Plastic surgery is almost a given in Hollywood. Although not every star chooses to go under the knife or be injected with fillers, many do — and some of them are very upfront about it. These reality star moms got plastic surgery and fessed up as to what work they had done.
It's their body and they're absolutely entitled to want it to look a certain way. And if they're going to be honest with their followers about how they achieved their flawless looks, then more power to them. It's the lie that becomes a problem, because then there may be young fans who feel bad about themselves because they think all these celebs look that way naturally.
These ladies come from all sorts of shows — from Teen Mom and The Hills to Jersey Shore and the Real Housewives franchise. Interestingly, most of the plastic surgery tales have come from Real Housewives of New Jersey stars. Keep reading to see what they looked like before and after.
Leah McSweeney Before
Real Housewives of New York City star Leah McSweeney was very busy during the pandemic lockdowns of 2020. She got a nose job in September and a breast enhancement in December. "I am not trying to hide anything from anybody," she wrote on Instagram after the first surgery. "I got a rhinoplasty and a septoplasty."
Leah McSweeney After
After Leah healed from the nose job, she went under the knife again for a "boob lift and augmentation." She treated herself to the surgery as her Christmas gift, and she wrote on Instagram, "I can't wait to show off the new and improved girls." She also joked that she doesn't know how other reality stars have the time to recover from all these surgeries.
Farrah Abraham Before
In 2010 when this photo was taken, Farrah Abraham had only recently been introduced to the world via Teen Mom. She was 19 then, and a lot has changed for her in the years since. Not only is she a millionaire reality star now, but also her physical appearance has transformed dramatically thanks to the multiple cosmetic procedures she's had done.
Farrah Abraham After
Showbiz CheatSheet claimed that Farrah is borderline addicted to plastic surgery. In 2012, Farrah had a nose job and a chin implant. Later, she got a breast enhancement. She even had vaginal rejuvenation surgery.
Eventually, she had to go on the show Botched to undo some of the bad surgery she'd had done. At one point, she even considered a career in plastic surgery herself.
Heidi Montag Before
This was Heidi Montag in 2006, right at the start of The Hills. She was a regular, everyday person at the time, but eventually, being in the spotlight got to her a little bit. She ended up feeling the need to do 10 plastic surgery procedures in one day when she was 23. "I was under so much pressure because it was the beginning of comments sections and negativity and hate on the internet," she later said.
Heidi Montag After
Today, Heidi, a mom of two, said she can't stand to watch the TV episodes about her surgeries, which include a nose job, chin reduction, and breast and butt augmentations. "I think that it was hard enough going through it at that time and I was just in way over my head," she said. "I had no idea what I was getting into."
NeNe Leakes Before
This is The Real Housewives of Atlanta star NeNe Leakes shown in 2009. Since then, Hollywood Life reported that she's gotten "multiple nose jobs and liposuction, along with a breast augmentation." But NeNe draws the line at a face lift because of the scary recovery process. "That's too much," she said.
NeNe Leakes After
The news outlet reported that NeNe's first nose job was in 2010, and she had another one in 2016 to address a medical issue. And though she already got smaller breast implants and a lift, she's up for doing them again. She also would be OK with a third nose job to offset any growing it may do in the coming years.
Vicki Gunvalson Before
A show like The Real Housewives of Orange County pretty much guarantees that the cast will undergo some kind of surgery at some point. After all, Orange County has some of the best cosmetic surgeons in the country. Cast member Vicki Gunvalson eventually took the plunge in 2013, getting "a fat transfer to her face, a nose job, and a chin implant," according to Entertainment Tonight.
Vicki Gunvalson After
After a face lift in 2018, Vicki swore off plastic surgery for good. She told ET, "I'm never doing another filler, another anything. I'm just leaving it alone." She even had all her previous fillers removed. "Before I knew it, I didn't look like myself. So I took all the fillers out. I have totally smooth skin now," she said.
JWoww Before
Jenni "JWoww" Farley from Jersey Shore had her breasts done twice — once around 2005, "after being inspired by my girl crush Carmen Electra," she said. And another time in 2015 that bumped her up to a size 34F. This photo was taken in 2013, so it was after her first enhancement but before her second one.
JWoww After
After her second augmentation, JWoww revealed that she'd gotten the surgery because she hadn't liked how her body looked after giving birth to her first child. She added that she would consider doing them again after another pregnancy. Because she gave birth to her son in 2016, perhaps she'll head under the knife again soon.
Dolores Catania Before
We think that Real Housewives of New Jersey star Dolores Catania has always looked great, but she was ready for a change after losing 25 pounds and still not being happy with her body. So she underwent a tummy tuck in 2020, according to People. She figured with everyone staying at home amid the pandemic, she'd have ample time to recover.
Dolores Catania After
Dolores told People that a big motivator for getting the surgery done was wanting to feel comfortable in her own skin. "I had lost 25 pounds from dieting and still wasn't completely comfortable with my body. I found myself still wanting to cover up," she said. "Once I hit my goal weight and I knew that my stomach wouldn't be the way I wanted it to even if I worked out, I knew it was time."
Teresa Giudice Before
Here's a 2008 promo picture for the first season of The Real Housewives of New Jersey. It features cast member Teresa Giudice before either of her two breast enhancements. She later revealed on Instagram that she had an augmentation done in 2010 and another one done in early 2020.
Teresa Giudice After
When explaining her reason for getting another augmentation, Teresa wrote on Instagram, "I believe it's important to always stand strong and feel like your best most confident self … I encourage anyone who doesn't feel their best self to work on feeling better. Even if it is the smallest thing every day."
Melissa Gorga Before
According to Us Weekly, another Real Housewives of New Jersey star who went under the knife is Melissa Gorga, although she was more resistant to talking about it than some of her costars. Here she is pictured pre-nose job in 2011. After she got her nose done, her castmates frequently accused her of getting surgery, but she wouldn't fess up.
Melissa Gorga After
In 2016, Melissa finally came clean during an episode of the show after she was again accused by costar Jacqueline Laurita. "Let's be honest, it's the worst-kept secret that I've had a nose job, but it's my secret to tell, not hers," Melissa said. She added that it was a personal thing that she hadn't felt the need to share with anyone else because it wasn't their business.
Dina Manzo Before
Melissa's fellow Real Housewives of New Jersey star Dina Manzo also got a nose job, but she was a bit more forthcoming when people started asking questions. She got the surgery around 2017, according to her Instagram. Here she is pictured pre-surgery in 2014 on Watch What Happens Live.
Dina Manzo After
After the nose job, Dina wrote on Instagram that she had a hard time adjusting to her new look at first. "Some of you are commenting that I look different. You're absolutely right. When the thing on the center of your face changes you're gonna look different," she said. "It's a big adjustment especially when you live with the same face for 45 years."
Bethenny Frankel Before
It's no surprise to see another Real Housewives star on this list! When fans were first introduced to Bethenny Frankel on The Real Housewives of New York City in 2008, though, she had already had cosmetic surgery; according to what she shared on Instagram in November 2022, one of her earliest procedures was a breast lift "15 years ago."
Bethenny Frankel After
In a video she shared with fans, Bethenny revealed that aside from her breast lift, she's only gotten filler once, though she does get Botox "once or twice a year." At the same time, however, she did admit that she's likely to get a face lift sooner or later — emphasis on the sooner.
Lala Kent Before
Vanderpump Rules star Lala Kent has always been open about her choices around cosmetic procedures. Though she's never had to hide the fact that she does get Botox and has had breast implants, she decided to make a change after her daughter, Ocean, was born in March 2021.
Lala Kent After
A year after welcoming her baby girl into the world, Lala revealed that she had replaced her breast implants with silicone gel implants that she claimed had her "looking like I did before Ocean," because getting back to her pre-baby body was a priority for her.
