You remember the Grammys. Specifically, the 2021 Grammys where Abel Tesfaye—better known to the world as The Weeknd—didn't show up with a fresh haircut or a fancy suit. Instead, he looked like he’d just walked out of a high-speed collision. Bandages wrapped tightly around his head. Swelling. Blood. It was jarring.
People lost their minds.
Social media went into a tailspin, with everyone from casual listeners to plastic surgery "experts" on TikTok claiming he’d gone under the knife. The term The Weeknd face surgery started trending almost instantly. Was it a nose job? Checkbones? A full-on face lift? Honestly, the speculation was wilder than the actual performance.
But here’s the thing: it was all a ruse. A very expensive, very detailed, and very commitment-heavy piece of performance art.
What Really Happened With The Weeknd Face Surgery
Abel didn't actually get plastic surgery. He worked with a legendary prosthetic makeup artist named Mike Marino, the guy behind the incredible transformations in movies like The Batman (he turned Colin Farrell into the Penguin) and Coming 2 America.
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The whole "surgery" narrative was a narrative arc for his After Hours album. It was a commentary on the shallow nature of Hollywood culture and the lengths people go to for validation. He started with the red suit and the occasional bandage. Then, in the music video for "Save Your Tears," he unveiled the "final result"—a terrifyingly chiseled face with puffed-up lips, extreme cheek implants, and a nose that looked like it had been carved out of stone.
It looked real. That’s why it worked.
He spent hours in the makeup chair. They used medical-grade silicone appliances that were glued to his skin, then blended with makeup to look like actual flesh and scar tissue. It wasn’t a quick mask. It was a transformation that required a team of professionals to pull off.
Why he did it
The Weeknd basically wanted to show the world the dark side of celebrity. He told Variety in a rare interview that the "surgery" was a statement on how people in Hollywood manipulate their bodies for "superficial reasons to please and be validated."
It was satire.
He was literally wearing the absurdity of fame on his face. By making himself look "perfect" by extreme Hollywood standards, he actually made himself look like a monster. That was the point. He stayed in character for months. He wore those bandages to the American Music Awards and then did the "reveal" later. Most artists wouldn't have the patience to keep that kind of bit going, but Abel has always been obsessed with the visual storytelling of his eras.
The Public's Obsession with Celebrity Plastic Surgery
When the "Save Your Tears" video dropped, searches for The Weeknd face surgery didn't just spike; they exploded. Why? Because we’re obsessed with seeing celebrities "fail" or go too far.
We live in an era where filler and Botox are common. When someone like The Weeknd appears to have taken it to the extreme, it triggers a mix of fascination and judgment. People were analyzing his jawline like it was a crime scene. Some fans were genuinely worried he’d ruined his face. Others were just there for the memes.
This reaction actually proved his point. We focus more on the aesthetic of the artist than the art itself.
The technical side of the prosthetics
Mike Marino’s studio, Prosthetic Renaissance, is responsible for some of the most realistic work in the industry. For The Weeknd's look, they had to create pieces that could move with his facial muscles so he could still sing and emote.
- They used "skin-safe" silicone.
- Each piece was custom-molded to Abel's skull.
- The blending had to be flawless because it was being filmed in 4K.
If you look closely at the "Save Your Tears" video, you can see the "scarring" near the ears and the "swelling" under the eyes. It mimics the actual recovery process of a deep-plane facelift or malar (cheek) implants. It was a masterclass in special effects makeup that fooled millions into thinking he’d actually spent $50,000 on a new face.
Breaking Down the Misconceptions
Let’s be clear about one thing: Abel Tesfaye’s face is fine.
When he performed at the Super Bowl LV halftime show, the bandages were gone. His face was back to normal. Well, mostly. He actually had dozens of "lookalikes" on the field with him, all wearing bandages, further leaning into the idea that this "plastic surgery" look is a cult-like societal pressure.
The biggest misconception was that he was trying to look like his ex-girlfriends or that it was a jab at a specific person. People tried to link it to Bella Hadid or Selena Gomez, claiming he was mimicking their procedures. There is zero evidence for that. It was always about the character of "The Weeknd"—a tragic, self-destructive figure losing himself in the bright lights of Las Vegas.
Is it even possible to look like that?
Realistically? Not really.
While you can get cheek implants and lip fillers, the extreme "snatched" look he sported in the video is physically impossible to achieve with a single surgery without looking like a botched caricature. Real surgeons, including Dr. Anthony Youn, a popular plastic surgeon on social media, pointed out that the proportions were "off" in a way that screamed prosthetics to the trained eye. The nose was too sharp, and the cheeks were too high and wide. It was an uncanny valley version of a human.
What we can learn from the "After Hours" Era
The Weeknd’s commitment to this bit was legendary. He didn't break character for a year. Not once.
It shows that in the age of digital media, you can control the narrative if you're willing to go all-in. He turned his face into a billboard for his album's themes. It wasn't just about the music; it was about the performance. He forced us to look at our own obsession with physical perfection.
Honestly, it was one of the most successful PR stunts in modern music history. It generated millions in "earned media" (free publicity) because news outlets couldn't stop talking about his face.
The impact on his career
Before this, The Weeknd was a superstar. After this, he was a conceptual artist.
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It elevated the After Hours album from just a collection of songs to a multimedia experience. You couldn't listen to "Blinding Lights" without thinking about the red suit and the bloody nose. You couldn't listen to "Save Your Tears" without seeing the "surgery." It created a cohesive world that fans could inhabit.
If you’re looking to understand the "The Weeknd face surgery" phenomenon, don't look at medical charts. Look at the credits of his music videos. Look at the artistry of Mike Marino. Look at the way Abel uses his body as a canvas.
The next time you see a celebrity looking "different," take a breath before hitting the "share" button. Sometimes, they’re just telling a story. And Abel is one of the best storytellers we’ve got.
Actionable Insights for the Curious:
- Verify Before You Believe: If a celebrity's look changes drastically overnight, check if they are in the middle of an "album cycle" or filming a movie.
- Follow the Experts: If you're interested in how these looks are created, follow artists like Mike Marino or studios like Prosthetic Renaissance to see the behind-the-scenes of Hollywood transformations.
- Analyze the Message: Instead of asking "Did they get surgery?", ask "Why would they want to look like this?" Often, there's a deeper marketing or artistic reason behind the change.
- Appreciate the Craft: Understand the difference between cosmetic surgery and high-level prosthetics; the latter is a temporary art form that requires immense skill to appear "real" under the harsh lights of a camera.