Shania Twain is currently 60 years old, and honestly, she looks like she’s having more fun now than she did in the '90s. But walk into any comment section on her Instagram lately and you'll see a war zone. People are obsessed. They’re convinced she’s gone "full Kardashian." They’re dissecting her chin, her eyes, and that signature smirk that made "That Don’t Impress Me Much" a global anthem.
The conversation around Shania Twain before and after plastic surgery isn’t just about vanity, though. It’s actually a pretty wild story involving a tick bite, a literal "open-throat" surgery, and a woman who decided that if she was going to go gray, she might as well dye her hair bubblegum pink instead.
The Change Everyone Is Talking About
If you look at Shania from the Come On Over era versus her appearance at the 2024 People’s Choice Country Awards or her 2025 New Year's Eve performance, the difference is striking. There’s no point in denying it. Her face looks "snatched," as the kids say.
Social media critics have been pretty brutal. After her CNN New Year’s appearance, X (formerly Twitter) was flooded with people claiming she’s "unrecognizable." One commenter even joked they mistook her for Avril Lavigne.
But here’s the thing: Shania has been very vocal about not wanting to go under the knife for cosmetic reasons. In a 2023 interview on Hoda Kotb's Making Space podcast, she was blunt. She said she’s reached a point where she’s just not going to do it. She’s afraid of a "botched job" and worried she won’t heal well. Her mantra? "Embrace the sag."
The Expert Verdict: Fillers or Just Great Lighting?
Even though she says she hasn't had surgery, plastic surgeons who haven't treated her have some... thoughts. Dr. John Layke told Life & Style a few years back that he suspects a cocktail of Botox, fillers, and laser treatments.
Others, like Dr. Payman Danielpour, have gone further, suggesting a potential facelift or brow lift because her eyes look more "open" and her jawline is incredibly sharp for someone entering their sixties.
Is it possible? Sure. Is it confirmed? Not even close.
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The Surgery She Actually Had
While everyone is busy arguing about her eyelids, they often forget the massive, life-changing surgery Shania actually went through. This wasn't for looks. It was for survival.
Back in 2003, Shania was bitten by a tick while horseback riding. It led to Lyme disease, which eventually caused nerve damage in her vocal cords. She lost her voice for years. Imagine being the biggest country star on the planet and suddenly you can't even speak properly, let alone belt out "Man! I Feel Like a Woman!"
In 2018, she underwent an open-throat surgery.
This was intense. She was actually awake for part of it so the surgeons could monitor her vocal cords. They basically installed "crutches" (internal stabilizers) to help her vocal cords function again. She even showed off the scar on her neck during an interview with Graham Norton.
"I’m fine with the scar. I’m just happy to have a voice instead of no voice," she said.
That surgery changed her voice—it's raspier now, a bit deeper—but it also changed her perspective on her body. When you've had your throat cut open just to be able to talk, a few wrinkles don't seem like such a big deal.
The "Shaniassance" and the Power of Wigs
A huge reason the Shania Twain before and after plastic surgery rumors stay so loud is her recent style pivot. She’s leaning hard into what she calls her "happy album" era.
She’s been rocking:
- Fire-engine red wigs at the Grammys.
- Platinum blonde locks for American Idol.
- Pastel pink hair because she noticed she was going gray and decided to "have fun with it."
She told E! News that the pink hair makes her feel "refreshed." It’s a distraction tactic, too. Some experts point out that celebrities often change their hair color dramatically right after a procedure to make people blame the "new look" on the hair rather than a fresh set of fillers. Whether that's what Shania is doing or if she’s just bored with brown hair is anyone’s guess.
Why the Rumors Won't Die
People have a hard time believing a 60-year-old woman can have a jawline that tight without a surgeon's help. We live in a world where "tweakments" are as common as Starbucks runs.
But Shania’s defense is pretty solid. She talks about menopause a lot. She talks about how it forced her to accept her changing body. She even posed nude for her Waking Up Dreaming single cover at age 57 to prove a point. She wanted to face her insecurities head-on.
"I'm only gonna get more saggy," she joked.
It’s a weird contradiction. On one hand, she’s preaching self-love and "natural" aging. On the other, she’s appearing on red carpets looking incredibly youthful with very little "sag" to be found.
The Realistic Middle Ground
It’s highly likely the truth sits somewhere in the middle. Most celebs of her stature utilize high-end non-invasive tech. We're talking:
- Ultherapy: Using ultrasound to lift and tighten skin.
- Radiofrequency Microneedling: To build collagen.
- Medical-grade skincare: Things you can't buy at Sephora.
These aren't "plastic surgery" in the traditional sense, so she can technically say she hasn't "gone under the knife" (except for her throat) and still look decades younger.
Dealing with the Public Eye at 60
Shania seems over it. She told Us Weekly in March 2025 that she doesn't feel the need to prove she looks younger than she is. She’s focused on her Las Vegas residency and just... living.
The takeaway here? Whether she’s had a secret lift or she’s just the beneficiary of world-class genes and a great dermatologist, her real transformation was internal. She went from hiding her body in the '90s (remember those baggy coats?) to owning every inch of herself now.
How to Approach Your Own Aging Journey
If you're looking at Shania and feeling the pressure, here are some actionable insights based on her recent "liberation" phase:
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- Focus on Health First: Shania credits her energy to a strict liquid diet during show days and a generally healthy lifestyle. Surgery can't fix low energy.
- Change the Narrative: Instead of "fixing" flaws, Shania talks about "playing" with her look. It makes the process feel like a hobby rather than a chore.
- Identify the Source of Insecurity: She realized her fear of aging was actually a fear of losing control. Once she regained her voice, the rest felt secondary.
- Don't Fear the Pivot: If you're bored with your look, change your hair. It’s the fastest way to feel like a "new" version of yourself without any recovery time.
Shania is still the one—even if "the one" looks and sounds a little different than she did in 1995.
Next Steps: To see the physical evidence for yourself, you can check out Shania's official Instagram or watch her 2024 "Come On Over" Vegas residency footage. Pay close attention to her movements and her voice; it’s the best way to understand the real impact of her medical journey beyond just the static "before and after" photos.