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It’s no secret that going under the knife is common practice in Hollywood. It’s almost impossible to find a major star who hasn’t had some work done here and there from a minor nip or tuck to massive overhauls. Many deny it but before and after photos clearly show there are changes that are far from natural. Too many times, an actress will try for “improvements” only to have it backfire. Tara Reid was famously ruined by a botched boob job and tummy tuck and had to have several surgeries to correct the damage. In many cases, ladies go for injections and such that end up marring gorgeous faces. Joan Rivers made much of her career over her constant plastic surgeries, as willing to joke about her bad looks as anyone else.
But in some cases, the surgeries really do help out. They can transform an okay looking lady into a sexpot and open up a lot more doors. Some actresses have acknowledged needing these surgeries to change their looks, to become more noticeable and has led to their success. For every bad surgery or injection, there are some good ones as some ladies benefit from altering their looks. Here are eight ladies who looked a lot better after plastic surgery and eight beforehand to show how risky it can be despite the promise of a better career.
BEFORE: Nicole Kidman
It’s always a bit sad when a naturally gorgeous woman decides she needs to “enhance” herself and it goes badly. Nicole Kidman started out known for her stunning beauty, her lush curly red hair and an alluring accent. The Australian native took off with Days of Thunder that had her meeting and marrying Tom Cruise. After years in various movies and known more as his wife, Kidman won respect with her turn in To Die For and her divorce from Cruise seemed to open her up more. This led to parts in Moulin Rouge and other films and she won an Oscar after donning a fake large nose in The Hours.
But shortly after that, Kidman decided to adjust her face a bit. While rumors of a face lift abound, the most obvious is a series of Botox injections to fight off aging. This has led to Kidman’s face looking more and more stiff, unnaturally smooth and a smile that looks plastered on. It just looks far too off from her original natural beauty and has robbed some of her appeal. Kidman is still a fantastic actress, earning an Oscar nomination for Lion and acclaim for the HBO series Big Little Lies. But losing those natural sexy looks does make Kidman less a stunning lady than she once was.
AFTER: Holly Madison
It’s pretty much impossible to find a lady who posed for Hugh Hefner who hasn’t had a little work done now and then. However, Holly Madison had a lot more than others. The model had openly admitted that she was annoyed at how her nose looked large in her high school photos. She worked as a waitress at Hooters and a model for Hawaiian Tropic, saving money for some rhinoplasty that made her look far more attractive. This led to an invite to the Playboy Mansion and soon a spread in the magazine. Realizing her flat chest was hurting her, Madison went in for a breast enhancement that made another spread far more appealing. Soon, Madison was starring on the hit reality TV show The Girls Next Door and her own spin-off Holly’s World. She’s settled down more in motherhood and even a best-selling health book author. But there’s no denying how this was a surgery that helped make her a hot lady and led to major career success.
BEFORE: Lindsay Lohan
Frankly, plastic surgery is probably the least damaging thing Lindsay Lohan did to herself. The actress is the poster child for a star on the rise only to collapse due to addictions. Breaking out as the cute little kid in The Parent Trap, Lohan began a rise in Hollywood with good roles in various movies. In 2004, her part in Mean Girls made her a real A-list star and wowing with her amazing body on display in magazines. But within just a few years, Lohan was mired in issues of drug use, arrests and wild behavior that derailed her career. During all this, she made the mistake of deciding to get some surgery to adjust her looks. Whoever did the work apparently botched it, marring her face with too many filler injections that led to sunken cheeks and too-pursed lips.
It wasn’t helped by Lohan’s addictions which included coming out in public looking scarily thin. Further work hints at a face lift that didn’t much help her looks. Lohan lost the childlike innocence that made her so winning and just added to her problems. She’s trying to get her life back on track today and acknowledges the surgeries as one of the many things she regrets that turned her career into a mess.
AFTER: Scarlett Johansson
She’s one of several actresses who refuse to admit she had plastic surgery but many an expert claims it’s obvious Scarlett Johansson has had work done. The actress came out in Hollywood with roles in little indies like Ghost World in the early 2000s. She hit the big time with her parts in Lost in Translation and The Girl With the Pearl Earring marking her as a star. Sometime in between 2004 and 2008, it became obvious Johansson’s appearance had changed. She had a nose that was a bit smaller and not as bulbous as it had been before. That coincided with Johansson taking on the role of the Black Widow in Iron Man 2 and becoming a sexy action icon. She’s continued with roles in Lucy, Ghost in the Shell and her skin-baring performance in Under the Skin. There are rumors of a possible breast enhancement but it’s clear the nose is a key thing and helped transform Johansson from just attractive to one of the hottest women alive.
BEFORE: Megan Fox
Some might debate this but when you look at Megan Fox now and then, it’s clear something got lost along the way. The actress got attention for her role as a teenage daughter on the sitcom Hope & Faith. She then ended up stealing Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen right out from Lindsay Lohan. That led to her breakout role in Transformers where her scenes in a tank top and jean shorts made her an instant sex symbol. Between her exotic looks, lush lips and tattoos, Fox was compared to a younger Angelina Jolie. She famously had a falling out with director Michael Bay to leave the series and moved on to various other roles.
After time away for family, Fox made a comeback as April O’Neil in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. However, it was clear something was different as Fox’s once-alluring looks had changed. Thanks to surgeries and injections, Fox’s face looks far more plastic than before, robbing her of some of her fun sexy appeal. Some might like it but to many others, Fox was far better off before the surgery.
AFTER: Ashlee Simpson
Before 2004, Ashlee was best known as the little sister of singer/actress Jessica Simpson. She got her own reality show and was being pushed as a singing star in her own right. But just as things were going great, Ashlee was seen lip-synching to a song on Saturday Night Live and became an instant joke. With her career crashing, Ashlee no doubt figured a change was needed. She went in for some surgery to fix her nose and came out looking far better. Instead of rather long and sharp, Ashlee’s nose was more angular fitting her face much better than before and making her look far more attractive. She added to it by dying her hair blonde and got some attention for her part as a borderline nutcase on the revival of Melrose Place. Today, Ashlee is rebuilding her career with some music as well as starring in Chicago on Broadway and it’s clear her improved looks also gave her a much-needed boost in confidence.
BEFORE: Kim Kardashian
Kim Kardashian wasn’t the first lady to use a reality TV show to become a major star but she’s sure more successful at it than others. When her sex tape came out in 2007, Kardashian quickly used it to convince the E network to give her family their own show. Somehow, Keeping Up With the Kardashians became a huge hit and they managed to turn it into a multi-million dollar empire with clothing and beauty product lines. As her fame has grown, Kim has embraced plastic surgery more and more. She denies it but many speculate she’s had implants to make that fabulous rear end even more shapely and full. However, there’s no denying Kardashian has had work done on her face. Nose job, cheek implants, eyes lifted and more, it’s smoothed her out a bit too much. Rather than the exotic look she had that made her stand out, Kim now looks a bit more plain and normal than the breathtaking beauty she was before. While that rear end still looks fabulous, all those surgeries have robbed Kim of the unique look she had before which seems a sad price to pay for her success.
AFTER: Jennifer Aniston
Jennifer Aniston started off as just another would-be actress in Hollywood. She first got attention on a TV version of the movie Ferris Bueller's Day Off as a bratty teen. That led to the cult horror picture Leprechaun. Feeling her looks might be holding her back, Aniston decided to spend money to get some surgery done. This included a nose job to shorten and flatten it and make her face look much better. There’s also been indications she may have had a breast enhancement. This paid off as she landed the role of Rachel on Friends that made her an instant star. The show even poked fun with flashbacks showing Rachel with a horrible nose before getting it changed. Aniston used that for success in movies and remains a reliable top star in Hollywood. She actually denied plastic surgery for years but finally came clean about in an interview with Conan O’Brien. She doesn’t seem ashamed at all and there’s no denying at all that changing her looks helped make Aniston one of the biggest successes in Hollywood.
BEFORE: Rose McGowan
This one is actually not the choice of the actress so you can’t really blame her for a bad decision. Rose McGowan had been getting attention in the mid-1990s with roles in movies like The Doom Generation, Scream and Jawbreaker. A sultry beauty who could bare a very nice chest, McGowan enjoyed playing a sexpot. She got major fame when cast as Paige on the hit Charmed and did a great job in various hot costumes. McGowan looked ready to rise in movies starring as the waitress fighting zombies with a machine gun leg in Grindhouse.
However, in 2007, McGowan was a passenger in a car that got into a terrible accident. The impact caused the glasses she was wearing to slice into the skin under her eyes and nearly lost one. This required multiple surgeries to correct the damage. The result is that McGowan today boasts a look not as glamorous as before and rather plastic-looking. McGowan continues to intrigue from shaving her head bald to posting nude pictures on her Instagram page and as tough as ever. She brushes it aside and while she doesn’t look as good as before, it’s not really her own fault.
AFTER: Cameron Diaz
As a former model, Cameron Diaz was already a great looker to be sure. That served her well when she broke out in Hollywood and her role in The Mask making her an instant star. As time has gone on, Diaz has continued to rock viewers with roles in There’s Something About Mary, Charlie’s Angels and more. She also impressed with her acting chops, dressing down for her part in Being John Malkovich. Diaz has admitted taking steps to fight off aging such as Botox injections and other beauty makeovers. She’s also admitted to some nips and tucks to her face, adjusting her nose (needed after breaking it doing a stunt) and fighting off age. It has led to Diaz looking stunningly beautiful at 44 and while she’s stated she regrets some of the moves, there’s nothing to be sorry about. Diaz looks as great as ever at her age and those adjustments aided her stardom to stand tall among the hot blondes in Hollywood.
BEFORE: Nikki Cox
In the 1990s, Nikki Cox took off as one of the hottest ladies on TV. The WB’s Unhappily Ever After was a raunchy sitcom with Cox as Tiffany, the red-haired daughter. The nice twist was that while she looked hot as hell, Tiffany was actually a genius although the show sure enjoyed showing her off. Cox was fantastic in the hot outfits with mini-skirts and pushing her cleavage up nicely. When the show ended, Cox headlined her own sitcom Nikki for two seasons. She followed that up with a successful stint on the NBC series Las Vegas which gave her plenty more opportunities to show off in a hot outfit. But shortly after that show ended, Cox went in for some collagen implants that got majorly out of control. Her lips became huge and puffed, throwing her entire face off. Cox’s star faded fast after that, robbing TV of a funny and very hot lady who should have stuck to her natural beauty more.
AFTER: Blake Lively
The lovely blonde got attention for her role in The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. She was less known than co-star Amber Tamblyn and Alexis Bledel but still stood out well. In 2007, Blake Lively nailed the role of Serena van Der Woodson on the CW’s Gossip Girl and it became a huge hit. Lively’s star rose and during the show’s run, she went in to correct some stuff with her nose. It made it a bit smaller and sharper, fitting in better with her face with an adjusted tip. While she hasn’t confirmed it, speculation is that Lively also got a breast enhancement as many point to a much better chest after 2009 than she had before. Lively has continued to rise up with roles in The Shallows and Green Lantern as well as her marriage to Ryan Reynolds. It’s clear the surgery helped turn an already attractive woman into a truly sexy one and helped Lively stand taller among the hot blondes of Hollywood.
BEFORE: Renee Zellweger
She was never what one might call a knockout but Renee Zellweger still had a lovely charm that made her a success in Hollywood. After roles in a new Texas Chainsaw Massacre (alongside an equally unknown Matthew McConaughey) and Empire Records, Zellweger hit the big time with Jerry Maguire. Her role as the single mom who romances Tom Cruise won over audience and made her an instant star. She impressed by managing the role of Bridget Jones, putting on weight and a British accent to make that movie a hit. She then showed dance moves in Chicago and reached the height of her career winning an Oscar for Cold Mountain. Zellweger’s career did slump a bit with some flops and seemed to take time away for a few years.
In October of 2014, she arrived at an awards show event and shocked onlookers by looking completely different. Zellweger brushed off questions by simply saying she “got older. I am different, I’m happy.” She has reprised her role of Bridget but it’s still amazing how Zellweger is almost a totally different woman after surgery and one not as attractive as before.
AFTER: Ashley Tisdale
Like many a Disney Channel starlet, Ashley Tisdale already had good looks a nice drive for fame. She won over fans as Maddie on The Suite Life of Zack and Cody that made her a success. Tisdale then starred in High School Musical and was as shocked as anyone when the TV movie became a massive phenomenon. She reprised her role of the diva Sharpay in two sequels and her own spin-off film. After finally leaving Disney behind, Tisdale went in for some surgery to correct her nose, which had a deviated septum. It was a far better look, making her face look smoother and far more attractive. Tisdale would win over more fans in the cheerleading show Hellcats and still keeps busy with a rocking body. While she wasn’t bad looking before, shifting the nose turned Tisdale into a truly sexy lady and thus a case of surgery helping.
BEFORE: Cher
Today, Cher is basically a walking billboard for “too much plastic surgery.” Which is a shame as the woman really was a sexy as hell presence before it. Rising up with her singing and variety show with husband Sonny Bono, Cher soon achieved fame as an actress in the 1980s. She won hails for roles like Silkwood and an Oscar for Moonstruck. She was funny, attractive and a great drive that made her a hit, including still singing albums. In 1989, her “Turn Back Time” video was a hit with her prancing in a skimpy dress and fishnets around a battleship. But in the 1990s, Cher began several surgeries and Botox injections that would alter that fabulous face. It was really showcased in 2009’s Burlesque as Cher’s turn as a would be hot dancer was marred by a face that looked like it could barely move, her lips huge and eyes drooping. It really is a shame that a woman who rose up as such a wonderfully sexy presence could ruin all that as Cher was far better off before engaging in so many nips and tucks.
AFTER: Kaley Cuoco
During a charity event in 2015, Kaley Cuoco performed the song “Dance 10, Looks 3” from A Chorus Line. The song has a dancer, affected by slams on her looks, going to a doctor to get “a little T&A.” It’s a fitting song for Cuoco. The actress rose up for her role as the teenage daughter in 8 Simple Rules and quite popular with a funny vibe to herself. However, she hit a rough patch when the show ended and so decided to do some surgery. This included a chest enhancement that boosted her bosom up and helped her stand out more. Also, Cuoco got a nose job as well as a “neck filler” to correct a childhood issue. It all paid off as she landed the role of Penny on The Big Bang Theory, a major hit that’s made her the highest paid actress on television. Cuoco openly says the surgery was the best thing she did and empowered her and many fans will agree she looks far better afterward and looks that are definitely a ten.
Sources: People.com
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