Look, being in the public eye for fifty years is a brutal way to age. Most of us get to wrinkle in the privacy of our own living rooms, but Joe Biden has had every fine line and gray hair broadcast in 4K for decades. It’s no wonder people are obsessed with whether he’s gone under the knife.
The internet is basically a storm of "before and after" photos. You’ve seen them—blurry shots from 1972 compared to high-res press photos from 2024 or 2025. People point at his forehead and scream "Botox!" or look at his hairline and talk about "plugs." But what’s actually real?
When you strip away the political noise, the truth about joe biden plastic surgery is a mix of confirmed medical procedures, very obvious 1980s-era work, and a lot of expert guesswork from the dermatology community. Honestly, it’s a masterclass in how cosmetic surgery has evolved over the last half-century.
The Hair: A Tale of Two Eras
Let's just be real for a second. In the late 1970s and early 80s, Joe Biden was thinning. Fast. If you look at footage from his early Senate days, he had a very prominent receding hairline. Then, suddenly, he didn't.
This isn't really a "rumor" so much as a visual fact. During the 1987-1988 primary season, observers noticed his hair looked... different. It was the era of the "hair plug." Unlike the modern FUE (Follicular Unit Extraction) methods that look totally natural, the old-school tech involved literal "plugs" of hair.
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Dr. Barry Bernstein, a well-known hair restoration expert, has noted that Biden’s early work was typical for the time. It had that slightly "stiff" or "doll-hair" look because the grafts were large. However, as Biden aged and his hair turned white, those plugs actually started to blend in better. White hair has less contrast with the scalp than dark hair. It’s a lucky break for anyone who had work done in the 80s.
Why the hairline changed again
More recently, surgeons like Dr. Gary Linkov have analyzed his more modern look. It’s highly likely he had "touch-up" transplants as recently as the late 2010s to fill in the thinning areas behind the original grafts. Without that maintenance, he would have had a "hairy island" at the front with a bald sea behind it.
The Facelift Speculation: Scars and "Pixie Ears"
This is where things get a bit more technical. If you want to know if someone had a facelift, you don't look at their wrinkles. You look at their ears.
Many plastic surgeons, including Dr. Steven Davis, have pointed out what they call "pixie ears" on the former president. This happens when the earlobe is pulled down and attached directly to the side of the face during a facelift. It’s a common side effect of the skin being pulled a little too tight.
If you look at high-resolution side profiles of Biden from 2019 onwards, there are visible lines right in front of the tragus (that little bump in front of your ear canal). That’s the classic spot for a rhytidectomy scar.
- The Neck: Notice how his neck skin sometimes looks a bit "tethered"? That’s a sign of a neck lift.
- The Jawline: For a man in his 80s, he has a remarkably defined jawline. Nature usually isn't that kind.
- The Eyes: There’s frequent talk about a blepharoplasty (eyelid surgery). In his younger years, Biden had quite a bit of "hooding" on his upper eyelids. Now? That skin is gone.
The Botox Debate: The "Spock" Brow
We’ve all seen the memes. Sometimes Biden’s forehead looks as smooth as a marble countertop while the rest of his face shows his age.
Dr. Anil Shah, a facial plastic surgeon, has commented on what he calls "over-Botoxed" brows. When you freeze the middle of the forehead but leave the sides active, the eyebrows can pull up into a weird, peaked shape. It’s often called the "Spock effect."
Biden has shown this exact movement during debates and speeches. It’s a classic case of trying to minimize wrinkles for the camera but ending up with a look that feels a bit "uncanny valley."
It’s Not All Cosmetic: The 2025 Health Reality
We have to distinguish between "vanity" surgery and medical necessity. In 2025, it was widely reported that Biden underwent Mohs surgery.
For those who don't know, Mohs is a very precise surgical technique used to treat skin cancer. Biden had basal cell carcinoma lesions removed from his head and chest. This leaves scars. When people see a new mark on his forehead or temple, they often jump to "He got a brow lift!" when the reality is actually "He’s a fair-skinned guy from a generation that didn't use enough sunscreen."
His medical team, including Kevin O’Connor, has been pretty transparent about these skin cancer removals. So, while the joe biden plastic surgery talk usually focuses on looking younger, some of those "telltale signs" are just the results of a 83-year-old man dealing with the long-term effects of sun exposure.
The "Why" Behind the Work
Politics is a visual medium. We might hate to admit it, but we judge leaders on how "vital" they look.
Think about it. If Biden had let his hair go completely bald in 1988 and let his eyelids droop to the point of covering his lashes by 2020, the "he’s too old" narrative would have started decades earlier. Cosmetic intervention isn't just about vanity for someone in his position; it’s about professional survival.
He isn't alone, either. Whether it’s fillers, hair transplants, or veneers, almost every major political figure—on both sides of the aisle—has had a "tweak" or two. Biden’s work just happens to span so many decades that we can see the evolution of the industry on his face.
Actionable Insights: What This Means For You
If you're looking at Biden and thinking about your own "refresh," here’s what the pros suggest you learn from his journey:
- Don't wait too long for hair restoration. Biden’s early "plugs" were obvious because he had significant loss before the procedure. Early intervention with modern FUE looks way better.
- Mind the ears. If you're getting a facelift, talk to your surgeon specifically about "earlobe tension" to avoid the "pixie ear" look.
- Micro-dose your Botox. The "frozen" look Biden sometimes sports is out of style. Most modern injectors prefer "Baby Botox," which leaves some movement so you don't look like a Vulcan.
- Skin checks are non-negotiable. The Mohs surgery Biden had in 2025 is a reminder that no amount of cosmetic work matters if you aren't catching skin cancer early.
At the end of the day, Joe Biden’s face is a map of modern plastic surgery history. From the crude grafts of the 80s to the sophisticated (though sometimes overdone) injectables of today, it’s all there. Whether you agree with the choice to get work done or not, it’s clear that in the world of high-stakes politics, the "natural look" is often anything but.
Check your own skin for new or changing moles every three months. If you’re considering any facial procedure, consult with a board-certified surgeon who can show you how they handle the "tragus" area to keep scars hidden.