If you live in America, someone you know has probably had plastic surgery. Whether or not they tell you about it is another matter entirely. Maybe it’s a close friend or family member, or a coworker who worked from home for two weeks and mysteriously returned with a new nose. Perhaps it’s you. A rhinoplasty by any other explanation would be just as obvious, so why do some people lie?
To learn how people chose to navigate the complex and somewhat awkward task of revealing their external changes to family and friends, The Daily Beast spoke to six people who’ve had plastic surgery about whether or not they shared the news. Some all but announce their surgeries on social media, while others keep them quiet—usually to avoid condemnation and finger-wagging. Most fall somewhere in the middle.
To be clear, we don’t judge those who choose to keep private matters, well, private. After quietly climbing in popularity for a century, the prevalence of plastic surgery and injectables skyrocketed in the 2020s. Now, it’s practically commonplace to speak openly about one’s “work.” But no matter how honest the Kardashian-Jenners are, some people still harbor an undeniable stigma toward elective cosmetic procedures. As a result, many plastic surgery patients choose to keep quiet about their nips and their tucks.
1. “I find that you can pawn most things off as a ‘nose job.’”
“I had jaw implants, rhinoplasty, pec implants, a hair transplant, and a few other things. I tell some people, but not others (such as my family). The reason I choose some people to tell, and [not] others, is because there’s often a shift in how they perceive me once I tell them I’ve had work done. When someone compliments me on my chest and I respond by telling them that they’re implants, I can see the shift go from admiration to seeing me as inauthentic. Other times, I won’t tell someone because I want to avoid a lecture.
“I kept the hair transplant a secret by staying home the first week, wearing a beanie, and then just explaining to my family I shaved my head. I thought they would notice because it’s pretty obvious, but my dad’s well over 65 and doesn’t follow this stuff at all. Other people do ask about the difference, but it’s often when I haven’t seen them for a long time, or when someone seeks an old photo of me. (They’ll say something like, ‘You look so different.’) I find that you can [pass] most things off as a nose job, which I’m more open about than other things. Oh, you think that the whole structure of my lower face looks different? Nose job balanced it.
“The other day I had a first date with a guy, and he said, ‘Do you have filler or something in your jaw? The symmetry is perfect.’ I said, ‘No, you can touch it,’ as it feels exactly like bone. He did and lost all suspicion. I guess I don’t tell the truth in situations like that, as it feels like it could become a power move. Someone could be trying to make your attractiveness less valid because it’s what they deem as ‘inauthentic.’”—Thomas*, 28
2. “I told my closest friends…and they all expressed disappointment in me.”
“A year ago, I got buccal fat removal to achieve a more ‘skeletal’ appearance. I know buccal fat removal has gone viral lately, but I’d been looking into it for about a decade [before that]. When I paid the deposit for the surgery, I told my closest friends, and they all expressed disappointment in me. I know their feelings came from a place of concern, but I remember feeling a great deal of shame and lack of support. Thankfully, by the day of the procedure, all my friends had come around.
“I avoided telling my mother beforehand because I didn’t want her to worry. Once the procedure was done, I told anyone who would listen. I posted selfies in my head wrap with captions that read, ‘I spent all of my money on plastic surgery.’ I even attended my philosophy class with the wrap on.
“People asked me how I did it, and I told them I did it through dieting. People can be a bit weird once they learn you’ve had work done.”— Cervy, 26
“I’m so happy with my new look. People asked me how I did it, and I told them I did it through dieting. People can be a bit weird once they learn you’ve had work done, as if I’m somehow less trustworthy now. Others will take it as a sign of wealth and treat you differently. But most people don’t really care that much. My mother came to visit me the other day, and at some point, I mentioned the surgery. She smiled and told me I look wonderful.” —Cervy*, 26,
3. “Everyone thinks it happened naturally. I don’t see a need to correct them.”
“I’ve had two [cosmetic] procedures in my life. When I was 20, I got a breast augmentation, and the only person I told was my boyfriend at the time because I needed a ride home from my procedure (plus, he would obviously know). I didn’t share [this information] with anyone else because I didn’t really see the relevance. I was in college, lived at home, and carefully planned it during a time my parents would be on vacation out of the country.
“Then, when I was 39, I decided to get AirSculpt liposuction on my chin, arms, stomach, lower back, and sides. The only person aware of this is the friend who drove me to and from the surgery. This will be one procedure I’ll carry with me to my grave. I took a week off work to heal. Due to the swelling, it seemed as though I was naturally losing weight. The weight loss was noticeable to everyone I know. Everyone thinks it just happened naturally. I don’t see a need to correct them.”—Rachel*, 43
4. “I grew up in the South. If someone wouldn’t admit to something, it was talked about incessantly behind their back.”
“I’ve had a few procedures done. I had IPL a few times to correct sun damage, an upper blepharoplasty, and a lower facelift in 2025 to improve my ‘jowliness.’ Over the years, I’d noticed that my face had fallen into my neck, and I was looking too much like my 80-year-old mother for my liking. I wanted to have the surgery while I was still physically healthy, could handle general anesthesia, and could bounce back without complications. I wound up also having a neck lift, fat grafting to my mid-face, and an endoscopic brow lift, per the consultation I had with the surgeon.
“I told those closest to me beforehand and after. I grew up tall, skinny, and blonde in the South and admit to having ‘pretty privilege’ for most of my life. Gossip reigned, and if someone wouldn’t admit to something, it was talked about incessantly behind their back. I would rather be honest and tell my own story than have people gossip, speculate, and judge me for lying. I don’t bring it up to random people without a reason, but I will mention it to anyone if it comes up in conversation or if they ask. I’ve even posted before-and-after photos on Reddit without editing or hiding my identity. A few people have asked about the difference in my appearance. I immediately told them exactly what I had done and who did it. Not one person has seemed to be surprised or judgmental.”—Beth, 61
5. “It’s not something people ever thought I’d do.”
“I told only close friends about my breast augmentation two years ago because I knew they wouldn’t judge me. I knew my close girlfriends would be the most likely to notice, and there was also no possibility of keeping it a secret due to the healing process. I had a close friend who knew about the procedure, [who would] pick me up after the surgery and anesthesia. I don’t think there’s any way I could have gone without the support of at least a couple of close friends.
“I did, however, choose to hide it from my family. I thought my mother would worry too much about me going through surgery, and I wanted to spare her from that anxiety. I also thought they would judge me for spending so much money on a cosmetic procedure. I live in a different state from them, so it was easy to keep the procedure a secret. I almost always wore padded bras before, so how I look post-op in clothing isn’t that different. I did go to a pool party once, and several of my girl friends mentioned how great my boobs looked in my swimsuit. Nobody ever questioned whether or not I had surgery. I think it’s just not something people ever thought I’d do.”—Rose*, 43
6. “I got nothing but praise from everyone for sharing the information.”
“I had no problem telling anyone I got an upper blepharoplasty a few months ago. I was going to be out of commission completely for one whole week and knew that when I returned to my regular life, I would look bruised and swollen.
“I did not feel embarrassed or ashamed to tell people I was unhappy with my eyelids, and I chose this surgery to make me look and feel more like myself. I got nothing but praise from everyone for sharing the information. Most people wanted to know all about it and were happy I shared it with them. In sharing, I also found out that many of the people I told had also gotten the procedure done themselves.”—Sheila*, 60
*Names have been changed. Answers have been condensed and edited for clarity.,
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