Expert Weighs In On Tomi Lahren's Transformation Amid Plastic Surgery Rumors

This article includes discussion of eating disorders.

Tomi Lahren is a conservative Fox News commentator with nearly 2 million Instagram followers, her own show on Outkick.com , a Cameo account (the same side gig that Rudy Giuliani has) — all at the young age of 32. Despite her youth, which you wouldn't think would make her a prime candidate for plastic surgery, Lahren's appearance has changed so much over the years that some people are wondering if she's gone under the knife. One image that's been shared frequently on social media is a screenshot of Lahren from an article in the Rapid City Journal when she was reportedly a senior in high school, and she certainly doesn't seem to have the same polished look that she has now.

Granted, those changes could be down to aging and styling, so for an expert opinion, The List spoke with Dr. Mariano Busso, a board-certified cosmetic dermatologist with offices in Miami and Beverly Hills. We wanted to hear what he thought of Lahren's work, and he couldn't rule out that she's had work done. Dr. Busso did note, "Lahren is not my patient," but he noticed that Lahren had a "dramatic face change."

Dr. Mariano Busso told The List, "There are two elements that stand out in this transformation: her face shape changed from round to triangular (the base of this triangle would be at the level of her eyes and vertex on the chin), and there is an increased definition on her jawline."

As for what procedures (or natural causes) could have resulted in such a change, Dr. Russo had a few different theories. It could have been, "buccal fat pad removal or bichectomy [which] removes fat from the cheek and slims the lower face." Buccal fat removal, which helps accentuate your cheekbones, has been trending in recent years with a number of celebs who have had (or have been rumored to have had) the procedure. Chrissy Teigen, for one, has confirmed that she's had buccal fat removal surgery, and others have theorized that Kendall Jenner, Angelina Jolie, and Lea Michele have also had the procedure.

Then again, Lahren's face shape could have changed naturally. As Dr. Busso reminded us, "significant weight loss can have a similar effect." Lahren has talked about having issues with her body image in the past, including in her book "Never Play Dead: How the Truth Makes You Unstoppable." In 2019, she shared a picture of herself on Instagram, saying it showed her as "WAY too skinny" after eating very little following a bad breakup. So, weight fluctuation over time certainly could be a potential explanation for her changing look.

If you are struggling with an eating disorder, or know someone who is, help is available. Visit the National Eating Disorders Association website or contact NEDA's Live Helpline at 1-800-931-2237. You can also receive 24/7 Crisis Support via text (send NEDA to 741-741).

Dr. Mariano Busso pointed out some other potential work that Tomi Lahren may have had done based on photos. "Her ears are not visible to assess signs of surgery like changes in ear shape or scarring," Dr. Busso noted, but even so, he confirmed that, "the improvement on her jawline can be explained by a combination of neck liposuction and lower face lift. Non-surgical methods of neck fat reduction are also an option. These include injection with Kybella or Emface submentum." Emface submentum bills itself on their website as a way to "reduce your double chin" with "no needles."

There's a cause and effect when you remove fat in the face, which Dr. Busso didn't see with Lahren. "All this volume reduction of the lower face and neck is usually followed by increased skin laxity of these areas. The fact that there is no skin laxity but, on the contrary, we see more jawline definition, enhances the chance of a lower face lift."

Lahren hasn't confirmed having had any surgery done. She's certainly not be the first Republican to have undergone plastic surgery, or to have faced rumors about it — Kimberly Guilfoyle can't escape plastic surgery speculation nor can Donald Trump.