In Hollywood, looks have always drawn attention, and small tweaks are nothing new. But in recent years, a number of well-known stars have chosen to take a step back from fillers and other injectables. Some dissolved earlier treatments. Others simply stopped getting more. A few adjusted their routines to look softer and more like themselves again. What unites these stories is not a single “right” answer, but a common desire to feel comfortable, confident, and authentic.
For many people, the conversation around cosmetic treatments has become more open and honest. These stars’ experiences reflect that shift. They each tried something, learned from it, and then reshaped their approach—sometimes literally. Their then-and-now photos show the journey. Their words explain the turning points that helped them decide what felt best for them.
Long before today’s more candid talk about cosmetic work, the pressure to meet certain beauty ideals in show business was already intense. Over time, several stars began speaking more openly about choices they came to view differently. Photo: Getty Images
Simon Cowell
For Simon Cowell, the moment of clarity arrived when a photo made him do a double take. He later shared that he barely recognized himself and realized he had gone further with fillers than he intended. It wasn’t just his own reaction that struck him—his son’s laughter drove the point home in a way that was hard to ignore.
Before
Simon Cowell in 2017, years before he openly said he felt he had gone too far with facial filler. He later said a look back at older photos spurred him to rethink his approach. Photo: Getty Images
He has spoken candidly about experimenting with fillers and then reassessing. A single snapshot became a turning point in how he wanted to present himself. Photo: Getty Images
Cowell has since said there was a period when he embraced the trend like many others, but that it stopped feeling like him. Looking back helped him move forward with a new plan.
2026
By 2026, he was photographed looking refreshed and more natural. He has said he stepped away from fillers entirely and focused more on healthy habits. Photo: Getty Images
He described shifting his attention to everyday wellness—simple steps like better nutrition and staying well-hydrated—rather than relying on injectables. Photo: Getty Images
Cowell summed up his change in thinking plainly: that era of “pumping faces full of this and that” wasn’t for him anymore. Simpler care had begun to feel better and look more like himself.
Kristin Davis
Kristin Davis has been refreshingly honest about her experiences, sharing that some fillers worked out for her, while others didn’t. The difficult part wasn’t only the procedures—it was also the public commentary that followed.
Before
Kristin Davis in 2011, years before she publicly discussed a mix of good and not-so-good outcomes with fillers. She later revealed dissolving some of them when the results weren’t right. Photo: Getty Images
She has spoken about the emotional toll of criticism and the trial-and-error nature of cosmetic choices. Photo: Getty Images
Davis also shared that even well-meant feedback from friends can be hard to hear, but it helped her course-correct when results didn’t feel like her. Photo: Getty Images
Eventually she chose to dissolve fillers she didn’t like and gently pushed back on the idea that the person in the chair is always to blame when treatments miss the mark. She emphasized that trust in professionals is part of the process—and that sometimes things still don’t go as planned.
2026
By 2026, Davis appeared comfortable in a more natural direction. She has said she had some filler dissolved and, over time, stepped back from trying to keep up with frequent treatments. Photo: Getty Images
She described the scrutiny as stressful and ultimately decided that a simpler routine fit her life better. Photo: Getty Images
Madonna
Madonna’s look has sparked conversation for decades, and her 2023 Grammys appearance reignited the public’s focus on how she approaches aging. By 2025, a source claimed the star was leaning into a softer, more natural style and focusing on treatments like LED, oxygen facials, and lymphatic drainage for a gentle refresh.
Before
Madonna in New York City in 1998, long before today’s conversations about her evolving approach to beauty. Photo: Getty Images
At the 2023 Grammys, the reaction to her appearance was intense, reminding everyone how quickly public opinion can shift around a famous face. Photo: Getty Images
According to the source, encouragement from her partner also played a role, reminding her that she didn’t need to chase a look decades younger than her age. The message, they said, was to embrace who she is now.
2026
Madonna in 2026. A source previously suggested she wanted to look less sculpted and more like herself, though she hasn’t publicly confirmed any specific changes to fillers. Photo: Getty Images
Performing in Times Square in June 2026, she appeared energized and confident. Whatever she’s choosing now, the goal—according to that insider—has been to move and express more naturally. Photo: Getty Images
Courteney Cox
Courteney Cox has said out loud what many people quietly feel: it can be hard to accept the changes that come with age, especially under the glare of Hollywood lights. That pressure nudged her toward more filler than she realized—until one day she felt she no longer recognized herself.
Before
Before she began reconsidering fillers, Cox was already navigating the relentless expectations around appearance in the entertainment industry. Photo: Getty Images
In 2017, she was in the midst of stepping away from injectables. She later shared that she dissolved all her fillers. Photo: Getty Images
Her aha moment came when she realized the person looking back in the mirror didn’t quite look like the person in her mind. Photo: Getty Images
That realization led to a reset. She had her fillers dissolved and, over time, leaned into a more natural approach—accepting that growing older is part of life and not something to hide.
2026
In 2026, Cox appeared radiant and at ease, years after dissolving her fillers and embracing the face she knows best—her own. Photo: Getty Images
Her reflections since then have highlighted a kinder, more accepting view of aging. Photo: Getty Images
Tallulah Willis
Sharing her decision made Tallulah Willis nervous at first, but in 2024 she told fans she had dissolved her filler. For her, it wasn’t just about changing a look—it was also about the emotional hold those changes had on her self-image.
Before
With her mother, Demi Moore, in 2008, long before she spoke publicly about dissolving her filler. Photo: Getty Images
Over time, she said she became attached to what fillers seemed to give her—until she chose to let them go. Photo: Getty Images
After dissolving her filler, Willis said she could finally see her natural bone structure again. It was both a relief and an adjustment, and she was honest about the ongoing work of accepting her face as it is.
2026
Two years later, in 2026, she described the process as an everyday practice—resisting the urge to tinker and choosing to sit with the person she is, naturally. Photo: Getty Images
Anna Faris
Anna Faris has been open about trying upper-lip injections around the time she filmed The House Bunny. At first, she noticed a subtle change and wondered if anyone else could see it. Eventually, people close to her spoke up, and she realized the look wasn’t quite right for her.
Before
Earlier in her career, Faris experimented with lip injections, later sharing what she learned from the experience. Photo: Getty Images
At the 2008 premiere of The House Bunny, not long after she tried lip injections. She eventually decided to stop and let the effect fade. Photo: Getty Images
Faris described gradually weaning herself off the injections, rather than dissolving them, and later called the choice a misstep for her personally—an experiment that taught her what does and doesn’t feel right.
2026
In 2026, she appeared relaxed and confident after years of keeping injections out of her routine. Photo: Getty Images
On The Kelly Clarkson Show, she reflected on how that chapter helped her better understand her own comfort zone. Photo: Getty Images
Lisa Rinna
Lisa Rinna’s cosmetic history stretches back decades. In her 20s, she received silicone injections in her upper lip, and scar tissue gradually formed over time. More recently, she tried a skin treatment she was told would add glow without extra volume—but the result wasn’t what she expected.
Before
Rinna in 1998, years after the silicone injections she received at 25. She later said scar tissue caused ongoing issues. Photo: Getty Images
She has often spoken frankly about the ups and downs of cosmetic procedures and how each experience shaped her choices. Photo: Getty Images
More recently, she tried SKINVIVE around her cheeks. Combined with jaw Botox for TMJ, she felt the look wasn’t right. After online chatter amplified the moment, she went to her dermatologist and had the treatment reversed.
2026
By 2026, Rinna said her face returned to normal within days of dissolving the treatment, and she took the experience in stride—another lesson on what works and what doesn’t. Photo: Getty Images
She acknowledged the public reaction was tough, but the important part was quickly fixing what didn’t feel like her. Photo: Getty Images
Melanie Griffith
Melanie Griffith said she didn’t initially realize her cosmetic work had gone further than she wanted—until other people’s reactions made her see it differently. The criticism stung, but it also pushed her to find a new doctor and begin dissolving what she no longer wanted.
Before
Griffith in 1995, well before she publicly reflected on her cosmetic history and eventual reversal. Photo: Getty Images
As she reconsidered some past choices, her goal became simple: to look more like herself again. Photo: Getty Images
Griffith has also used her platform to highlight skin health, sharing her experience with basal cell skin cancer and encouraging sun protection and regular dermatologist visits. It’s a reminder that how we care for our skin matters as much as any cosmetic choice.
2026
In 2026, she appeared after years of dialing back earlier work. Separate from cosmetic treatments, she has consistently urged others to be proactive about sun safety and checkups. Photo: Getty Images
Her aim in reversing fillers was never to chase perfection—just to feel more like herself again. Photo: Getty Images
Ariana Grande
Ariana Grande later revealed that she used both lip filler and Botox for years, then stepped away in 2018 when it all started to feel like too much. She shared that she wanted to stop hiding behind treatments and be more open about what beauty means to her.
Before
Earlier in her career, Grande relied on injectables—something she has since discussed candidly as part of her evolving relationship with beauty. Photo: Getty Images
At the 2020 Grammys, two years after she stopped injectables, she was already embracing a simpler routine. Photo: Getty Images
She has not said she dissolved earlier filler—only that she chose to discontinue getting more. For her, the change was about feeling genuine and comfortable in her own skin.
2026
By 2026, eight years after she stepped away from injectables, Grande looked polished and confident, with a beauty routine that reflects who she is now. Photo: Getty Images
At the 2026 AFI Awards, she continued to speak more openly about the journey behind the makeup—how honesty has become part of her definition of beauty. Photo: Getty Images
Yolanda Hadid
Marking a milestone birthday in 2019, Yolanda Hadid reflected on years of choices she came to see differently. She celebrated getting “back to the original 1964,” sharing that she was living without breast implants, fillers, Botox, and other add-ons she once felt pressured to maintain.
Before
Hadid in 2012, during a time she later said she embraced treatments to meet expectations about how a woman should look. Photo: Getty Images
She has been candid about undoing earlier choices and urged others to research carefully before putting anything foreign into their bodies. Photo: Getty Images
For Hadid, the lesson extended beyond aesthetics. She emphasized that real well-being starts with health, and that beauty has little meaning without it. Her journey became about defining her look—and her life—on her own terms.
2026
By 2026, she had spent years embracing a low-maintenance approach and championing self-acceptance at every age. Photo: Getty Images
Looking at Then and Now—And What It Means
These stories are not anti-filler or anti-cosmetic. They are, at heart, pro-choice and pro-self-knowledge. Each person featured here tried something, learned from the experience, and made a different decision later. Some dissolved what they had done. Others stopped keeping up with injections. A few aimed for a look with more movement and softness. The common thread is that they wanted to see their own faces again, and to feel at home in them.
There’s an important reminder in that for anyone navigating aging and appearance: there is no single path to feeling good in your skin. What feels right can change with time. And while celebrities live under brighter spotlights than most, their reflections—about comfort, confidence, and authenticity—resonate far beyond red carpets.
If you are considering any cosmetic treatment yourself, it helps to set gentle expectations, seek experienced professionals, and give yourself room to change your mind. Approaches that prioritize health and well-being, whether that’s better sleep and hydration or regular sunscreen and checkups, are always in style. Aging is a privilege, and with it can come a deeper sense of self—no matter what you decide about the extras.
The information in this article is not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. All content, including text and images, is for general information only. Always seek the guidance of your healthcare provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or treatment.
