Denise Richards Plastic Surgery: 2026 Before and After

Denise Richards confirmed undergoing comprehensive facial plastic surgery in June 2025, publicly revealing her transformation in early 2026 after sharing her before-and-after results. The 55-year-old actress underwent an extended deep plane facelift, deep structural neck lift, temporal brow lift, upper blepharoplasty, lip lift, corner lip lift, and facial fat grafting. The procedures were performed by Beverly Hills facial plastic surgeon Dr. Ben Talei, who described the treatment as a comprehensive facial rejuvenation designed to restore her natural facial contours while preserving her recognizable appearance.

Unlike many celebrities, Richards openly discussed her decision to undergo surgery, explaining why she chose a deep plane facelift over Botox and fillers and documenting her recovery from the first week through the final results.

Did Denise Richards Have Plastic Surgery?

Yes. Denise Richards has openly confirmed undergoing extensive facial plastic surgery, making her one of the few Hollywood celebrities to publicly discuss every procedure involved in her transformation.

Richards shared her facelift experience through interviews and social media, revealing that she chose surgery after noticing increasing facial aging and neck laxity.

She explained that while she had previously used Botox and experimented with small amounts of facial filler, she ultimately preferred a surgical approach that could reposition underlying facial tissues instead of adding volume with injectables.

Her facial rejuvenation was performed by Dr. Ben Talei, a Beverly Hills facial plastic surgeon specializing in advanced facelift techniques. According to Richards and her surgeon, the treatment plan combined several complementary procedures to lift sagging tissues, restore lost facial volume, improve neck definition, and refresh the eyes and lips while maintaining her natural facial features.

By publicly documenting her recovery and sharing unedited before-and-after photos, Richards offered an unusually transparent look at modern facial plastic surgery. Her openness quickly attracted widespread media attention and renewed interest in comprehensive facial rejuvenation procedures, particularly the deep plane facelift.

What Plastic Surgery Did Denise Richards Have?

Denise Richards underwent a comprehensive facial rejuvenation rather than a single cosmetic procedure. Instead of addressing one area at a time, her surgeon combined several operations designed to improve facial support, neck contour, eyelid appearance, lip position, and facial volume during the same surgical plan.

Together, these procedures addressed multiple signs of facial aging while aiming to preserve Denise Richards' recognizable appearance rather than dramatically changing her facial features.

Extended Deep Plane Facelift

The extended deep plane facelift was the foundation of Denise Richards' facial rejuvenation. She chose this advanced facelift technique because she wanted to restore her facial contours naturally instead of simply tightening loose skin.

Unlike a traditional facelift, the deep plane technique lifts the deeper facial support structures as a single unit. This approach better corrects sagging cheeks, jowls, and midface descent while reducing tension on the skin, helping create a refreshed appearance without an over-pulled look.

For Richards, the procedure restored definition to her cheeks and jawline while preserving the natural facial expressions she wanted to maintain.

Deep Structural Neck Lift

Richards has publicly said that her neck was one of the areas that bothered her most, describing the loose skin beneath her chin as a genetic concern.

To address this, Dr. Talei performed a deep structural neck lift, which tightened the deeper tissues of the neck rather than only removing excess skin. Combined with the facelift, the procedure improved jawline definition and created a smoother transition between the face and neck, one of the most noticeable changes in her before-and-after photos.

Temporal Brow Lift

Rather than lifting the entire forehead, Richards underwent a temporal brow lift, which focuses on the outer portion of the eyebrows.

This subtle procedure elevated the lateral brows, helping reduce the tired appearance around her eyes while preserving her natural facial expression. It complemented the facelift by rejuvenating the upper third of the face without creating an exaggerated or permanently surprised look.

Upper Blepharoplasty

Richards also underwent upper blepharoplasty to remove excess skin from her upper eyelids.

The procedure opened the eyes by reducing hooding that naturally develops with age. Combined with the brow lift, it created a brighter, more refreshed appearance while maintaining the natural shape of her eyes.

Lip Lift and Corner Lip Lift

To rejuvenate the lower face, Richards underwent both a lip lift and a corner lip lift.

Rather than increasing lip size with fillers, these procedures improved lip position by shortening the distance between the nose and upper lip and subtly lifting the corners of the mouth. The result was a more youthful lip shape that complemented the rest of her facial rejuvenation while avoiding an overfilled appearance.

Facial Fat Grafting

Instead of relying on synthetic fillers, Richards restored facial volume through autologous fat grafting using fat harvested from her thighs.

She had previously shared that dermal fillers made her face look "heavy," so Dr. Talei used her own purified fat to replenish age-related volume loss in the face and neck. The fat grafting complemented the deep plane facelift by restoring fullness while maintaining soft, natural facial contours.

Why Did Denise Richards Decide to Have Plastic Surgery?

Denise Richards said she chose facial plastic surgery after noticing age-related changes that non-surgical treatments could no longer address. Her main goals included:

1. Restore a naturally youthful appearance rather than dramatically changing her face.
2. Improve neck laxity, which she described as a genetic concern.
3. Lift sagging facial tissues instead of relying on fillers.
4. Refresh her appearance while still looking like herself.

She also shared that she had previously used Botox and minimal filler but ultimately preferred a comprehensive surgical approach.

Who Is Denise Richards' Plastic Surgeon?

Denise Richards' facial rejuvenation was performed by Dr. Ben Talei, a Beverly Hills-based, dual board-certified facial plastic and reconstructive surgeon. His practice focuses exclusively on procedures involving the face, head, and neck, with particular expertise in deep plane facelifts, eyelid surgery, rhinoplasty, and lip lifts.

Dr. Talei performed Richards' comprehensive facial rejuvenation, including her extended deep plane facelift, neck lift, brow lift, upper blepharoplasty, lip lift, and facial fat grafting. He is also known for developing the Cupid Lift®, an advanced upper lip lift technique used to create natural-looking lip rejuvenation.

Denise Richards Photos Before and After Plastic Surgery

Denise Richards publicly shared her before-and-after photos, giving fans an unfiltered look at the results of her facial plastic surgery. The images, released by both Richards and her surgeon, documented her transformation from the early recovery stage to a more refined outcome as healing progressed.

Visible Facial Changes After Surgery

1. Jawline: More defined with reduced jowling.
2. Neck: Improved contour and a smoother transition beneath the chin.
3. Brows: Slightly elevated outer brows that refreshed the upper face.
4. Eyes: Less hooded upper eyelids following upper blepharoplasty, creating a more open appearance.
5. Lips: A subtle enhancement of the upper lip and softer mouth corners after the lip lift and corner lip lift.
6. Facial Volume: Restored fullness through fat grafting, reducing age-related hollowing.
7. Overall Appearance: A refreshed, natural-looking appearance that preserved her recognizable facial features rather than dramatically changing them.

Richards said her goal was to look like a younger version of herself—not a different person. By sharing her before-and-after photos throughout her recovery, she also showed that swelling gradually improved over time and that the final results became more apparent as healing progressed.

Who Is Denise Richards' Plastic Surgeon?

The Beverly Hills’ plastic surgeon Dr. Ben Talei, the facial plastic surgery specialist,.performed Denise’ full facelift, neck lift, temporal brow lift, upper blepharoplasty (eyelid surgery), fat grafting, and a lip lift at the corners of her mouth.

1. Why she chose him.
2. His comments on the treatment plan.

Denise Richards' Plastic Surgery and Recovery Timeline

Denise Richards underwent a comprehensive facial rejuvenation in June 2025, combining multiple facial procedures into a single operation performed by facial plastic surgeon Dr. Ben Talei.

June 2025 – Surgery Day

Denise Richards underwent a comprehensive facial rejuvenation in June 2025. All of her facial procedures were performed during a single surgical session lasting approximately 4.5 hours by facial plastic surgeon Dr. Ben Talei.

First Week of Recovery

After surgery, Richards stayed at a recovery center for about one week. She experienced the expected swelling, bruising, facial tightness, and visible stitches during the early healing period. Richards later shared that the brow lift was the most uncomfortable part of her recovery.

Three Months Post-Op (September 2025)

Approximately three months after surgery, Richards made her first public appearance at the premiere of the documentary Charlie Sheen: The Book of Sheen. Although her face was still healing, much of the swelling had subsided, revealing a more defined jawline, smoother neck contour, and a refreshed yet natural-looking appearance.

Eight to Nine Months Post-Op (Early 2026)

Around eight to nine months after surgery, Richards and Dr. Talei released official before-and-after photos documenting her final results. By this stage, the swelling had largely resolved, allowing the full effects of the facelift, neck lift, brow lift, eyelid surgery, lip lift, and fat grafting to become more apparent. Richards described the transformation as a "night and day" difference and said she was thrilled with the outcome.

Did Denise Richards Have Botox, Fillers, or Other Cosmetic Procedures?

Yes. Before undergoing facial plastic surgery, Denise Richards said she had tried Botox and dermal fillers but chose not to continue using them long-term.

In an interview with Allure, Richards explained that she had only ever received "a little Botox" and "very little filler." She said fillers did not suit her facial anatomy because they made her face look "heavy," while Botox left her with a frozen feeling that she disliked because she prefers to maintain natural facial movement while acting.

Instead of relying on injectable treatments, Richards ultimately chose comprehensive facial rejuvenation surgery to address the signs of aging she felt Botox and fillers could no longer improve. During her facial rejuvenation, Dr. Ben Talei restored facial volume using autologous fat grafting, transferring her own fat from her thighs to her face and neck instead of using synthetic fillers.

Denise Richards' Breast Implant History

Richards first underwent breast augmentation at 19 years old and has since had multiple revision surgeries. Most recently, she revealed that both breast implants ruptured while performing a stunt on the reality series Special Forces, requiring another corrective procedure.

Why Did Denise Richards Choose a Deep Plane Facelift?

Denise Richards chose a deep plane facelift because she wanted a natural-looking result that restored her youthful facial contours without creating an over-tightened or artificial appearance. In her interview with Allure, she said her goal was simply to "put things back up where they were before" while still looking like herself.

Unlike traditional facelift techniques that primarily tighten the skin, a deep plane facelift repositions the deeper facial tissues and the SMAS layer as a single unit. This approach can better address sagging cheeks, jowls, and neck laxity while preserving natural facial movement and expressions.

Richards also explained that she had previously tried Botox and minimal fillers but felt they no longer addressed the structural changes caused by aging. Instead of adding volume with injectables, she chose a surgical approach that corrected the underlying facial support. Combined with facial fat grafting, the deep plane facelift helped restore both facial position and volume while maintaining her recognizable appearance.

FAQs About Denise Richards Plastic Surgery