Denise Richards shares 'shocking' transformation pictures after face lift

Olivia Burke
2026-03-22T10:14:02.962Z
Entertainment

The TV star said the difference in her appearance is 'night and day'

Denise Richards has spoken out about her extraordinary transformation after her surgeon shared before-and-after photos showing the impact of her facelift.

The actress and reality TV star, 55, has explained why she didn't try and 'hide' the fact that plastic surgery is the reason why she is now swanning around looking as fresh as a daisy.

She revealed she went under the knife eight months ago to achieve a brighter and tighter complexion, as she 'wanted to put things back up where they were before'.

Richards, who was formerly married to Two And A Half Men star Charlie Sheen and shares two children with him, underwent a facelift last year.

The Wild Things and The World is Not Enough actress placed the fate of her face in the hands of celebrity plastic surgeon Dr Ben Talei, who runs a swanky clinic in Beverly Hills.

According to his website, the medic specialises in 'natural, long-lasting facelift and neck lift surgery'.

The 55-year-old looks visibly refreshed after undergoing the cosmetic procedure (Michael Tullberg/Getty Images)

He explains that facelift procedures, also known as rhytidectomy, 'aim to address signs of aging in the lower face and neck by lifting and tightening sagging skin and muscles'.

Dr Talei states that although surgical intervention 'does not stop the natural aging process', his patients 'enjoy a more youthful appearance for many years after the procedure'.

In Richards' case, the results speak for themselves - as in the actress' own words, the difference in her appearance is 'night and day'.

You may have noticed Denise looking a little different (Instagram/deniserichards)

Dr Talei shared an Instagram post on Saturday (21 March), which included several before-and-after photos that documented the star's transformation.

Denise Richards shares images before and after face lift

Discussing some of the tweaks he made to Richards' face, he said: "There are things that the majority of surgeons in the world would gloss over, such as the organisation of the eyebrow hair or the contour and shape of the forehead.

"As we age, so many little things change, like the disarray of the eyebrow hair pattern.

Dr Ben Talei shared the before-and-after pictures (Instagram/@drbentalei)

"If you look at the after photo, you can see how much more organised they look from the three-dimensional changes I’m able to make.

"If you look at the forehead contours from the side view, you can see how young in the shape looks now.

"Her stunning, gorgeous eyes were restored rather than changed or just cleaned up. Even her earlobes look better from all views. The sad or tired look around the eyes and mouth have been neutralised and reversed. "

Dr Talei also pointed out that the 'furrowing between her eyebrows has been relaxed', while saying he was 'so grateful to Denise for being so open about the procedure'.

The difference is stark (Instagram/@drbentalei)

"She’s been through so much this past year and her resilience is just astounding," he added. "She has a golden heart and her golden face is hers again."

Richards herself also left a comment on his post, writing: "I am forever so grateful thank you ... and deeply humbled by your unbelievably kind words."

Dr Talei's skills have wound back the clock for the former Bond girl, who admitted she was 'terrified' to undergo the facelift.

Why Denise Richards was nervous about getting a face lift

Richards had previously undergone a breast enlargement at the age of 19 and has had revision surgery since then, but says she has never messed with her face.

The former Bond girl said she wanted 'to put things back up where they were before' (Instagram/@drbentalei)

Explaining why she's been so candid about the cosmetic surgery, Richards told Allure: "Being in the public eye since my 20s, people know what I look like - a facelift is not something that I could hide.

"I always said I would never get a facelift, because that's my face. This is how I make my money. I’ve been in this business a long time. People know what I look like.

"I've never done anything aesthetically to my face. This is my nose. I’ve done a little Botox. I've done very little filler - it made me look like I was heavy; it just did not work for my face.

"I’ve never touched anything [on my face] like that. If things go a little sideways when you do some other part of your body, you could cover it. So I was always scared of a facelift."

Richards said this was the biggest cosmetic procedure she'd gone through (Instagram/@drbentalei)

Discussing her new reflection, she went on to say: "It is night and day. It's shocking, actually. My face was in [Dr Talei's] hands."

She recalled how she told the surgeon, 'You’re the artist. Whatever you want to do'.

Although her oldest daughters, Sami and Lola, 'were not happy' that she was undergoing a facelift, Richards says they 'now understand'.

"They see that I still look like me," she added. "I think they were just worried, in general, of [me] having surgery. They were telling me I didn't need it. I was too young. I told them that this is something that I want to do, and you may not agree with my decision, but I just want your support.

"I understand that you feel the way you do, but please know that this is something that I want to do for me."