The Miley Cyrus we saw at the 2024 Grammys—hair teased to the heavens, wearing little more than gold safety pins—was a far cry from the teenager who once sang about a "Hoedown Throwdown." She looked incredible. But she also looked... different.
Social media went into a full-scale meltdown. "Did she get her cheeks sucked out?" "Is that a lip lift?" The speculation about Miley Cyrus before and after plastic surgery has reached a fever pitch lately, mostly because her face seems to have shifted from "California girl next door" to "sculpted rock goddess" almost overnight.
Honestly, we’ve watched Miley grow up since she was 13. We know every era. But this latest transformation feels less like "growing up" and more like "meticulous engineering." Let’s get into what’s actually going on with her face, her teeth, and those rumors that just won't quit.
The "New Face" and the Buccal Fat Debate
If you look at photos of Miley from 2023 and 2024, the first thing you notice is the hollowing. Her cheeks used to be soft. Now? You could practically cut glass on those cheekbones.
This has led almost every plastic surgeon on TikTok and YouTube to the same conclusion: buccal fat removal. This is the "it" procedure in Hollywood right now. Basically, a surgeon goes inside the mouth and snips out the fat pads in the lower cheeks. The result is a permanent "contour" look.
Dr. Norman Rowe, a big-name surgeon in New York, pointed out that her face looks chiseled even though she hasn't clearly lost a massive amount of body weight. It's a specific kind of hollowness.
But here’s the thing. Miley is in her 30s now.
Natural aging causes fat loss in the face. When you combine that with her high-intensity fitness routine—she’s a fan of TRX and Pilates—it’s possible some of that "gaunt" look is just a lack of body fat and a lot of stage lighting. However, the sheer sharpness of her jawline and the hollows under her cheekbones make the surgical route seem a lot more likely than just "drinking more water."
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That 2025 Smile Update: Not Your Mother’s Veneers
We have to talk about the teeth. Miley’s dental journey is probably the most documented part of her physical evolution.
In her early Hannah Montana days, she had a classic "gummy" smile. Her teeth were smaller, slightly uneven, and very natural. By the time she was 20, she clearly had work done—likely a combination of gum contouring (where they laser away excess gum tissue to show more tooth) and her first set of veneers.
But by late 2023, fans noticed her teeth looked... bulky. Some called them "chicklet teeth." They were very white, very square, and honestly, a bit too big for her mouth.
Then came the 2025 glow-up.
Suddenly, Miley appeared with what fans are calling her "reborn" smile. The bulky veneers were gone. In their place were slimmer, more translucent, and more natural-looking porcelain shells. It’s a huge trend in cosmetic dentistry right now: moving away from the "fluorescent white" look toward something that actually looks like real enamel.
What she likely had done:
- Initial Gum Contouring: To fix the "gummy" look.
- Orthodontics: Rumors suggest she wore lingual braces (hidden behind the teeth) early on.
- Veneer Replacement: Swapping old-school bulky veneers for modern, tapered ones that fit her mature facial structure.
The Blepharoplasty and the "Cat Eye" Look
The eyes are where things get really technical. If you pull up a photo of Miley from 2010 and put it next to her current look, the "hood" of her eyelid is almost entirely gone.
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Experts like Dr. Jimmy Sung have speculated on a blepharoplasty (eyelid surgery). In her youth, Miley had a bit of heaviness on her upper lids. Now, her eyes look wider, more "awake," and the crease is much higher.
Some people think it’s just a "fox eye" lift using threads, but threads are temporary and kinda messy. The permanence of Miley’s new eye shape suggests something more structural.
A Bullhorn Lip Lift?
Wait, what? Yeah, it sounds intense. A "bullhorn" lip lift is a procedure where a tiny bit of skin is removed right under the nose to pull the top lip upward. It shortens the "philtrum"—that space between your nose and your mouth.
If you look at Miley’s 2024 Grammy photos, her top lip has a very specific "arch" that doesn't look like it came from a syringe of Juvederm. While she’s never confirmed it, many surgeons point to the increased "tooth show" (how much of your top teeth you see when your mouth is resting) as a dead giveaway for a surgical lip lift.
What Miley Says (And Doesn't Say)
Miley has a complicated relationship with the "fake" vs. "natural" debate.
Back in 2011, she famously took to Twitter to shut down breast augmentation rumors, saying, "These babies are all mine... you don't have to be fake to be beautiful!" Since then, she’s been much quieter. She hasn't done a "Vogue Beauty Secrets" video where she admits to a surgeon’s name.
She has, however, talked about the pressure of being judged by adults while she was still a child. It’s a lot. Imagine having your face analyzed by millions before you’ve even finished puberty.
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The Reality Check
Is it all surgery? Probably not.
Miley’s style has done a lot of the heavy lifting. Her hair has gone from brunette waves to a platinum pixie, to a "wolf cut," and now to a massive, 80s-inspired blowout. Makeup techniques—specifically heavy contouring and "lifting" the eyes with liner—can change a face dramatically on camera.
But makeup doesn't remove fat pads from your cheeks.
Actionable Insights for the "Miley Look"
If you’re looking at Miley and thinking about your own "tweakments," here’s what you should actually take away from her transformation:
- Veneers are not permanent. If you get them too young, you will have to replace them. Miley’s 2025 update shows that "less is more" as you get older.
- Buccal fat removal is risky. While it looks great on Miley’s rockstar aesthetic, removing facial fat can make you look much older once you hit your 40s and 50s. Fat is actually what keeps you looking young.
- The "undetectable" trend is the goal. If she did have work, it was done by world-class surgeons who didn't overfill her. She still looks like Miley—just a "high-definition" version.
- Fitness changes faces. High-intensity cardio and clean living (Miley has been vocal about her sobriety and plant-based lifestyle in the past) contribute to that "tight" skin and lack of puffiness.
Whether it’s the work of a scalpel or just a really good Pilates instructor and a top-tier glam squad, Miley’s current era is undeniably her most confident. She isn't trying to look like the girl she was at 16, and honestly? That’s the most "Miley" move of all.
If you are considering similar procedures, always consult with a board-certified plastic surgeon and remember that celebrity photos are often the result of professional lighting and high-end post-production, not just a single doctor's visit.