Inside Melania Trump's Alleged Cosmetic Surgery Enhancements, From An Expert Plastic Surgeon
In his YouTube video, Linkov first pulled up an image of Melania from her teenage years, showcasing her natural beauty. He noted that she had "strong" facial features and "prominent" cheekbones and chin areas from the start. He then flash forwarded to 1998 when she was 28, sharing hat he suspected she underwent a nose job of some kind.
"I'm also seeing that her nasal tip to me looks less bulbous and the dorsal hump, the area right at the top of the bridge, is less prominent," he explained. Linkov added: "So I suspect that she may have had a possible rhinoplasty sometime between the age of 17 and 28 with rhinoplasty surgery." He continued: "Oftentimes the bridge of the nose is narrowed, the hump is removed and the tip is made to be smaller. Both can be adjusted."
When analyzing a photo from 1999, when Melania was 29, Linkov said: "I see signs of potential lip filler that have been placed into her upper and lower lips." He added: To me, they appear fuller." One year later, at the age of 30, "we see some of the signs of her past possible rhinoplasty," the expert noted. "We see more nostril show on frontal view, which is a very common feature after rhinoplasty when the nose is secured and the tip is slightly elevated.
In 2003 when she was 33, Linkov observed: "I wanted to say here that Melania has beautiful skin and some of that, of course, has to do with sun protection and just natural genetics. Part of it has to do with skincare and how we properly moisturize our skin and care for our skin."
One year later, he thought Melania's cheeks looked "more full." The doctor went on: "I wonder if perhaps she's had cheek implants because there's so much regularity to both of the cheeks now, and there's more projection that I think it would have been hard to get to this state with filler alone." He added, regarding the mom of one: "Perhaps she had cheek implants inserted to augment her already full cheekbones."
Linkov said he didn't find any changes in Melania's face from 2005 to 2006. In 2007, when she was 37, he said: "Melania's eyes here start to appear smaller, and this has become a more characteristic trait of her face. Now this can be due to a number of reasons and I speculate on a few of them, but the first possibility is that she may have had a canthoplasty or a lateral brow lift that would have brought out the sides of her eyes."
At this time, he also believed that the former cover girl "may have started to get some Botox to the forehead, glabella and crow's feet in 2008 at the age of 38." He explained: "We again see that the eyes appear smaller, so other than the canthoplasty brow lift theory, it's also possible that the Botox itself may have been causing the eyebrows to weigh more heavily on her eyes, creating that smaller aperture."
When looking at shots of Melania from 2009 to 2013, Linkov said he found "no changes" to her look that could indicate plastic surgery. "In 2014 at the age of 44, I'm starting to see that there are more forehead wrinkles and the eyes are appearing more open, so maybe the dose of her Botox was lowered to combat some of those changes that were occurring around her eyes, with the eyebrows starting to feel a bit heavy," Linkov believed.
"In 2019 at the age of 49, what I wanted to point out here is that [Melania's] lip corners are starting to get a bit downturned," he continued. "This is very common as we are in our 40s and start to enter our 50s." In 2022, when Melania was 52, Linkov said: "I am seeing that Melania's jawline looks a bit smoother and the neck to to me looks like it doesn't have as much of the redundancy or banding that I was seeing earlier."
He theorized: "So perhaps she had a facelift though it's not completely clear and we're not really able to see her ears well to evaluate if perhaps the tragus has changed." He went on to say that she "may have had a facelift, but it's also possible that she may have had a non-surgical procedure such as a skin tightening or radio frequency procedure that may have given her some of that tightness back without a surgical approach."
Linkov concluded his findings: "in 2023 at the age of 53 I see no change and that's the same through 2024." He shared that the total cost of Melania's "potential facial procedures is $223,000."
What Melania Trump Has Said About Plastic Surgery
In 2016, The Daily Mail reported that Melania expressed her resolute commitment to aging naturally, adamantly rejecting any claims of undergoing cosmetic procedures.
"I didn’t make any changes. A lot of people say I am using all the procedures for my face. I didn’t do anything. I live a healthy life, I take care of my skin and my body," she explained. The mom of one (who shares 18-year-old son Barron with her husband Donald, 78) went on: "I'm against Botox, I’m against injections; I think it’s damaging your face, damaging your nerves. It’s all me. I will age gracefully, as my mom does."
As Amish Patel, an acclaimed aesthetics practitioner, skincare expert at Intrigue Cosmetic Clinic recently dished to the Daily Mail FEMAIL: "If Melania has had any aesthetics or surgical work done over the years, it is very subtle and doesn't look out of context with her actual age." Patel added: "She clearly looks after her skin, and I suggest, looking at her smooth complexion, that she has a good skincare routine embracing retinol and hyaluronic acid."
Melania welcomed Barron in 2005, and she attributed her post-pregnancy fitness to maintaining a nutritious diet and consistently participating in Pilates sessions. She often shares photos of herself playing tennis or preparing for a Pilates workout.
In 2011, she sat down with Allure and noted: "When you take care of yourself, you can take care of others." She continued, recounting advice that her late mother Amalija Knavs gave her: "Regarding the skin and the body, to have some relaxation time. It's good for your mind and your skin as well."
One year later, Melania told Refinery29 that she wasn't on a specific diet at the time. "I just like to eat healthy because I feel better and have more energy," she said. She continued: "If I would snack, I would snack on maybe fruit or a little bit of chocolate, because I think your body needs that, too."
According to Patel, Melania's hairstyles have evolved far more frequently over the years than her makeup choices. "Melania has always dressed classically and elegantly throughout the years in the public eye," he said. Patel added: "As the years have passed, whilst her hairstyle might not have radically changed, she has gone lighter with more honey and golden hues, which are flattering on maturing skin."
He also observed: "As we age, our skin tone changes, so very dark hair can be harsher on the complexion." He added that when it comes to Melania's current look, her "classic haircut is timeless and soft on the face," adding to her anti-aging effect.