Kim Kardashian, Before and After

Love her or loathe her, Kim Kardashian is an example of the lengths some celebrities go to in order to “improve” their appearance.

We may not all agree on whether Scarlett Johansson had a nose job, or if Blake Lively had eyelid surgery—but looking at Kim, there's no question that she's undergone cosmetic enhancement. Multiple times!

It's just a matter of what, where and when. Let's take a closer look at her beauty transformation, shall we?

In 2006, Kim was 26 and just starting to hit the paparazzi circuit alongside her then-BFF Paris Hilton. She did learn from the best! Her hair and makeup are way more natural than the way she wears them today. But I do think she may have already been getting lip injections at this point.

Also from 2006, this one is so (surprisingly) pretty and subtle. Notice her hairline, which had a lot of baby hairs, and her face shape, which was oblong. Her nose is already quite petite, so I think it's possible that she had a rhinoplasty done even before this!

Kim in 2007

Before nude lipstick and contouring became Kim's signature, she experimented with a “pin-up” makeup look featuring red lipstick, rosy cheeks, heavy liner and a floral hair accessory. So off brand! This kind of thing was big back then (see: early Katy Perry).

Kim in 2008

Now fast-forward to 2008. Something is different, but what is it? Maybe it's the unflattering, pasty makeup. Or maybe it's the Restylane-plumped cheeks! (Although her lips seem a little deflated here.) Her eyes seem more awake, which could be achieved by lifting the brows with Botox.

Kim in 2009

If memory serves, 2009 was the year Kim's popularity soared, and this became her signature look. Long, straight, dark hair; pillowy lips; and spidery lashes. Her nose also looks different, but could be contouring.

Kim in 2010

A year later, Kim looked eerily similar to Jocelyn Wildenstein (a.k.a. “Catwoman”)! The cheeks are what is making this look so extreme. They've been over-filled with Restylane to the point where her eyes seem to be closing up. Her chin also looks pointier, but maybe that's because the cheeks threw everything off balance! There appears to be some Botox involved as well, since her forehead is super-smooth and she's struggling to smile.

Kim in 2011

Thankfully, things calmed down by 2011 (Kim was 31 here). But this shot shows how much her hairline has changed. It's been pushed back and is more straight-across now, plus all the baby hairs are gone. This is the result of laser hair removal. (Apparently it's an old time Hollywood secret—stars have been using that or electrolysis to change their hairlines for decades!)

Kim in 2012

See what I mean about her hairline? Totally different now. Once again, we can see evidence of Restylane in Kim's cheeks and lips. Also, she has two different skin finishes—her forehead is natural, but the rest of her face is light and matte.

This one kinda reminds me of the 2006 Kim, except her cheeks are so much more prominent now! I do love the shorter hair length on her, and she doesn't look so caked in makeup.

Update: Kim in 2013

In 2013, Kim experimented with blonde highlights, which she manages to pull off because she kept her root area dark. The old Hollywood waves and makeup are also a departure for her, and more sophisticated than anything she's worn before. Notice how much her cheeks just out when she smiles!

Update: Kim in 2014

In 2014, Kim returned to black hair and her usual over-the-top lashes, plus an under-eye area that looks very “baked.” Her upper lip is more filled again, and her cheek contours look very unnatural.

Update: Kim in 2015

Kim's biggest hair experiment to date was this platinum blonde that she tried in 2015. Not her best colour, is it? The thick, pasty foundation doesn't help either! And she's got so many fillers in her face, she has that “cat” look again. The tip of her nose looks more carved-out as well.

Update: Kim in 2016

At 36, Kim returned to a more natural look, with her own hair colour and less makeup. It's funny—her cheeks look like they've deflated a bit, but her lips are as big as ever! The highlight down and on the tip of her nose gives it a “ski jump” look.

Update: Kim in 2023

The natural vibes continued in 2023. I have to say, this is the best I've seen Kim look in many years! She has a spray tan, but there isn't a lot of makeup, except for her favourite lashes and pinky-nude lips. I also love this straight, blunt lob (probably a wig). But best of all, she has eased up on the injections!

Alas, it didn't last! Kim showed up to New York Fashion Week with a new silver hue for her hair, and more obviously enhanced facial features. Apparently, this is her real hair, but I think she might also have extensions in. 

Conclusion

Nobody can argue that Kim hasn't had work done—even Kim herself!

She does admit to using injectables. “Everyone always thinks I've had my nose done or my lips done or just anything to my face like besides Botox, which to me isn't plastic surgery,” she told Harper's Baazar in 2012. 

She is also open about lasering her hairline. “I lasered my baby hairs off years ago, because my forehead had all these little baby hairs, and I would always break out because of them,” she has written on her website.

It's obvious Kim also makes great use of lash extensions, wigs, hair dye, and lots of makeup. She says the latter accounts for the changing shape of her nose. “People always say I've had a nose job and they'll use before and after pictures but the after picture is really taken before,” she told ABC News. “It's so funny, it just depends on how your nose is contoured. My nose in my biggest insecurity. The doctor showed me what it would look like. And it just didn't—I wouldn't look the same.”

That was back in 2010, but she may have changed her mind since. “I do believe she may have gone under the knife for anose job, thinning out and straightening her nose, making it look more glamorous,” Dr. Anthony Youn told Radar Online.

“I believe she's undergone Botox injections to smooth the wrinkles of her forehead and her frown lines,” he adds. “Although I doubt she's had a surgical brow lift, she looks like she's had a Botox brow lift, where Botox is injected in a pattern to raise and arch the brows. Her lips appear to have been plumped with fillers.”

It all adds up to a look that's more plastic than ever!

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