It's hard to believe that it's already been more than 11 years since Real Housewives of New Jersey premiered on Bravo, introducing us to Teresa Giudice, Joe Giudice, and their four daughters. Since then, we've watched Gia Giudice and sisters Milania, Gabriella, and Audriana grow up right before our eyes, and it's been so much fun to see how they've changed over the years.
Recently, Gia ended her teenage years with a giant cake as she celebrated turning 20 years old on January 8. This year, Gia has been the center of RHONJ gossip after she revealed in an Instagram post that she'd gotten a nose job — and not only do her results look amazing, but she seems very happy about the change, which is what really matters most.
Here's Gia's full transformation from little girl on reality TV with her parents to full-grown adult, including the before and after photos of her nose after she went under the knife. Like we said, if Gia's happy, we're happy, though we hope this lady knows that she was beautiful either way!
The Early Years
Here's Gia when she was tiny, posing with her dad, Joe (peep that '90s butterfly clip in her hair that we've definitely all worn as kids). How cute is this little girl? With that curly hair and those big blue eyes, this kid was gorgeous right from the start.
An Adorable Kid
Gia was still so young when Real Housewives began filming with her family. When the show premiered on Bravo in 2009, Gia was just 8 years old! Even back then, she was totally adorable and clearly loved her daddy just as much as ever. So cute!
Preteen Gia
This photo was taken on Gia's birthday in 2013, when she turned 12. Here, she was starting to grow up — and was still so adorable. Little did she know all the adventures that life had in store for her — even though she did ditch her natural curls and straightened her hair. We've all been there!
Getting Musical
A year later, Gia had grown up a lot! In 2014, she was 13 years old, and since she'd shared her love of music on RHONJ, it was no surprise that she sang in her own girl group with her friends as soon as she hit her teenage years. That didn't end up catching on, but she did look really happy to perform.
Going Formal
In this pic, Gia's posing for a photo at her cousin's wedding and already looking even more grown up! When this was taken, she was 15 years old, and she looked so pretty in her updo and her bridesmaid's dress — she's changing so fast! Even so, she'd still change a lot over the next four years!
Celebrating in 2017
When Gia was 16 years old, she celebrated her confirmation with friends and family (and a pretty impressive cake with sparklers made by Cake Boss star Buddy Velastro). Is it just us, or does she look more like her mom the older she gets? Just saying …
Giving Thanks
In 2018, 17-year-old Gia shared a bunch of photos on Instagram with her family over Thanksgiving, including this sweet photo with her grandfather, Giacinto Gorga. Unfortunately, he died in April 2020, but we know Gia made so many memories with him she'll never forget.
Prom Night
At 18 years old in 2019, Gia went to her senior prom during her last year of high school, and of course she looked amazing — she always does! She posed for photos in her sparkly blue dress, showing off her flawless hair and makeup before dancing the night away.
Officially Graduating
A month later, Gia was graduating from high school — how did this little girl we watch grow up on reality TV turn into a full-blown adult so quickly?! She looked so pretty on her graduation day, especially with her decorated cap. This girl was officially college bound!
Christmas In Italy
In late 2019, an 18-year-old Gia shared these family photos from their holidays that they spent in Italy — this looks like a total dream! If the Giudices are ever looking for new friends to bring along on one of these trips, they know where to find us!
Right Before the Change
The selfies in this Instagram post are some of the final photos Gia shared of her nose before her plastic surgery. In the photos, taken in April, Gia definitely still looked adorable before she went under the knife, but fans had no idea that she was about to reveal a major change to her face.
The First Signs
After Gia shared these family photos on July 4 as she celebrated the holiday with her loved ones, fans began to notice that something was different about her. Seeing her pose next to her younger sister, Antonia, highlighted how different the girls now looked, and the comments were filled with questions for Gia about it.
Sharing the News
Later in July, Gia finally shared the news with her followers: Yep, she'd gotten a nose job. Posting this photo with her mom, Gia wrote:
"Yes I got a nose job. Yes I’m swollen. Thank you so much @drtobiasnyc I’m absolutely in love with it. I am an adult now, this has been an insecurity of mine for a while and I’ve never been happier and so comfortable in my own skin!!"
If she's happy, everyone else should be happy!
The Before & After
In October, Gia's surgeon, Dr. Geoffrey Tobias, shared this before and after of her profile and whoa, it changed so much! He explained that she got a closed rhinoplasty with no scars, and that healing for this kind of procedure is quick and the swelling goes down within six to 12 months, revealing the final result.
Turning 20
Gia celebrated turning 20 earlier this month — or, as she put it, "bye to teenage years." She looks great, but most importantly, she looks happy. We've been following along with her since she was a little kid on Real Housewives, and we can't wait to see what the future holds for her.
