Celebrity Plastic Surgery Confessions Are Trending: Experts Weigh In (Exclusive)

When Kris Jenner’s rep confirmed the plastic surgeon responsible for her youthful “new” look, our first thought was: What took so long? For decades, stars have been gatekeeping what goes on behind the scenes of their refreshed (or newly curvy) appearances, leading to speculative deep dives on social media from plastic surgery pros and armchair journalists alike. It’s also led to the public feeling, well, gaslit.

But in the past few weeks, there has been a noticeable shift: Big names including Kylie Jenner and Kristin Cavallari have pulled back the curtain on going under the knife, even revealing the exact specs behind their surgeries. 

“Celebrities are becoming more transparent about plastic surgery because the cultural conversation around beauty has evolved,” Dr. Lara Devgan, a board-certified, celebrity plastic surgeon based in N.Y.C., tells PEOPLE when asked about her take on the uptick in transparency. “We’ve moved from secrecy and stigma to empowerment and ownership. Today’s public figures are reclaiming their narratives, acknowledging that looking beautiful often involves intention, planning and professional help from expert surgeons.” 

Dr. Devgan credits part of the shift as “generational,” noting that next-gen celebs have grown up in the “age of filters, facial optimization, and open dialogue around self-care.” 

“They recognize that being honest about what they have done can actually enhance credibility rather than detract from it.” Dr. Devgan adds. “When someone with a global platform acknowledges their aesthetic work, it breaks down unrealistic beauty standards.” 

Dr. Jacob G Unger, board-certified plastic surgeon and owner of Nashville Plastic Surgery Institute, shares a similar sentiment with PEOPLE, noting that the public is starting to see plastic surgery as “another form of self-care.” 

“As we make strides in health, wellness, and even longevity, everyone wants to look as good as they feel,” Dr. Unger tells PEOPLE. “While there’s no substitute for an active and healthy lifestyle, some things are inevitably affected by time and gravity, and surgical intervention becomes the only solution.” 

What the Stars Are Saying 

Kylie Jenner, 27, has one of the most loyal and engaged social media followings of any celebrity, and she took that parasocial relationship one step further when she responded to a fan who asked exactly what she got when she “had her boobs done.” 

“445 cc, moderate profile, half under the muscle!!!!! Silicone!!!,” Kylie commented on TikTok.  

She even shared who her doctor was — Beverly Hills plastic surgeon Dr. Garth Fisher — and concluded her comment saying, “Hope this helps lol.”

After Dr. Fisher thanked Kylie for the shoutout, Kylie’s mom, Kris, 69, then commented and revealed that he was also the surgeon behind her first facelift 14 years ago, calling him a  “superstar class act” and citing her “amazing experience.” 

Will there now be a spike in requests for “the Kylie Jenner chest” from patients? 

Dr. Devgan tells PEOPLE it’s not quite that simple. It’s less “about the implant — it’s about achieving proportion, symmetry, and a seamless result that complements the whole silhouette.” 

Kylie’s procedure “reflects a highly customized breast augmentation approach,” she says, adding, “dual plane placement, which positions the implant partially under the pectoral muscle, is often chosen to achieve a natural slope while maintaining upper pole fullness, especially in women with thinner breast tissue.” 

Upper pole fullness refers to the volume and shape of the top half of the breasts. Pregnancy, weight loss, and the aging process can flatten the upper breast mound, which leads to women opting for breast augmentation surgery.

Just three days after Kylie’s reveal, Kristin Cavallari, 38, was equally open when a follower asked her to share the details of her own recent breast augmentation. 

“I was 300 cc before now I’m 340. Everyone thinks I went a lot bigger but I’ve just pushed them up a couple times since getting them done,” she shared on Instagram. “This is the new set a few days ago and they fit my frame.”

Cavallari had previously opened up about having her “boobs redone” in a May episode of her podcast, “Let’s Be Honest.” 

The Laguna Beach alum first got breast implants more than eight years ago, and explained that recently, “My intuition was saying, ‘Redo your boobs. At least get a consultation.’ I can’t tell you why, but something in me was telling me to do it.”

Though she hadn’t planned to replace her implants, she said her surgeon, Dr. Unger, found a ruptured implant and a huge piece of scar tissue during her revision surgery, and in the end, she was glad she had listened to that inner voice.

“I’m happy about it! And I’m gonna be honest with you guys: Doing my boobs is one of the best things I’ve ever done,” she shared on the podcast. 

Dr. Unger tells PEOPLE that, even though celebrities are providing the “order” for their exact proportions, it’s not as simple as heading to the doctor with numbers in hand.

“I would emphasize that the key to Kristin’s comments is ‘fit my frame,’” he says. “Everything I do is designed to fit within the anatomy of each patient in a bespoke, custom manner.”

“Ultimately, there isn’t one specific technique or maneuver that guarantees natural results,” he adds. “It’s a combination of a surgeon’s aesthetic judgment, coupled with the knowledge and experience to reliably create shapes that are beautiful and proportionate. I like to say, ‘What I do is art, bounded by anatomy and science.’ “

Another celebrity sharing the details of what she’s had done? Real estate mogul and Shark Tank regular Barbara Corcoran, 76, who posted a full list of procedures to social media, revealing she had three facelifts and remains open to continuing to tweak her appearance. 

“Barbara Corcoran’s openness at 76 is both refreshing and realistic — having had three facelifts is not shocking to me,” Dr. Devgan says. “Like fitness or skin care, facial surgery evolves with time. Some patients choose one transformative procedure, while others prefer refined updates every 10 to 15 years, depending on their personal philosophy.” 

As for the earlobe filler (which ignited the most buzz on Corcoran’s post), Dr. Devgan says it’s not uncommon in the injectables landscape. 

“As we age, earlobes can lose volume and structure. Filler in the earlobes helps restore youthful contour and allows earrings to sit properly again,” she says. “This is a small adjustment that quietly elevates the overall facial presentation by restoring shape and support of the earlobes, especially in those who wear earrings. In aesthetic surgery, details matter.” 

What’s Trending in Plastic Surgery Right Now 

If you’ve fallen down a rabbit hole in the plastic surgery corner of TikTok, then you know that stars are seemingly looking more refreshed than ever. And that’s likely because the work they’re getting is so advanced, it’s hard to pinpoint. 

“The biggest trend in plastic surgery right now is ‘the undetectable’ — doing less, earlier, and doing it well,” Dr. Devgan says. “More patients in their late 30s and 40s are opting for early facelifts, mini necklifts, and eyelid surgeries to stay ahead of aging rather than reverse it later.”

“Overall, the modern patient is seeking subtle, intelligent work that doesn’t announce itself,” she adds. “The best results don’t chase trends; they quietly preserve beauty in a way that is undetectable and enduring.” 

Dr. Unger says he also sees a trend “towards more natural and nuanced results.”

“Having exaggerated features like huge fake breasts or lips is becoming more niche,” he says. “Restoring contours and curves to their original places and creating balance and harmony has always been in vogue. People are more willing to talk about their procedures when it involves restoring normal anatomy and achieving a delicate, balanced contour.”

He does note, however, that there is a clear distinction between what we’re seeing in celebrity photo shoots and what exists in real life. 

“Even when celebrities admit to having various procedures, it doesn’t mean you can expect to look like they do on magazine covers just because you had a similar procedure,” he says. “Even with the best plastic surgery, there are things that might not be perfect or could be better. Remember, photoshoots involve thousands of pictures, and only the best few, with perfect lighting and makeup, are used for public consumption. No matter how honest celebrities are about their surgeries, their public image is never a completely accurate representation of real life.”

How Much Does It Cost? 

The price tags behind leading plastic surgery procedures have a wide range depending on a number of factors like the patient’s exact type of procedure, the doctor who performs it and even the surgical setting where it takes place. 

For a breast augmentation surgery like Kylie’s, Dr. Devgan notes it could cost anywhere from $35,000 to $50,000. 

“It depends on the patient’s anatomy, aesthetic goals, the complexity of the case, and the expertise of the surgeon,” she says. 

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New York City-based plastic surgeon Dr. Steven Levine, whom Kris Jenner credited for her refreshed new appearance that set social media on fire, did not specify what Kris, 69, had done or how much it cost. 

But when Dr. Levine spoke with PEOPLE in 2020 about the uptick in plastic surgery requests during the COVID19 lockdown, facial procedures had a price tag of $45,000 and up.

An Internet Hot Take 

Creator and entrepreneur Haley Sacks, known as @mrsdowjones to her 1.2M Instagram followers, pointed out that the reason more stars are being forthright about going under the knife right now might be the result of a business-minded, financial decision. 

In a reel titled “How Kylie Jenner Turned Her Boob Job Into a Tax Write-Off” (which has close to 500k views), Sacks introduces her own theory: Jenner is possibly writing off her plastic surgery under something called the Chesty Love Tax Deduction. 

Self-employed exotic dancer Cynthia Hess (aka Chesty Love) won a tax case in 1994 that allowed her 1988 breast implants to be considered a legitimate business expense, and therefore tax deductible. According to USA Today, her legal argument was that they were necessary to earn a living and that she otherwise wouldn’t have enlarged her breasts “to such an extent that they made her appear ‘freakish.’” The IRS initially denied her claim, but she ended up suing them, and she won. 

Sacks points out that celebrities like Kylie Jenner, who have built empires on their images, are now able to write off plastic surgeries that can be considered “necessary” for their work. 

According to Sacks, in order to qualify for the Chesty Love Tax Deduction you “need to prove that your income increased because of the surgery, it was required and useful for your line of work, and that the tweaks are not suitable for everyday usage.” (Sacks points out that the last requirement is about the ability to prove that surgery is part of one’s “costume” for work, and it could be argued that Kylie’s whole business has been built around her body.) 

While none of the KarJenners have said they are claiming their procedures on their taxes, they have pioneered the art of building empires off of their appearances. Sacks points out that they would likely be eligible.

What’s Next 

While more celebs are getting real about their procedures, there is still a long way to go before plastic surgery confessionals become mainstream conversation. The conversation is, however, increasingly getting less taboo. 

Actress Julia Fox, who has herself been very open about getting cosmetic procedures in the past, told PEOPLE at the Tribeca Festival on June 7 that she hopes the transparency trend continues. 

“I think we should be honest. Women set the bar for each other and I feel like you’re setting an unrealistic bar [if you’re not honest],” the actress said. “That’s really great for you, but what about all the girls that are so impressionable and feeling like ‘Wait, why don’t I look like that and what’s wrong with me?'” 

She continued, “It’s like, Girl, none of us look like this, you know what I mean? We all look really different without the surgery and without the fillers and without the makeup … and the face tapes and the wigs and the tanning creams. The list goes on. On and on and on.” 

Maybe the future holds plastic surgeons being tagged in Instagram photos alongside glam squads — or even plastic surgeons credited alongside the costume and makeup departments in TV and film credits. After all, if this recent trend has proven anything, it’s that the public doesn’t just want to know who is going under the knife. We want to know what they are doing— and who their doctor is.