Khloé Kardashian, Before and After

We know the Kardashian-Jenner clan makes the most of lighting, camera angles, filters, retouching and contouring tricks to enhance the endless stream of photos they release to the world. 

But we ALSO know—from examining the beauty transformations of Kim Kardashian, Kylie Jenner and Kendall Jenner over the years—that they're not opposed to a little cosmetic work as well. 

Which is why I'm opening the case for Khloé Kardashian, who looks extremely different as of late. (Not that I “keep up” with the Kardashians, but they're everywhere.)

I'm not the only one who noticed. The 33-year-old has been called “unrecognizable” and “obsessed” with plastic surgery, and is rumoured to have spent more than $3 million to achieve her new look.

Let's see how she's changed over the past decade…

The first season of Keeping Up with the Kardashians premiered in late 2007, so at the time of this photo, at age 23, Khloé was on the cusp of fame. She was so cute! I think she already had lip injections at this time (it's a family of early adopters), but that's it—the rest of her features fit her face. Her natural hair is wavy and light brown, but they all had the “Kim look” back then: dyed dark and worn super-long and straight.

Khloé in 2008

The following year, Khloé got some face-framing layers and lightened her tone to a softer brown. I like it! We can still see Kim's influence with the long lashes and swollen-looking lips. However, in comparison to later looks, this is practically “no-makeup makeup.” Ha!

Later that same year, it was back to a deeper brunette, paired with a deeper skin tone (spray tan). Her blush seems muddy—an early iteration of contouring, perhaps? If you look at her lips, they've deflated a bit, confirming my earlier suspicion about fillers. She has amazing teeth!

Khloé in 2009

Khloé got married in 2009, so it makes sense that she was at the top of her beauty game. This look seems to emulate her big sister's style. I actually love the straight, centre-parted hair, which really elongates her face (and the colour is more flattering than before). The dark eyeliner is nicely balanced by her sheer, glossy lips and natural skin tone.

Khloé in 2010

As the Kardashians' fame grew, the makeup got heavier and heavier. It's the opposite phenomenon that happens with actresses! In Khloé's case, it could be to hide breakouts. “I didn't get acne until I was in my 20s, which sucks and I was so insecure,” she has admitted. “And my sisters have had the most beautiful skin their entire lives, like not even a pore.” On top of the heavy foundation, she dialled up the contour (well, orange blotches), adding extra-spidery false lashes and the family's signature goopy nude gloss. 

Khloé in 2011

In this pic, Khloé (now 27) made a complete departure from her previous look, with red lips, pale skin and a brand new Ombré job. It's a lot more modern and polished compared to the last pic. Her nose also looks slimmer… is it that she's not smiling here, or because of something more permanent?

Khloé in 2012

Then, it was back to a chocolatey colour in 2012. As you've probably noticed by now, Khloé tends to stick with these soft, centre-parted waves. I'd almost describe the makeup as fresh—for a Kardashian, that is. Now that she's smiling again, I don't think she did anything to her nose… yet.

Khloé in 2013

Things stayed pretty much the same through 2013, except for a sprinkling of blonde balayage and a slick of orange lipstick. (Love the orange on her!) Her brows were looking on the thin and angular side in the last few photos, but now they're on their way back to their glorious 2007 state.

Khloé in 2014

That brings us to my favourite Khloé moment. She went full Hollywood glam for this Oscars party, and it's absolutely gorgeous on her! The deep side part and vampy oxblood lipstick bring a new sophistication to her look. I also love the lighter brown hair colour, which is probably very close to her natural hue. Despite the dramatic vibe, there's nothing heavy about the makeup—even the false lashes are soft. How un-Kardashian of her!

But here's where things start giving me pause. The lighting on this red carpet is unusually flattering, and yes, there is some strategic strobing going on. But even still—Khloé's nose looks like it has changed shape. Another modification is the high-contrast Ombré, which I'm sure we'll all look back at with a big “WTF?” in a few years. This was also the start of Instagram makeup, with heavier contour, overlined lips and exaggerated brows.

Khloé in 2015

Khloé's makeover got even more drastic in 2015—she was 31 here—starting with blonde hair. I actually don't mind this shade on her, since it's a sandy blonde. I also love what she's doing with that blue eyeliner! By this time, she was starting to lose quite a bit of weight, which is narrowing her face shape. Could that be why it looks like there's new filler in her cheeks?

Nothing could've prepared me for this shot… it's actually frightening! For the launch of 'Strong Looks Better Naked,' (“a book about nothing,” according to Jezebel), Khloé really stepped it up on the injectables. Her lips look heavily swollen; her cheeks have taken on that wooden appearance I've often commented on with Rosie Huntington-Whiteley; and let's face it, she was probably dabbling in Botox by this time, too. Not that there's anything wrong with all that… but usually, the point is to look better. 

Oh well, at least she knew she overdid it. “My face was f***ed!” she said on an episode of Kocktails with Khloé. “It did not work for me. I looked crazy, and I still think the effects are in there—I went to have it all dissolved like three times.” 

Khloé in 2016

Ahh… this is a bit more life-like! However, we can still see the lingering effects of the injectable fillers and Botox in her lips, cheeks and forehead. There's also her newly button-like nose. Adding to the overall synthetic effect is the brighter blonde… although I do like the lob length.

Hold up. This is from a few months later, and either the filler didn't dissolve very well, or she went back for a top-up. Either way, it's the closest Khloé has come to resembling a wax figure! Her lips are lumpy from the filler and her cheeks look inflated and sunken in all the wrong places. The dark spray tan, heavy foundation and over-the-top lashes really do not help.

Khloé in 2023

Mercifully, Khloé had a much more natural look at her most recent red carpet appearance. With the help of extensions, the long, sleek hair has made a comeback, along with her beloved Ombré. It looks like the fillers have “settled,” but are still very much present. And yet, her nose is suddenly wider again (more on that in a sec!). We really have to move to Instagram now to grasp the full extent of this transformation…

Yep, officially unrecognizable. I would ID this as an Instagram model, not a member of America's most famous family. Her lips have doubled (tripled?) in size, her eyes look blue… but her nose is again wider here, not slimmer. 

And one more from Instagram. Who is this, right? Part of it is the weight loss, but there's also something slightly Michael Jackson-ish in the face. Just me?

Conclusion

Khloé's beauty evolution is one of the most dramatic we've seen—and no doubt inspired by a desire to shed her identity as the “ugly duckling” of the family. “Being compared to my sisters was something I was used to,” she told People. “But being compared in such a harsh way I just thought, 'Okay, that's my role. I'm the fat, funny sister. Who cares?' I almost let that take ownership of me.”

But with a newfound love of fitness, she has now shed 40 pounds and completely reinvented herself. These plastic surgeons aren't so sure it stopped there:

• “She appears to have had her nose thinned, possibly from a rhinoplasty,” says Dr. Anthony Youn. “Her lips look plumped, likely with injectable fillers like Juvederm. Her forehead and eyebrows also appear relaxed, possibly from injections of Botox.”

• “Khloé also got some dermal fillers such as Voluma or Juvederm on her cheeks to give herself a lift and push out her cheek bones,” says Dr. Zara Harutyunyan. “Khloé also went under a chin augmentation. She used to have a very round and large chin and now she has a long and narrow chin.”

• “Her lips look much plumper and fuller, most likely a hyaluronic acid,” says Dr. Susan Evans. “Her nose also looks straighter, possibly achieved surgically with calcium hydroxyapatite, filler to raise the nose bridge.”

• “The overall shape of her face has changed, from round to more oval,” says Dr. Robert Tornambe. “I think she had micro-liposuction of the face, especially around the jaw and upwards, combined with fillers of the mid-face to sculpt the face. It looks like she also had a nose job, thinning her nose to blend with her thinner face, more oval face.”

Okay, I suspected as much with the Botox and fillers (including the temporary bridge, which would explain why her nose changes width). But a chin implant? Liposuction?

Anything is possible! Of course, it's her right to. As she told Cosmopolitan, “I think people should get plastic surgery or fillers or lasers or whatever if they want it—that should be your own personal decision.” I agree. But when will celebs learn that saying nothing is the best policy?!

Just three days before that scary 2015 photo, Khloé wrote a blog post titled My Face is Filler-Free, Bitches. (She called us bitches!) It was months later that she finally admitted to having work done. Her makeup artist, Joyce Bonelli, has also claimed her mad contouring skills have given Khloé “the best nose job for eight years.” 

Personally, I don't believe for a second that it's just makeup and fillers! Do you?

How do you feel about Khloé's beauty evolution?
Which of these looks is your favourite?
What “beauty work” do you think she's had done?