When popstar and actor Miley Cyrus attended the Met Gala earlier this month, it wasn’t her show-stopping outfit that received all the attention.
Instead, fans watching Cyrus walk the carpet marveled at the slight changes to her face. And the transformation – including plump lips, a defined jaw and taut cheeks – left many wondering if she’d had recent plastic surgery.
After inspecting photos of the singer, board-certified plastic surgeons told the Daily Mail it was likely Cyrus had undergone ‘tweakments’ but they were done with such finesse that they were almost ‘undetectable’.
New York-based plastic surgeon Dr Jimmy Sung said that the 32-year-old star is a ‘good example of the current undetectable [plastic surgery] trend’.
Dr Sam Fuller added that he also believed the star may have had subtle alterations.
He said: ‘Yes, there are a few changes in Miley Cyrus’ appearance that makes me speculate that she has had recent plastic surgery procedures on her face.
‘For her upper lip, it looks as though she has a “Bullhorn” or subnasal upper lip lift, where a small amount of skin just under the nose is excised in order to provide a lasting upper lip lift.
‘This, combined with upper and lower lip filler, would give the changes to her lips when compared to previous photos.’
Miley Cyrus sparked plastic surgery rumors at the Met Gala earlier this month
Cyrus is pictured in 2020 (left) and in 2025 (right). According to board-certified plastic surgeon Dr Sam Fuller, she may have gotten a bullhorn lip lift, based on pictures.
A bullhorn lip lift is a special type of upper lip lift surgery that shortens the space between the base of the nose and the upper lip – making the lips appear fuller and more pronounced.
The procedure involves pulling the cupid’s bow – the dip and double curve on the upper lip – higher to increase the curvature of their mouth.
This surgery, which costs around $3,000, is usually done by people who don’t want injectable fillers, which are only temporary and require repeat injections, or by those who want a more pronounced mouth but without a lot of volume in their lips.
In Cyrus’s case, Dr Fuller said: ‘The distance between the lip and base of the nose appears shortened, and there may be a fine scar present along the base of the nose as a result of the surgery.’
Dr Sung added: ‘Her cheeks and lips are the giveaways. A little less volume would be more subtle and more youthful.
‘She most likely had a combination of energy devices, injectables, and minimally invasive procedures to lift and volumize her face.’
Surgical energy devices are tools such as lasers that utilize various forms of energy to cut, coagulate or seal body tissue during a procedure.
Aside from upper lip surgery, experts also believe Cyrus may have undergone buccal fat pad excision – a surgical procedure to remove cheek fat.
Both bullhorn upper lip lift and buccal fat pad excision are minimally invasive procedures.
Dr Fuller said: ‘In addition, it looks like a buccal fat pad excision was performed in order to narrow her lower face and accentuate her jaw bone.
Aside from upper lip surgery, experts also believe Cyrus may have undergone buccal fat pad excision – a surgical procedure to remove cheek fat
‘This procedure uses an incision on the inside of the mouth to remove fat tissue in the cheek, creating more contour and definition between the cheek and the jaw.’
Dr Norman Rowe, a celebrity-favorite plastic surgeon in New York, told the Daily Mail: ‘Her cheeks appear to also be more defined, yet she does not appear to have lost any weight. So more than likely this is a buccal fat pad excision.
‘Her [surgeon] gives her more chiseled cheekbones through an incision inside the mouth. She also looks like she’s had some fillers placed around her lips.’
Pictured: Board-certified plastic surgeon Dr Sam Fuller
Buccal fat is described as padding between your cheekbones and jaw bones that help make up the shape of your face.
In a buccal fat excision surgery, this fat is removed from the cheeks by hollowing-out parts of the face.
People usually opt for this elective surgery if they wish to have slimmer faces or highlight the bone structure.
The procedure, which costs between $2,500 and $6,500, can also emphasize deep smile lines – which require a facelift to be corrected.
While buccal fat pads do not grow back, making results long-lasting, other fat cells in the face may expand if there is significant weight gain and give the face an asymmetric look.
Daily Mail.com has reached out to Cryus’ team for comment but has not received a response.
