Ariana Grande’s evolution from ‘tonnes of filler’ to ‘gaunt’ trolling, experts reveal why her face has changed so much
ARIANA Grande shot to fame aged 16 as an innocent-looking Nickelodeon star with bright red hair.
But since then, the child actress-turned-pop star has undergone a full transformation – one that she admits included “a tonne of lip filler and Botox over the years”.
Before the Nickelodeon kids’ show Victorious aired in 2010 and put Ariana, 31, on the map, she was just a regular Florida girl with a passion for singing and dancing.
She had dark hair, big eyes and juvenile features – just like every other teen.
Now, the Thank U, Next singer has blonde hair, a chiselled jawline that could cut glass and doe eyes that most of us would kill for.
She’s also become a style icon working with some of the biggest brand’s in the business, such as Vivienne Westwood, Versace and Swarovski.
However, in recent months, eagle-eyed fans have been pointing out dramatic changes to Ariana’s appearance.
“Ariana’s face needs to be studied,” one penned on X (formerly Twitter).
“Ariana Grande looks like she’s seeing the grim reaper,” another critic penned on Twitter. “Her face is so gaunt.”
In a recent Vanity Fair interview, where she took a lie detector test, the pop star “deceptively” addressed speculation she has gone under the knife as part of her transformation.
She admitted to having anti-wrinkle injections and fillers in the past, but said she stopped getting them over four years ago.
When asked if she’d had a fox eye lift, nose job, boob job, chin implant or BBL, she burst out laughing and replied: “Get the f**k out of here”.
Then, she joked “yes”, to which the polygraph examiner said: “She’s being deceptive.”
So, it remains uncertain just how much help Ariana has had from surgeons and injectors to achieve her flawless look over the last 14 years.
Fabulous spoke to style experts and plastic surgeons to decode the evolution of Ariana Grande…
The Early Days
Ariana’s introduction to mainstream entertainment came at age 16 when she appeared in Victorious as Cat Valentine.
Set in a performing arts secondary school, she brought to life the “adorably dimwitted” character alongside lead actress Victoria Justice.
Ariana wasn’t the main character, but Cat’s giddy personality, high-pitch voice and unmissable red hair made her a firm favourite among fans.
The teen actress had to dye her hair the same shade of crimson every other week for the role, which caused severe damage and led to her needing to wear a wig on set.
Teenage girls fell in love with the all-singing-all-dancing ditzy red head. With her fiery locks and petite frame fans loved her girlie, ultra- feminine style
Amber Graafland
She often rocked her locks in curly or frizzy ‘dos.
“Teenage girls fell in love with the all-singing-all-dancing ditzy red head,” style expert Amber Graafland tells Fabulous.
“With her fiery locks and petite frame fans loved her girlie, ultra- feminine style.”
The Nickelodeon role became a launching pad for Ariana’s music career, with Ariana releasing her first single, Put Your Hearts Up, in December 2011.
After signing to Republic records in 2011, Ariana’s trademark long red hair was phased out in a move to distance herself from her Victorious character
Amber Graafland
“After signing to Republic records in 2011, Ariana’s trademark long red hair was phased out in a move to distance herself from her Victorious character,” Amber adds.
“Embracing her brunette locks, the young songstress slowly started to ditch the bright colours.
“She started to adopt a more sophisticated version of her girl-next-door look.”
In the years after Ariana released her debut album, Yours Truly, in August 2013, fans began to note substantial changes in her appearance.
Rising Star
It was widely speculated that by 2015, then 22-year-old Ariana had started getting lip filler and Botox.
This is something she has since admitted to in a Vanity Fair interview earlier this year, although she didn’t comment on the topic at the time.
Around that same time, Kylie Jenner found herself similarly under the public microscope for enhancing her pout with filler, indicating that no stars were yet comfortable speaking about their tweakments.
“Ariana has been open about getting Botox and fillers, sharing her journey with fans over the years,” comments Dr Fadi Hamadai, plastic surgeon and aesthetic doctor.
For a long time, beauty was about hiding for me, and now I feel like maybe it’s not since I stopped getting fillers and Botox
Ariana Grande
“Alongside these, she may have tried skin-tightening treatments like Morpheus8 Burst, a favourite among celebrities for its lifting and contouring effects.”
In a Vogue Beauty Secrets video, she candidly confessed to getting lip filler and Botox up until the age of 25.
“I just felt like hiding, you know,” she said.
“For a long time, beauty was about hiding for me, and now I feel like maybe it’s not since I stopped getting fillers and Botox.”
What are the risks of lip fillers?
THE RISKS of dermal fillers depend on whether the procedure was done correctly and the type of filler used.
The NHS recommends you speak to your practitioner about the risks beforehand.
Serious problems are rare but can include:
- Infection
- A lumpy appearance under the skin, which might need to be treated with surgery or medicine
- The filler moving away from the intended treatment area, which may need to be removed using surgery
- Scarring
- Blocked blood vessels in the face, which can cause tissue death and permanent blindness
You should see your GP if you have any complications that need medical attention and speak to your practitioner if you’re not happy with the results or experience lumpiness.
Source: NHS
According to Skin Code LA, a single syringe of lip filler costs over £500 in the affluent celebrity hub.
If Ariana got one syringe a year between 2015 and 2018, she would have spent a minimum of £2,000.
Botox injections from a reputable practitioner can cost over £770 a time and need topping up every three to six months.
If Ariana got her anti-wrinkle injection topped up every six months over the same period, she would have spent a minimum of £3,080.
Make-Up Magic
Between 2015 and 2018, Ariana began experimenting more with make-up, Amber adds.
During her Nickelodeon days, she would stick to a little bit of
blusher and a nude lip.
By 2015, she started sporting “a fuller statement brow, with exaggerated winged eye liner and obvious fake lashes”, says Amber.
It seemed like a natural progression at the time.
But fast forward to today, Ariana has done a full U-turn on her beauty preferences.
This has included “toning down the lashes” and “her face starting to
look paler”, says Amber.
“Having lost weight, her face shape changed,” the expert notes.
“And Ariana swapped her heaving lashes for a subtle barely-there-brown to match her new hair colour.”
Hollywood Girl
It was around across 2019 and 2020, when Ariana was 27-years-old, that fans began to speculate that she’d gone under the knife.
And according to renowned plastic surgeon Dr Jerry Chidester, they weren’t too far off the mark.
“The most notable, but beautiful, change is her nose,” he tells Fabulous.
“If you compare her nose from before, she has a much more narrowed width with a very refined tip.”
It was a very different Ariana that took to the red carpet at the 2020 Grammys. Her hair was swept up in a brunette highlighted ponytail, she was barely recognisable for her Cat Valentine days
Amber Graafland
Ariana has denied getting a nose job.
Style expert Amber describes the period between 2018 and 2022 of Ariana’s as her “chameleon years”.
“It was a very different Ariana that took to the red carpet at the 2020 Grammys,” she tells.
“Now working with New York based stylist Mimi Cuttrell, she made a dramatic entrance.
Ariana likely has an amazing medical-grade skincare regimen and probably gets frequent treatments to keep her skin appearing youthful and glowing
Dr Chidester
“She wore a breathtaking ethereal grey Giambattista Valli Haute couture gown with an oversized tulle skirt.
“Her hair was swept up in a brunette highlighted ponytail, she was barely recognisable for her Cat Valentine days.”
The singer was using public appearance to gradually introduce a more sophisticated, Hollywood-inspired look.
The goal was to distance her image from her Nickelodeon beginnings, Amber predicts.
A New Era
Ariana’s biggest transformation has come this year – but experts believe it isn’t solely down to surgery or aesthetic treatments.
She is rocking a natural-hued blonde ‘do, which is likely linked to her upcoming role as Glinda the Good Witch in Wicked, which is set to hit cinemas later this month.
Alongside that, her face is looking more chiselled than ever.
“The amount of buccal fat in her after appears to be less than before,” says Dr Chidester.
“However, if it wasn’t removed in a buccal fat pad removal surgery, then it’s likely just from age and weight changes over time.”
The average fee for a buccal fat removal surgery in City of Angels is over £6,000.
Dr Chidester thinks that Ariana was being honest when she said that she’d stopped getting fillers in her face in 2018.
“She continued to have a very defined jawline, but I don’t think she’s had any work done in this area,” he adds.
Amber adds that Ariana has been “showcasing a variety of Glinda-worthy creations over the past few months”.
“At the WSJ Innovator Awards she opted for a white strapless Vivienne Westwood lace gown, from Westwood’s 2024 bridal couture collection,” she says.
“Complete with a structured corset (a Westwood signature) and a full bustle-style skirt, she completed her look with white Manolo Blahnik pumps.
“As a Swarovski ambassador, she accessorised with an array of glittering crystal jewellery.”
Is Ariana Jumping on Hollywood’s Latest Craze?
Dr Hamadai thinks Ariana’s weight changes could be linked to the skinny jab craze sweeping Hollywood at the moment.
“Recently, Ariana seems to have shed a noticeable amount of body weight, possibly from weight-loss injections like Ozempic,” he comments.
The average injection of Ozempic costs £700 in the US, which needs to be injected once weekly.
Just six months of skinny jab usage could have likely cost Ariana over £17,000.
With weight loss, the face often gains definition as fat decreases, making the jawline and cheekbones appear sharper and more prominent.
The reduction of fat in areas like the cheeks and neck can give the face a more sculpted and elongated look.
Based on this, Dr Chidester believes Araiana has had “minimal plastic surgery” done to her face.
“She likely has an amazing medical-grade skincare regimen and probably gets frequent treatments to keep her skin appearing youthful and glowing,” he says.