Hollywood’s Most Expensive Transformations – Were They Worth It?

Joan Rivers

Rivers famously had an incredible amount of surgery done before her death. The late comedian possessed an acid wit and was very self-aware. She once said: “I’ve had so much plastic surgery when I die, they will donate my body to Tupperware.” We love it when people don’t take themselves too seriously (via Hollywood Reporter).

The legend had her first surgery when she was 32 but didn’t stop there. She had so much Botox that her surgeon allegedly turned her away several times. Meanwhile, she had multiple facelifts as well as a nose job amongst other work. It’s estimated that her 348 procedures were up there with Hollywood’s most expensive transformations.

Dolly Parton

Parton is another iconic celebrity who made one of the most expensive transformations ever. The country music star is in her seventies but she glows like a woman 20 years younger. That’s because she maintains a close relationship with her plastic surgeon who preserves her youthful appearance (via Hello!).

Some people may think that it’s better to grow old gracefully. But the star disagrees because she wants to keep going forever. Parton explained: “I don’t think about my life in terms of numbers. First of all, I ain’t never gonna be old because I ain’t got time to be old. I can’t stop long enough to grow old.”

Mickey Rourke

Rourke is the first of several men on this list but it’s not a good story. The action star had one of Hollywood’s most expensive transformations but most people agree it wasn’t worth it. Rourke had several facial surgeries after his boxing career because of injuries. He enjoyed success during his combat sports career but it came with a price.

The actor revealed: “I had my nose broken twice. So I had five operations on my nose and one on a smashed cheekbone.” These reconstructions left him unrecognizable from the handsome youth he once was. It’s a shame because the plastic surgery didn’t help him to improve his looks (via Sportskeeda).

Lil’ Kim

A glance at the photo below shows how much Lil’ Kim has changed over the past few years. The rapper appears to be following Michael Jackson’s path because she made similar changes. Firstly, her skin tone appears to be several shades lighter than it was before. Meanwhile, we can see that her eyes and nose are also different.

The rapper’s fans haven’t always supported her changes because they think she’s ruined her appearance. But the reality is that their opinions don’t matter if Lil’ Kim is happy in her skin. Life is short and we don’t know what will happen when we step out our doors. With this in mind, none of it matters (via Today).

Kaley Cuoco

Cuoco became a big TV star after her role in The Big Bang Theory. Nerds around the world fantasized about the blonde bombshell but they might not realize that she’s had cosmetic surgery. Some celebrities become defensive when people question them about plastic surgery but Cuoco is an open book.

The Flight Attendant star says that she’s very happy with her work. In 2016 she revealed that she underwent several procedures. She said: “Years ago, I had my nose done. And my boobs—the best thing I ever did. Recently, I had a filler in a line in my neck I’ve had since I was 12 (via Suggest).”

Tara Reid

Reid was one of the hottest stars in Hollywood in the early 2000s. She instantly became a pin-up girl after a starring role in the American Pie franchise and an infamous supporting appearance in The Big Lebowski. But then she underwent body contouring and it almost destroyed her career. This was one of Hollywood’s most expensive transformations but it failed miserably.

The actress explained how it almost ruined her mental health. She told CBS News: “I was smiling like a fool and people were snapping away. When I realized it, I cried and begged the photographers not to print it, but it was everywhere … I was on the websites as having the ugliest boobs in the world.

Simon Cowell

Celebrities rarely admit that they went too far with their treatments. However, Cowell is an exception because he admitted that he had too much Botox. He removed some of the fillers because it appeared that his face was melting. Furthermore, he said that it upset his young son so he knew that it was time to change back.

Cowell explained: “There was a stage where I might have gone a bit too far. I saw a picture of me from ‘before’ the other day, and didn’t recognize it as me first of all.” We don’t consider how celebrities are ordinary people and the human impact this can have. It rocked Cowell’s world and changed his opinion about surgeries (via The Things).

Megan Fox

Fox is one of the most iconic sex symbols of the modern era. She instantly won the hearts of every teenage boy on the planet when she posed with that yellow Corvette in Transformers. Most women dream of looking like the black-haired bombshell but her beauty isn’t fully natural. That’s right, Fox had some cosmetic surgery done like many Hollywood stars (via The Skin Care Edit).

It’s believed that Fox used Botox and fillers throughout her career. Meanwhile, her face became more angular and her nose also changed shape. Fox revealed her motivation: “We may look at somebody and think, ‘That person’s so beautiful. Their life must be so easy.’ But they most likely don’t feel that way about themselves.

Demi Moore

Moore had had one of Hollywood’s most expensive transformations. Many people think that her plastic surgery is a disaster after she had extensive work done. Celebrities desperately want to keep a youthful look. But there’s a serious difference between this and being frozen in time. Unfortunately, Moore falls into the latter category because it’s not the best work.

According to the National Enquirer, Moore wanted to attract younger men. A source told the news agency: “Demi’s been hanging out with her daughters and their friends and eyeing up the young guys. So it’s no surprise that she might be feeling insecure about the lines and creases slowly creeping in.”

Khloe Kardashian

It won’t surprise anybody that several members of the Kardashian clan are on this list. They’ve all had some of the celebrity world’s most expensive transformations. A glance at Khloe reveals that she underwent multiple procedures. However, she downplays the amount of work she has done.

Kardashian explained: “For me, everyone says, ‘Oh my gosh, she’s had her third face transplant,’ but I’ve had one nose job. And everyone gets so upset, like, why don’t I talk about it? No one’s ever asked me.” Some fans think that her appearance is less dramatic than Kim Kardashian’s or Kylie Jenner’s (via Life & Style).

Tom Jones

Jones is a music legend and remains a familiar face in concert halls around the world. He’s also done his best to ensure his face remains the same physically. The Welsh crooner says that he never tried Botox. But a surgeon capped his teeth and straightened his nose amongst other treatments (via Wales Online).

However, Jones believes it’s crucial to trust the surgeon and to go to somebody with the right motivation. He explained: “Thank God, the plastic surgeon said you’ve got to be careful, you’ve still got to look like you.” The last part is very important because many celebrities don’t look right after surgery.

Jane Fonda

Fonda has been a cultural powerhouse for decades and remains an A-Lister today. She openly admits that she had several plastic surgery treatments over the years as she chased the fountain of youth. It was one of Hollywood’s most expensive transformations but she’s not entirely happy with it.

The former Oscar winner says that she had problems with surgery addiction like many other celebrities. She said: “I’m thinking we all know a lot of women who are wealthy who’ve had all kinds of facelifts and things like that and they look terrible. I had a facelift and I stopped because I don’t want to look distorted. I’m not proud of the fact that I had one (via People).”

Courteney Cox

Cox had legions of male fans after she starred in Friends and became one of the highest-paid TV stars ever. However, she also indulged in plastic surgery and she regretted it. Unlike many stars, Cox admits that she went too far and wishes that she didn’t make these changes. It’s a shame that even the most beautiful people aren’t content in their bodies (via Now to Love).

Cardi B

One of the most successful female rap acts ever, Cardi B is a modern icon. She also dipped into the acting world with a supporting role in Hustlers. The hip-hop star has had many cosmetic surgeries including liposuction and breast implants. However, she attracted scorn after she got sculpted abs after she gave birth (via Page Six).

Cardi shut her critics down on Instagram Live because she is in control of her body. She said: “I don’t have the time of day like you do. Like, my job as an entertainer is a 24-hour job, bro. So no, I don’t have time to work out and I wanted specific things that I know that no matter how much I work out, will not get fixed.”

Kanye West

West is one of the most polarizing stars in the world. The rapper had an opioid problem in 2018 but this was because he had plastic surgery. He went through a lot of emotional trauma at the time and it became too much to handle. Most people agree that it’s not the healthiest motivation to get plastic surgery (via New Beauty).

“Two days before I was in the hospital I was on opioids,” West said. “I was addicted to opioids. I’d plastic surgery because I was trying to look good for y’all. I got liposuction because I didn’t want y’all to call me fat like y’all called Rob at the wedding and made him fly home before me and Kim got married.”

Janet Jackson

The Jacksons have had some of the most expensive transformations ever. Janet never received the same attention as her brother Michael but she also had a lot of work done. Doctors warned her to stop undergoing surgery because there was a risk of her nose collapsing. Unfortunately, many surgeons don’t have a moral compass and exploit their clients.

Dr. Terry Dubrow is a respected specialist in Newport Beach. He said “I’d love to see Janet go easy on the facial procedures for the time being. Although she looks restored, to my eye she is looking a little too everything. Her face needs a plastic surgery vacation (via Orange County Register).”

Roseanne Barr

Barr was one of America’s most beloved stars before she wrote a racist tweet. The canceled TV actress was a Golden Globe winner before she became a persona non grata. It’s fascinating to see how she physically changed over the years. Firstly, she lost a lot of weight before she had some subtle cosmetic surgeries that cost countless thousands of dollars.

She also had neck liposuction to remove some excess remaining fat. Then she probably had a neck lift to deal with the loose skin. It appears that she also underwent sculpting as well as some other treatments. Most fans agreed that Roseanne’s work was good and improved her appearance, unlike many celebrities on this list (via National Enquirer).

Iggy Azalea

Azalea is another star who underwent the knife. She endured several procedures that cost tens of thousands of dollars. These included breast implants and a nose job. The rapper believes that there’s nothing wrong with doing this because it’s her body. Life is short and she wanted to create the best version of herself (via People).

“I didn’t need plastic surgery,” she told Ellen DeGeneres in an interview. “There was nothing wrong with me. I think it’s a personal choice and anybody, man or woman, should be able to make an informed decision, and if you want to change something, then that’s up to you.”

Kim Kardashian

It won’t shock anybody to learn that Kardashian had one of Hollywood’s most expensive transformations. The reality star has had a ludicrous number of treatments over the years. Cardi B even claimed that Kardashian gave her advice about plastic surgery. Kardashian uses Botox and had butt injections as well as a laser skin treatment.

Meanwhile, most experts believe that she underwent belly button tightening and butt injections. One cosmetic surgeon estimated that she spent at least $200,000 but that was a tentative guess. Kardashian is one of the most powerful beauty influencers on the planet. But even she isn’t happy with her appearance (via The Mirror).

Kylie Jenner

Jenner is one of the most powerful influencers on the planet and impacts millions of young women across the planet. But they should be aware that Jenner has had a lot of surgery done so they’re chasing an unrealistic beauty standard. Jenner denied that she underwent facial reconstruction but fans roasted her online because it was a lie.

But even the most beautiful women have insecurities. Jenner revealed that she got lip fillers because of teenage insecurities. She said: “I have really small lips. And it was like one of my first kisses and a guy was like, ‘I didn’t think you would be a good kisser because you have such small lips (via Who).”

Michael Jackson

Jackson remains one of the most polarizing pop stars ever. There’s no doubt that he was a brilliant entertainer and a fantastic dancer but his personal life remains disturbing. Jackson also underwent one of Hollywood’s most expensive transformations. He notoriously bleached his skin and had a botched nose job.

However, he bizarrely denied that he had surgeries and claimed that natural effects changed his appearance. This was ridiculous because everybody knew he went under the knife. The delusional star spent millions on his features but most people think he made a mistake. Unfortunately, some stars don’t know when to stop (via Life & Style).

Madonna

The Queen of Pop never admitted that she’s had plastic surgery or cosmetic treatments before 2023. But a glance at her face reveals the obvious because she looks younger than she should. Experts believed that she’s used Botox many times and also had a facelift. Finally, she revealed what everybody already knew.

Some people mock her attempts to retain a youthful appearance but she has a good reason for it. Nobody wants to see an old woman dancing. Madonna wants to remain relevant and not fall into the category of legacy acts. That’s why she had one of Hollywood’s most expensive transformations (via Allure).

Cher

Another pop icon, Cher has had one of the most expensive transformations on this list. The septuagenarian is desperate to find the fountain of youth and that’s why she’s spent millions on plastic surgery. She has no problem admitting that she’s altered her body but she looks fantastic in her seventies.

Cher said that the only surgery she regretted was her breast augmentation but she’s happy overall with her choices. It’s safe to say that her changes have been some of the best on this list because they didn’t ruin her face. That’s one of the biggest dangers of going under the knife because there are many horror stories.