,000 to $30,000 for Monroe's medical records.

Marilyn Monroe's medical records reveal cosmetic surgery

Photo credit: Julien's Auctions

Proceeds will be donated to Rebuilding America's Warriors, a non-profit foundation that helps U.S. veterans receive reconstructive surgery for free. Marilyn entertained troops in Korea in the 1950s and this is her chance to help the troops out again.

Marilyn Monroe's life has been relentlessly examined by fans, biographers, and even FBI agents - from her Dickensian childhood, remarkable movie career, relationships with famous men down to her mysterious death. Along with the fascination of her beauty, now confirmed as enhanced by cosmetic surgery, here are some facts you may not know about Marilyn.

1. Monroe was 16 when she first married neighbor James Dougherty as a way to avoid being sent back to an orphanage after one of her many foster families could not care for her any longer.

2. Marilyn took literature classes at UCLA in her spare time and was well-read.

3. Monroe's pleated dress in the iconic billowing skirt scene was auctioned off by veteran movie actress, Debbi Reynolds for $5.6 million.

4. Norma Jean Mortensen (Baker) was aware that Marilyn Monroe was a Hollywood creation and of the differences between her private and onscreen self. Author and friend Truman Capote wrote that when he found her in front of the mirror and asked what she had been doing, she responded, "looking at her."

5. 50 years after her death, Marilyn Monroe claims 3.3 million Facebook friends. According to Forbes' annual list of Top-Earning Dead Celebrities, she came in third (behind Michael Jackson and Elvis Presley) and earned $27 million in 2012.

Monroe's biggest movies include 1953's "How to Marry a Millionaire," 1955's "The Seven Year Itch," and 1959's "Some like it Hot." The auction will happen on Nov. 9 and 10 by Julien's Auctions, Beverly Hills, California.