Photo: getty
She looks totally different.
By Amy Lamare — Written on Mar 16, 2020
When Bristol Palin joined the cast of Teen Mom in 2018, it looked like she had went out and gotten a new face for the show. She looked like a completely different person — even more so than several years ago when she had corrective jaw surgery that changed the shape of her face. She could have lost a lot of weight, which would account for some, but not all of the changes.
When the world first met Palin, she was in high school. Now, she's a 29-year-old mother of three. Age and time can change a face, but that doesn't seem to be what's going on here. She doesn't look a thing like her old self.
Did Bristol Palin have plastic surgery? And what, if anything, did she have done? Plus, we have her alleged plastic surgery photos.
1. Did Bristol Palin have plastic surgery? She had corrective jaw surgery in 2010.
Back in 2011, Bristol Palin debuted her first new look and the internet went crazy wondering just what she had done. Her face appeared slimmer. Her jaw line was more prominent.
Did she lose weight or have plastic surgery? Turns out, it was neither. Palin had corrective jaw surgery. She revealed hat she underwent the jaw surgery so her jaw and teeth would realign properly.
At the time, she said, “Yes, it improved the way I look, but this surgery was necessary for medical reasons. I don't obsess over my face. I am absolutely thrilled with the results. I look older, more mature, and don't have as much of a chubby little baby face!"
2. Did she get lip fillers?
Plastic surgeon Brian Glatt said that her plumper lips could have been from the aftermath of her surgery, but said that it really looked like the work of injections.
He said, "Her lower lip looks a lot more full. It's pretty obvious to me that she's had something injected into her lower lip, nothing in her upper lip. If she had surgery recently, he lower lip could be swollen, but it looks injected, I don't think it's just from postoperative swelling, it's more prominent."
Dr. Tal Roudner, a plastic surgeon in Florida, also chimed in on Bristol's new look, saying that weight loss might have been the biggest contributor to her transformation. He said that, in addition to her jaw surgery, her lower lip looks fuller, which could be the result of lip fillers or a side effect of the jaw surgery.
3. It could all just be good genes.
Palin's new appearance could also be due to genetics. After all, her mother Sarah Palin is 56 and looks at least 10 years younger than that.
Several years ago, Sarah Palin's makeup artist revealed, "I have said this to just about everyone I speak to... the Governor’s skin is the most beautiful skin I have ever worked with. Of course, makeup always helps to create an even canvas, but the condition of her skin was flawless. I attribute it to the clean Alaskan air, lots of fresh fish and protein, and a good fitness regime."
So, like mother, like daughter?
4. Some believe that she's also had liposuction and Botox.
On the other hand, the changes to Palin's face are pretty dramatic, so that could definitely be more than just good genes and/or weight loss. Palin appears to have had liposuction along her jaw, and Botox to soften her chin muscles. Her jawline also appears narrower and she may have had a chin implant as well.
Dr. Glatt said, "She had a double chin before and that's gone now. It looks to me like she's had extensive liposuction throughout her neck, including under her chin, which has clearly been liposuctioned, it's obvious to me. Her chin is a lot more defined, which can occur from aggressive lipo, but she may also have had an implant. Her chin is more straight and more defined afterwards, which really points to her having a chin implant as well."
She looks more like Jessica Biel than the Bristol Palin we knew from her mom's failed run for Vice President and her appearance on Dancing With The Stars.
5. Did she get more surgery done because she would be appearing on television?
In 2018, it was announced that Palin would be replacing Farrah Abraham on MTV's Teen Mom. Abraham was fired from the series due to her work in the adult film industry.
Abraham herself has had a number of cosmetic procedures, including at least three breast augmentations, a nose job, vaginal rejuvenation, and more. However, in the preview for the show, fans noticed that Palin looked quite different. Plastic surgeons, who had not treated Palin, agreed.
Dr. Darren Smith said, “While it’s conceivable that weight loss has played a role, her chin and jawline are much more defined. A chin implant and jawline liposuction would achieve such an effect. These can be performed as simple, in-office procedures, and do not necessarily even require general anesthesia.”
Dr. Manish Shah agreed, saying that she had “an incredibly sculpted neck.” He said that it could be due to weight loss, but it was also possible that the reality star had "some skillfully performed liposuction and Kybella injections."
6. So, did Bristol Palin have plastic surgery or not?
Palin hasn't revealed whether or not she underwent additional cosmetic surgeries after her 2011 corrective jaw surgery.
What do you think? Is her dramatic transformation the result of weight loss and aging or the skillful work of a plastic surgeon? Either way, she looks great!
Amy Lamare is a Los Angeles based freelance writer covering entertainment, pop culture, beauty, fashion, fitness, technology, and the intersection of technology, business, and philanthropy.