Photo: Tinseltown and Eugene Powers / Shutterstock, Getty Images
She looks different, but does that mean she's had work done?
By Amy Lamare — Written on Jun 21, 2021
Until this very moment, original momager Kris Jenner had been the only Kardashian family member who had publicly admitted to going under the knife (she's had breast augmentation and a neck lift).
We're all aware that sisters Kourtney, Kim, Khloé, Kendall and Kylie are no strangers to the use of cosmetic procedures when it comes to enhancing their looks. And while in general, what anyone chooses to do with their own appearance should be no one else's business, questions about just how much "work" the Kardashians have or have not done hold a different kind of weight in light of the vast amount of much pressure young fans put on themselves to look like them and meet the standards of beauty they set.
So when Khloé Kardashian admitted that she did, indeed, have a nose job during part two of Bravo's "Keeping Up With the Kardashians" reunion, hosted by Andy Cohen, her disclosure is an important one.
Did Khloé Kardashian have plastic surgery?
Until the KUWTK reunion, Khloé Kardashian had admitted only to trying either Botox or filler (yes, she says is not sure which). vehemently denying having any other work done.
Despite her insistence otherwise, many people on social media had remained vocal about their doubts.
It was especially hard to blame them for their skepticism given the fact that even sisters Kim and Kourtney grilled her after seeing what looked suspiciously like "after photos."
During a February 2016 episode of "Keeping Up With The Kardashians," Kim called her 36-year old little sister Khloé while sitting down for a meal alongside Kourtney and Scott Disick.
"Your whole face has changed," Kim said. "Did you do any filler?"
"No, I haven't!" Khloé responded.
"You haven't done any Botox?" Kim prodded further, "Khloé, your whole face changes when you laugh."
Shortly after, Khloé finally fessed up to Heather and Dr. Terry Dubrow of "The Real Housewives of Orange County" when they appeared as guests on a March 2016 episode of "Kocktails With Kourtney."
“Everyone says I’ve had my nose done and I swear I haven’t,” Khloé shared. “I don’t know if it’s Botox or filler, [but] I did one of them and my whole face went numb and I could not make [an expression]. I had to dissolve everything ... I looked crazy and I still think the effects are like, in there."
Has Khloé Kardashian had a nose job?
We now know the answer is yes, Khloé Kardashian had a nose job, saying the only reason she has never said so before was because no one had asked her.
During the second part of the reunion, host Cohen asked Khloé to name something that is always written about her that is not true.
Khloé answered, "Well, for me, everyone says, 'Oh, my gosh, she's had her third face transplant," before explaining further, "But I've had one nose job, Dr. Raj Kanodia. And everyone gets so upset. Like, why don't I talk about it? No one's ever asked me. You're the first person in an interview that's ever asked me about my nose."
Khloé did not specific when she had the one nose job, so whether or not anyone actually asked her about it after she did is unclear.
In addition to her statements made to the Dubrows in 2016, Kardashian once again denied that she'd undergone rhinoplasty (aka a nose job) when replying to fan speculation on Instagram in 2018.
"One day I think I'll get one because I think about it every day," Khloé replied, "But I'm scared so for now it's all about contour."
In addition to the apparent changes to her nose, many believe Kardashian's lips appear significantly fuller and more pronounced than when she first broke into the spotlight on Keeping Up With The Kardashians.
Khloé Kardashian at the unveiling of her PETA billboard in December 2008.
Photo: s_bukley / Shutterstock
Khloé on a Beverly Hills red carpet in August of 2012, with what appears to be the natural shape of her lips.
Photo: Tinseltown / Shutterstock
Khloé Kardashian in 2018.
Photo: Getty Images
The debate surrounding her frequently shifting look has continued on and off over the years, reigniting in an especially passionate way when Khloé posted a series of glamorous photos of herself on Instagram in May 2020.
Allegations immediately began flying again, with many saying Kardashian "must" have had plastic surgery to achieve such a dramatic transformation.
Some went so far as to deem her "unrecognizable" or suggest she was attempting to "morph herself" into looking like her best friend, Malika Haqq.
She first responded only with some of her characteristically effective shutdowns, as when one follower asked, "Why do you look so different in all your photos?"
"From my weekly face transplant clearly," Kardashian quipped in response.
But this time around, Kardashian soon grew so tired of the speculation that she turned off the comments on her Instagram account altogether in order to end the barrage of harassment.
As it always does, though, the battle continued to rage on Twitter, where some claimed to be so shaken by the reality star's latest look that they refused to believe it was her, and others cracked mean jokes at her expense.
Did Khloé Kardashian have buccal fat removal?
There has been some speculation that the apparent changes in the shape of her face could be the result of buccal fat removal. This procedure is is a type of plastic surgery in which the buccal fat pads, a rounded mass located in each cheek, are removed in order to make a wide face appear more narrow and sharpen facial angles.
It's also something Kardashian herself has never said she's had done.
It is worth noting that Kardashian is a spokesperson for Kybella, a self-described "fat-zapping, jaw-sculpting injectable" that works as a method of nonsurgical neck fat removal.
in March 2016 — conveniently the same time frame in which she first admitted to using "fillers or Botox" — the company announced Khloé as the new ambassador of their "Live Chin Up" campaign, "designed to encourage women to not let things that bother them get in their way."
But spokesperson status aside, Kardashian stopped short of admitting she'd used their product herself. In an interview with Glamour Magazine, she remained cagey about the specifics of what she'd had done, copping only to the same mention of "fillers or something" and lasers.
"I do a ton of those," Kardashian said. "I think the reason I like lasers more is because I feel like they're less invasive. Maybe. But I will try literally any lasers. I've done it on my neck and my face—even for redness and wrinkles, for tightening and cellulite, anything."
Did Khloé Kardashian have liposuction?
Her body has gone through significant changes over the years as well. While this is nothing unusual for a woman throughout her 20s and 30s, especially when she's gone through pregnancy and childbirth, in Khloé's case, her weight loss has led some to suggest she's had liposuction.
Kardashian clapped back again those claims as well, crediting hard work exercise for her toned physique. In June 2015, Kardashian vehemently denied the rumors on Twitter, saying, “I find it disgusting but maybe a compliment that I’m being accused of getting Lipo done. I work out 5 days a week. I bust my a—!”
Dr. Terry Dubrow, plastic surgeon and fellow Bravo regular, says her exercise routine and resulting weight loss could also explain the more streamlined look of Kardashian's nose.
In an interview with Cosmopolitan right after the Dubrows' appearance on "Kocktails With Khloé," she says Terry backed her up as she shared her frustration with the nose job rumors.
"[I] said to him, 'Everyone says I've had a nose job because my nose is smaller now and I swear I haven't. Do you think I have?' And he was like, 'No, but when you were bigger, your nose can get wider.'"
"It's like when you're pregnant," she continued, "your nose spreads because there's fat pockets in there, I guess. So when I lost weight, my nose did get smaller, and also I now know about contouring. Like when I wash my face, my nose is wider."
Does Khloé Kardashian have breast or butt implants?
Kardashian has also been accused of getting breast and gluteal augmentation. As she has with all other mention of surgical procedures, she firmly denies having had either done.
She credits her impressive backside to exercise.
“Sorry 2disappoint," she tweeted, "I've always had an a—. I know it's more fun 2believe it's not real, kind of a compliment since I kill myself in the gym.”
And as for the breast implant rumors, Kardashian subtly objected in a video she shared on Instagram in March 2019.
Aiming the camera of her phone at herself, Khloé told her followers, “You guys, bras like this make me want to get my boobs done because this cleavage ... I mean, it’s iconic. But when I take the bra off ... Sorry guys, but there's really nothing there anymore after the baby. But we can fake it till we make it, honey.”
At the end of the day, whether or not Khloé Kardashian or any other person has had plastic surgery, Botox, fillers, or any other kind of cosmetic procedure is really none of our business.
Photos: Tinseltown/Shutterstock, s_Buckley/Shutterstock, and Getty Images
It's her body, and she gets to do with it whatever she wants.
If she feels good about her appearance, why are we tearing her down for how we think she may or may not have achieved it?
None of us should pay any mind to the haters. As long as you're not hurting anyone, keep doing whatever it is that makes you happy.
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. You can find her on Instagram and on Facebook.
Editor's Note: This article was originally posted in December of 2018 and has been updated.