Everyone's talking about it. You’ve seen the side-by-sides on TikTok or Reddit where people obsess over every millimeter of her jawline. Honestly, looking at Anya Taylor Joy before plastic surgery rumors took over the internet feels like looking at a different person, but maybe not for the reasons you think.
She has this "ethereal alien" thing going on now. It works. But back in 2015, when she was the breakout star of The Witch, she just looked like a normal, albeit very striking, teenager.
The internet is convinced she went under the knife. Specifically, the "buccal fat removal" crowd is loud. They point to her hollowed-out cheeks and that razor-sharp bone structure that looks like it could cut glass. But is it just aging? Or did a surgeon actually go in there and take something out?
The "The Witch" Era: A Softer Look
When Anya first hit the scene, her face was rounder. Soft. She had what most 18-year-olds have: "baby fat." In the industry, they call it "volume," and most of us lose it naturally by the time we hit 25.
If you go back and watch her in Split (2016), her features are already starting to pop. Her eyes have always been her "thing"—wide-set, huge, and expressive. Interestingly, she’s been super open about being bullied for them as a kid. She told W Magazine she didn't think she was pretty enough to be an actress.
"I remember when Facebook was a thing and I was never aware that my eyes were far apart and then someone tagged me in a picture with a fish and wrote, 'This is you.'"
It’s kind of wild to think about now, considering she was recently named the "most beautiful woman in the world" by Dr. Julian De Silva using the Golden Ratio theory. Science says her face is 94.66% "perfect."
Did She Actually Get Buccal Fat Removal?
This is the big one. Around the time The Queen’s Gambit became a global obsession, people noticed her face looked... different. Chiseled.
The theory is that she had a buccal fat pad extraction. This is a quick procedure where a surgeon nips a bit of fat from the inside of the cheek. It makes the cheekbones look massive and the lower face look sunken.
Expert Analysis vs. Reality
Aesthetic experts, like Dr. Gary Linkov and others on YouTube, have dissected her face for hours. Some say the change is too drastic for just weight loss. Others argue that she’s clearly lost a significant amount of weight for roles like Furiosa, and when you’re already thin, the face is the first place to show it.
Honestly? It's a mix.
- Natural Maturity: She’s nearly 30 now. Faces thin out.
- Weight Fluctuations: She’s mentioned surviving on "diet coke and cigarettes" while filming The Queen's Gambit. That’ll hollow out anyone’s face.
- Makeup Artistry: Contouring in 2026 is basically sorcery. Highlighting the zygomatic bone can fake a surgery in minutes.
The Brow Lift and Rhinoplasty Rumors
It’s not just the cheeks. People keep staring at her eyes. They look more "snatched" or "lifted" than they did in 2015.
In her early red carpet photos, she had a slightly heavier brow. Now, there’s a lot of "real estate" between her eyelid and her eyebrow. This usually points to a lateral brow lift or even a subtle blepharoplasty (eyelid surgery). It opens up the gaze.
Then there’s the nose. If you look at Anya Taylor Joy before plastic surgery whispers started, her nose had a slightly softer tip. Today, it’s pinched and perfectly straight. Is it a full rhinoplasty? Or just "liquid rhino" (filler)?
Some surgeons suggest she may have had a "tip-plasty" to refine the end of the nose without breaking the bone. It’s a common "tweakment" in Hollywood that has a fast recovery time.
Why the "Before" Still Matters
There’s a reason we’re obsessed with the "before." We want to know if beauty like hers is attainable or engineered.
When a star changes their face, it shifts the "beauty standard" for the rest of us. If Anya’s look is the result of surgery, it’s a high bar for anyone trying to get that look naturally. But if it’s just her growing up? Well, then it’s just the luck of the genetic draw.
The irony is that Anya’s "unique" features—the ones she was bullied for—are exactly what made her a star. The wide eyes, the slightly "different" proportions. If she did get work done, she was already starting from a base of 99th-percentile beauty.
How to Tell What’s Real
If you’re trying to figure out if your favorite celeb has had work, look at the "fixed points."
- Ear Attachment: Usually stays the same unless they've had a full facelift.
- Distance between the eyes: This is bone structure. It doesn't change.
- The "Smile" lines: Even with fillers, the way a person's face moves when they laugh usually gives it away.
Anya still has a very mobile, expressive face. She doesn't have that "frozen" look that comes with over-injecting Botox. This suggests that if she is getting work, she’s paying for the best of the best—subtle, architectural changes rather than just "filling" things up.
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What This Means for You
You don't need a surgeon to get a more "sculpted" look. Most of what people see in Anya’s transformation can be mimicked or managed without a scalpel.
- Master the "Snatched" Makeup: Use cool-toned contours, not warm bronzers, to mimic the shadow of a hollowed cheek.
- Focus on Skin Elasticity: Use ingredients like peptides and copper to keep the skin tight around the jawline.
- Understand the Aging Process: Realize that your face will change. The "round" face you hate at 20 might be the very thing that keeps you looking young at 40.
Ultimately, whether Anya Taylor Joy had plastic surgery or just grew into her features doesn't change her talent. She’s one of the best actors of her generation. But looking back at her early years reminds us that even the most "perfect" faces started out with the same "imperfections" we see in the mirror.
To see the progression for yourself, watch her evolution from The Witch to The Menu and finally Furiosa. The change is there, but the talent has always been the loudest thing in the room.
Next Steps: If you're looking to achieve a more "lifted" look without surgery, start by exploring lymphatic drainage massage or microcurrent devices like the NuFace, which can temporarily tighten facial contours. Always consult with a board-certified dermatologist before trying any "at-home" versions of professional aesthetic treatments.