Ever scrolled through those side-by-side TikToks of supermodels? You know the ones. They usually feature a grainy 2013 high school photo compared to a 2026 Met Gala close-up. If you’ve looked up gigi hadid before plastic surgery, you’ve probably seen the "evidence" of her supposedly brand-new face. People love to point at her jawline or her brows and scream "filler!" or "buccal fat removal!" It’s a whole thing.
But honestly, Gigi’s story is a bit weirder and more interesting than the "bought a new face" narrative we usually hear about the Hollywood elite. While her sister Bella has been open about her teenage nose job, Gigi has spent over a decade swearing up and down that she’s never touched her face. Is she telling the truth? Or is this just the best PR work in the industry?
The "Baby Face" Years: Gigi Before the Fame
Back in 2012 and 2013, Gigi was just a Malibu high schooler. She had what she calls "crazy arched brows" and a very round, youthful face. Looking at photos from her early Real Housewives of Beverly Hills cameos, you see a girl with major volume in her cheeks.
That’s usually the first thing critics jump on. "Her face used to be a circle, now it’s a diamond!" they say.
Well, yeah. She was 17.
Most people lose a significant amount of facial fat between the ages of 18 and 28. It’s a biological thing called maturation. When Gigi first started walking runways for brands like Desigual or Guess, she had that "California girl" glow—sun-kissed, slightly puffy, and very "girl next door."
Why her nose looks "different"
There is a massive amount of speculation regarding a potential rhinoplasty. If you compare a photo of Gigi at the The Fault in Our Stars premiere in 2014 to a recent 2025 editorial, her nose definitely looks more "snatched."
However, Gigi addressed this directly in a 2021 Vogue "Beauty Secrets" video. She basically said that back in the day, she didn't have a glam squad. She did her own makeup. And—her words, not mine—she used to just "slap it everywhere."
Modern contouring is basically witchcraft. By using a darker cream on the sides of the bridge and a bit of highlighter on the tip, makeup artists can make a nose look 30% thinner in five minutes.
The Buccal Fat Removal Debate
This is the big one. If you go on any plastic surgery subreddit, "Gigi Hadid before plastic surgery" usually leads to a debate about her cheeks.
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Buccal fat removal is the "it" procedure of the 2020s. It’s where a surgeon snips out the fat pads in your lower cheeks to create a hollow, chiseled look. Think Lea Michele or some of the more dramatic Instagram influencers.
What the experts say
Surgeons like Dr. G. Mashkevich have noted that Gigi’s face looks much more "defined" than her high school self. But here’s the nuance: Gigi has always had high, prominent cheekbones. Even in her toddler photos, she has those "Hadid cheeks."
She famously told Maybelline during an Instagram Live: "People think I do fillers on my face and that’s why my face is round... I’ve had these cheeks since I was born."
Interestingly, Gigi’s face actually fluctuated a lot during her pregnancy with her daughter, Khai. She was walking international runways while several months pregnant, and she pointed out that her face got significantly rounder during that time. To her, the "plastic surgery" people saw was just her body doing normal human stuff.
The "Control Freak" Factor
One of the most human things Gigi has ever said about this is that she’s actually terrified of needles. She has called herself a "control freak" in multiple interviews, explaining that the idea of something "going wrong" during a cosmetic procedure keeps her away from the surgeon’s chair.
"I’m happy with the natural process of the world... it terrifies me. What if it goes wrong?" — Gigi Hadid to Nylon (2020).
Does that mean she’s never had a drop of Botox? We can’t know for sure. But compared to the "uncanny valley" look that many of her peers have fallen into, Gigi’s face still moves. You can see the crinkles when she laughs. You can see her natural expressions in raw 2026 paparazzi shots.
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The Power of the "Brow Lift" Illusion
Another common search is about her "snatched" eyes. People often suspect a "fox eye" lift or a brow lift.
If you look at Gigi's high school yearbook photos, though, her brows were already incredibly arched. It’s a genetic trait she shares with her mom, Yolanda. Combine those genes with the "ponytail lift" (pulling hair back so tight it literally stretches your skin) and some clever brow gel, and you get that cat-eye look without a single incision.
Actionable Takeaways for Evaluating Celeb Changes
If you're looking at "before and after" photos of any celeb, keep these three things in mind so you don't get fooled by lighting:
- Check the age gap: If the "before" photo is from when they were 19 and the "after" is from age 30, it’s probably just aging and weight loss.
- Look for the "moving" parts: Check videos, not just photos. If their forehead doesn't move when they laugh, it's Botox. Gigi's face still has plenty of movement.
- Understand lighting and angles: A "downward" camera angle makes a jawline look soft. A "hero" angle from slightly below makes a jawline look like it could cut glass.
Honestly, Gigi Hadid seems to be one of the few who has actually stuck to her "natural" guns, mostly because she was born with the exact features everyone else is currently trying to buy. It’s a lot easier to say "no" to filler when you already have the cheekbones of a Greek goddess.
Take a look at her most recent 2026 red carpet appearances and compare them to her 2015 Victoria's Secret debut. The biggest difference isn't the shape of her nose—it's the confidence in her eyes. That’s something no surgeon can inject.