The Kardashian-Jenner siblings have built a beauty empire based on their signature looks — from their hourglass figures, to their flawless (and seemingly ageless) skin, to their plumped-up lips, fans expect the reality stars to look a certain way. And because the sisters regularly post on social media, folks can usually spot if they've had cosmetic work done. That's exactly what happened to Kim Kardashian in August 2023, when her Instagram followers noticed her face looking decidedly different.
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It's no secret the Kar-Jenners use fillers to help maintain their youthful appearance. The sisters have opened up about getting injections and undergoing other procedures in order to enhance their looks. And although Kim hasn't yet addressed the recent plastic surgery rumors, her fans are convinced she went under the knife. Let's take a closer look at what folks have said.
The rumors began on Tatum Thompson's first birthday.
On July 28, Tatum Thompson celebrated his first birthday. Tatum is the second child of Khloé Kardashian and Tristan Thompson. (They also have a daughter, True Thompson.) The Kar-Jenners only recently started posting photos of Tatum's face—and they can't get over how much he looks like his uncle, Rob Kardashian, and late grandfather, Robert Kardashian.
This is all relevant because the photos that sparked Kim's plastic surgery rumors started with snaps of her and Tatum.
Kim posted photos of herself and Tatum from his birthday party.
As she does with other members of the family, Kim gave her nephew a sweet shoutout for his first birthday.
"My baby Tatum Happy 1st Birthday!" Kim captioned her Instagram post, which featured two photos of herself with the birthday boy. "OMGGGG you are such a smoosh, the happiest baby boy of all time. I can’t even tell you how loved you are and how special you are! You are Rob’s twin! LOL Your auntie loves you SO MUCH ♾️ ."
Her Instagram followers quickly shared their suspicions in the comments.
A quick look at the comments section showed that many of Kim's followers had the same thought: Why does she not look like herself?
One person wrote, "I’m confused she looks completely different."
Another Instagram user commented: "What’s going on here? I fell asleep and Kim has a brand new face."
Yet another person wondered, "What happened to Kim’s face??? "
Someone else chimed in with, "Almost didn’t recognize you Kim."
Did Kim have a cosmetic procedure done on her face?
As of writing, Kim has neither confirmed or denied recently having plastic on her face. So it's difficult to know for sure whether she had any work done. The Kar-Jenners have been known for heavily editing their photos — so it's entirely possible that Kim's face looks different due to a combination of editing and lighting. (Or you know, aging, which is perfectly normal.)
She has opened up about plastic surgery and beauty treatments in the past.
During an August 2022 interview with Allure the SKKN founder opened up about what beauty treatments she's had done on her face.
“A little bit of Botox,” she told the publication, indicating that she's gotten injections on her forehead between her eyebrows. “I’ve never had eyelash extensions. I’ve never done anything. I’ve never filled my cheeks. I’ve never filled my lips.”
Kim added: “I care. I really, genuinely care about looking good,” Kardashian dished. “I probably care more than 90% of the people on this planet. It’s not easy when you’re a mom and you’re exhausted at the end of the day or you’re in school, and I’m all of the above.”
She also noted that she typically does her beauty treatments, including laser treatments, at night when her kids are sleeping.
Kim has made peace with the fact that she's not going to achieve perfection.
Although Kim clearly cares about her appearance, she is also OK with not living up to a standard of perfection.
“I’m at peace with not being perfect and I wasn’t like that before,” she told Allure. “I hate my hands — they’re wrinkly and gross. But I’ve lived life and I’ve changed so many diapers with these hands and I’ve snuggled my babies with these hands, so I’m OK with them. [Getting older] doesn’t mean that I won’t strive for perfection, but you get to a point where you’re like, ‘OK, my health is more important than anything else.’”
And there you have it!
The bottom line: Although it's possible Kim changed her mind about having work done on her face, it's probably best not to speculate unless she decides to address it. Either way, she looks absolutely stunning!
