Honestly, if you’ve watched even five minutes of The Valley or scrolled through Instagram lately, you’ve probably noticed something. Brittany Cartwright looks different. Like, really different. It isn’t just a new haircut or a "clean girl" makeup routine. She’s been incredibly open about it, too. In a world where most reality stars swear they’ve just been drinking more water and doing Pilates, Brittany is refreshingly blunt about her "mommy makeover" and the various procedures she’s had since her early days on Vanderpump Rules.
People have been obsessing over the Brittany Cartwright before and after plastic surgery transformation for years. It’s a lot to keep track of. From the controversial breast augmentation she got back in 2016 to her recent post-divorce "revenge body" procedures, her look has evolved alongside her life.
The Kentucky Girl Next Door (The "Before")
When Brittany first appeared on our screens in 2015, she was the ultimate Kentucky sweetheart. She had this very natural, girl-next-door vibe that fans immediately loved. She was beautiful, sure, but she wasn't "Hollywood" yet. No heavy fillers. No sculpted jawline. Just a sweet face and a big smile.
Then came the first major change.
If you remember Season 4 of Vanderpump Rules, you remember the boob job. It was a whole storyline. Jax Taylor, her now-estranged husband, famously paid for her breast augmentation and—in typical Jax fashion—pushed for them to be bigger than she initially wanted. She ended up with a size that many fans felt was a bit too large for her frame. It changed her silhouette entirely, often making her look "top-heavy" in certain outfits.
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The Journey to a "Mommy Makeover"
Fast forward to 2021. Brittany and Jax welcomed their son, Cruz. Like many women, Brittany’s body changed after pregnancy. She’s been very vocal about struggling with weight gain and losing her confidence during that time. She dealt with diastasis recti—a condition where the abdominal muscles separate—which left her with a "shelf" on her stomach that wouldn't go away no matter how much she worked out.
She felt stuck.
In late 2024 and early 2025, Brittany decided to take back control. She went for what she calls a full "mommy makeover," and the results are pretty staggering.
What she actually got done:
- Abdominal Reconstruction: This was the big one. Surgeons went in to repair those separated muscles and tighten everything up.
- Tummy Tuck: She had excess skin removed from her lower abdomen. She even joked that they "moved her belly button up."
- Liposuction: She had fat removed from her back, sides, and stomach to regain the "waist" she felt she’d lost.
- Breast Reduction & Lift: This was a huge turning point. After years of being an E or F cup, she had her old 10-year-old implants removed and replaced with smaller ones. She’s now closer to a C or D cup, and honestly? She looks way more proportional.
The AirSculpt and the "Frown Face"
Before the big October 2025 makeover, there was the chin situation. During the first season of The Valley, fans noticed her face looked a little... stiff. She was wearing a chin strap in several scenes.
Brittany didn't hide it. She explained that she had liposuction under her chin and a treatment called Morpheus8 to tighten the skin. She called her double chin the "turkey gobbler" and said it just ran in her family. The recovery coincided with filming, which led to what she called her "frown face" on camera because her muscles were still settling.
She also had a secret AirSculpt session in May 2024. She wanted to feel good for the summer and get her "sparkle" back after a brutal year of marital issues. AirSculpt is basically a less invasive version of lipo that tightens skin while it sucks out fat. She did her stomach and was literally out at dinner that same night.
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Why the Change Matters
The Brittany Cartwright before and after plastic surgery conversation isn't just about vanity. If you listen to her talk about it on her podcast, When Reality Hits, it sounds more like a mental health journey. She admitted that being "torn down" in her relationship with Jax had destroyed her self-esteem.
"I wanted to feel as good on the outside as I feel on the inside," she told People.
Is it "revenge"? Maybe a little. But mostly, it seems like she’s trying to find the version of herself that got lost somewhere between Kentucky and a chaotic marriage in Los Angeles. She’s lost a significant amount of weight—dropping over 40 pounds—and the surgery was the "cherry on top" to fix the things that diet and exercise couldn't touch.
The Realities of Recovery
Don't let the "one and done" marketing fool you; Brittany’s recent surgeries were intense. She shared photos of herself with surgical drains and bandages. She couldn't get out of bed for a week. She had to have someone stay with her 24/7 to lift her up so she could go to the bathroom.
It wasn't a "lunchtime procedure." It was major surgery.
But for her, the temporary pain was worth the "life-changing" results. She’s back in her "sparkle" era, wearing clothes she hasn't touched in years and walking with a different kind of energy.
Taking a Page from Brittany’s Book
If you're looking at Brittany’s transformation and thinking about your own "mommy makeover" or a similar procedure, there are a few things you should actually do before booking a consult:
- Research the "Why": Brittany was very clear that she did this for her own confidence after a major life shift. Make sure you aren't doing it to please someone else (like she arguably did with her first boob job).
- Check for Diastasis Recti: If your stomach "pooches" out after kids, it might be a muscle issue that no amount of sit-ups will fix. Consult a specialist to see if reconstruction is actually what you need.
- Plan for the "Downtime": As Brittany showed, major abdominal work requires a support system. You’ll need a "Zach" (her best friend who helped her) to stay with you for at least the first week.
- Manage Expectations: Scars are real. Stitches are real. Brittany mentioned she’ll need laser treatments and creams to help the scars fade. Plastic surgery is a trade-off: you trade the "shelf" for a scar.
Brittany Cartwright's journey is a wild reminder that even under the glare of reality TV cameras, these decisions are deeply personal. She looks great, but more importantly, she finally seems to like what she sees in the mirror.