Everyone knows the laugh. That loud, slightly chaotic, 100% authentic cackle that made Chrissy Teigen the undisputed queen of Twitter back in the day. But lately, the conversation has shifted. If you’ve spent any time on TikTok or Instagram recently, you’ve seen the side-by-side comparisons and the "analysis" videos. People are obsessed with Chrissy Teigen before plastic surgery and how much her face has changed since those early Sports Illustrated days.
Honestly, it's kinda wild how much we scrutinize her. She’s one of the few A-listers who actually tells us what she’s doing while she’s still in the recovery room. No "I just drink a lot of water" or "it's just a new contouring kit" here. She’s literally posted photos with her head wrapped in bandages.
But to understand the "after," you have to look at where she started.
The Early Days: Before the Sculpted Jawline
Before the cookbooks and the Cravings empire, Chrissy was a girl working at a surf shop in Huntington Beach. When she was discovered at 19, her look was the definition of "California cool." Think rounder cheeks, softer features, and a lot of early-2000s lip gloss.
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When she made her debut in the 2010 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue, she had what the internet likes to call a "baby face." Her cheeks were naturally full. It’s that youthful volume that most people pay thousands of dollars to get back once they hit 40.
But Teigen has always been open about the fact that her "before" wasn't entirely "natural" either.
In a 2020 interview with Glamour UK, she dropped a bit of a bombshell: she actually had breast implants when she was 20. She was just starting out in the modeling world and wanted to look a certain way for swimsuit shoots. "I thought if I’m going to be posing, laid on my back, I want them to be perky!" she said.
It's a refreshingly honest take. Most models from that era would rather admit to a crime than admit to an enhancement at 20.
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The Timeline of "Tweakments"
If you're looking for a single moment where everything changed, you won't find it. It's been a slow, steady evolution. Chrissy doesn't do "secret" surgeries. She does "Instagram Live from the hospital bed" surgeries.
- The Armpit Lipo: Back in 2017, she told Refinery29 that she had liposuction on her armpits. Yes, her armpits. She said it made her feel more confident in sleeveless dresses and "added two inches of length" to her arms. She later joked that the fat came back, but the honesty was already out there.
- The Breast Implant Removal: This was a huge deal in 2020. After years of having implants, she decided she was over it. She wanted to be able to "zip a dress in my size" and "lay on my belly with pure comfort." She even shared the "Bye Boobies" card her daughter Luna made for her.
- The Buccal Fat Removal: This is the one that really changed her facial structure. In 2021, she confirmed she saw Dr. Jason Diamond for buccal fat removal. This procedure takes out the fat pads in the lower cheeks to create a more chiseled, hollowed-out look.
- The Eyebrow Transplant: Sick of filling in over-plucked brows from her teens, she had hair follicles moved from the back of her head to her eyebrows.
- The Hairline Lowering: Most recently, in 2025, she shared that she underwent a hairline lowering procedure. She mentioned she’d lost hair in the front after having her four kids and was tired of relying on extensions for red carpets.
Why Do People Care So Much?
It’s about the "Uncanny Valley" effect. When we see someone we’ve "known" for 15 years suddenly look structurally different, our brains do a double-take.
The buccal fat removal, in particular, was polarizing. Some fans loved the high-fashion, sculpted look. Others felt it aged her or took away the "friendly" softness of the Chrissy Teigen before plastic surgery era.
But there’s a deeper layer to this. By being so blunt about her procedures, Chrissy is actually doing us a favor. She’s breaking the illusion. When you see a celebrity with a razor-sharp jawline and no forehead wrinkles, and they claim it’s just "clean eating," it creates an impossible standard.
Chrissy says, "Hey, I paid for this. Here are the bandages. It hurt."
It makes the "perfection" feel like a product you can buy, rather than a genetic moral failing if you don't have it.
The Reality of Aging in the Spotlight
Let’s be real for a second. Being a woman in Hollywood is a lose-lose situation. If you age naturally, you’re "letting yourself go." If you get work done, you’re "fake."
Chrissy has navigated this by basically saying "whatevs" to the critics. Whether she’s showing off her C-section scars or her breast lift scars (which she recently pointed out in a sheer dress at an event), she refuses to hide the "work" of being a person.
She's also dealt with the fluctuating weight that comes with four pregnancies. That changes a face too. She’s been accused of over-using fillers, but she’s hit back on Instagram, attributing some of the puffiness to natural weight changes and her journey with sobriety.
"You can't set these expectations for people that everything is perfect. Everyone filters their sh*t... It’s lying to people by omission." — Chrissy Teigen to Glamour UK.
What We Can Learn From the "Before and After"
If you're looking at old photos of Chrissy and feeling a certain way about your own face, remember a few things:
- Lighting and Makeup are Magic: The difference between a 2010 red carpet photo and a 2026 4k iPhone selfie is massive.
- Bone Structure Changes: As we age, we lose bone density in the face. It’s not just about what a surgeon adds or removes; it’s about what time does.
- Honesty is the Only Antidote: Comparison is the thief of joy, especially when you're comparing yourself to a "finished product" that involved a surgical team.
Actionable Insights for Your Own Journey
If you’re considering following in Chrissy’s footsteps with a "tweakment," take a page out of her book of transparency:
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- Research the "Long Game": Buccal fat removal looks great at 35, but as you hit 50 and 60, you naturally lose facial fat. Removing it early can lead to a gaunt look later. Always ask your surgeon about the 20-year outlook.
- Wait on the Big Stuff: Chrissy waited until she was done having kids (or mostly done) for certain procedures. Pregnancy hormones and weight fluctuations can drastically change the results of things like breast lifts or lipo.
- Own Your Choices: If you decide to do something, do it for you. The internet will always have an opinion, but you’re the one who has to look in the mirror every morning.
At the end of the day, the Chrissy Teigen before plastic surgery version and the current version share the same DNA: she’s someone who refuses to let the "perfect" image get in the way of a good story. Whether you love the new look or miss the old one, you have to respect the hustle of a woman who keeps it this real in a town full of secrets.