Denise Richards debuts ‘shocking’ facelift transformation in before-and-after photos

Denise Richards is baring all when it comes to her facelift.

The "Wild Things" actress, 55, underwent the plastic surgery procedure in 2025, and in a new interview, she revealed details of her "shocking" transformation, a divorce-fueled recovery and the pushback she received from her daughters.

"I wanted to put things back up, where they were before," Richards told Allure.

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The first time she had plastic surgery was when she got breast implants at just 19 years old, and she has had revision surgery since then.

But, she said, this was the first time she’s had cosmetic surgery on her face. "I was terrified," Richards said, well aware that the world had watched her age.

"Being in the public eye since my 20s, people know what I look like — a facelift is not something that I could hide."

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"It is night and day," Richards said of her reflection before and after the facelift. "It's shocking, actually." After she had the facelift, she added, other celebrities "were more comfortable telling me about theirs, but I’m not gonna name names."

She also made it clear there’s more to the story behind Hollywood glow-ups, noting that "it’s not just serums and working out and lasers" that make celebrities look younger.

Richards explained that she handed over total control to her surgeon.

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"My face was in his hands," Richards said, emphasizing the trust she placed in Dr. Ben Talei. She recalled telling him, "You’re the artist. Whatever you want to do."

However, just days after her procedure, Richards found herself navigating a personal matter that complicated her healing.

"Unfortunately, I started going through my divorce 10 days after I had surgery. So the second week wasn't as calm as the first week. But I still took it easy, making sure that I took care of my incisions. Each day that went by, the swelling was getting better and better. I looked like myself, but better."

Aaron Phypers filed for divorce from Richards on July 7, citing irreconcilable differences. Ten days later, Richards' initial request for a temporary restraining order was granted.

The "Melrose Place" star's request for a permanent restraining order was granted in November.

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"Going through my divorce, my ex disclosed that I’d had a facelift. He had a photographer show up outside an appointment where I had some microneedling on my scars. So [my ex] told someone that I had a facelift, and said it was botched, which is really ridiculous."

Richards added, "You know, I went back and forth about whether I was going to say anything about my facelift — um, he kind of let the cat out of the bag. I think I could have gotten away with, ‘Oh, she looks so much better after her divorce.’ I think I probably would’ve been able to get away with it — or not, I don’t know."

The Hollywood actress also shared that her decision sparked concern within her family, particularly among her daughters.

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"My oldest daughters were not happy that I was doing it. But I think now they understand, and they see that I still look like me. 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."

The discussion also brought up a moment of irony within her household, as Richards reflected on a prior disagreement with one of her daughters over cosmetic procedures.

"I didn't want [my daughter] Sami to get a nose job about two years ago. So when she said she didn't want me to get a facelift, she said, ‘Mom, you did not want me to get a nose job.’ I said, ‘Yeah, but you were 20 years old and that's your nose. That could change the way you look. For me, he's just putting things back where they were. I'm not trying to change the way I look; I'm just trying to put things back. There's a little difference, in my opinion.’"

The "Starship Troopers" actress shares Sami and Lola with her ex-husband, Charlie Sheen. She is also the mother to daughter Eloise, whom she adopted as an infant.