Cher Previously Discussed Having a Facelift – How She Looks Now at 79 and How AI Thinks She’d Look Naturally

For more than half a century, Cher has refused to play by Hollywood's rules, including when it comes to aging. As conversations around cosmetic procedures grow louder, her long-standing honesty offers a rare context behind the headlines.

Hollywood Legend Cher has never pretended time doesn't pass… She's just never let it tell her what to do. As you scroll through this photo gallery, you'll see how her appearance has evolved across decades, what she has explicitly said about cosmetic work, and how AI imagines she might look today had she never had anything done at all.

Cher posing for a portrait circa 1965. | Source: Getty Images

Cher checks her makeup during a recording session in Los Angeles, California in April 1966. | Source: Getty Images

Cher smiling during a press conference for the movie "Good Times" in New York on May 6, 1967. | Source: Getty Images

In the mid-1960s, Cher emerged with a look that immediately stood apart: long dark hair, striking eyes, and sharp features that helped define her early days of fame.

These photos capture the face audiences first recognized, before superstardom, before speculation, and long before cosmetic procedures became a public conversation.

Cher looks on during an interview in 1969. | Source: Getty Images

Cher in a scene from "Love and the Sack" on January 15, 1971. | Source: Getty Images

Cher at the Grammy Awards in Los Angeles, California on March 2, 1974. | Source: Getty Images

As Cher's career expanded, so did scrutiny. With rising fame came increasing attention to her appearance; a pattern that would follow her for decades.

Cher looks on at the "Filmex" opening at the LA Film Festival in California in March 1977. | Source: Getty Images

Cher posing during a fashion shoot where she wears an original Bob Mackie creation in Los Angeles, California on April 9, 1978. | Source: Getty Images

Cher during Billboard Magazine's Disco Convention in New York City on February 28, 1979. | Source: Getty Images

By the late '70s, Cher had fully embraced bold fashion, dramatic makeup, and fearless self-expression. Her appearance was already part of her artistic identity, not something she treated as untouchable.

Cher at the premiere party for "Grease II" in New York City on June 9, 1982. | Source: Getty Images

Cher at the 55th Academy Awards in Los Angeles, California on April 11, 1983. | Source: Getty Images

Cher during a promotional event for her movie "Mask" in London, England on June 26, 1985. | Source: Getty Images

Cher at the 58th Annual Academy Awards in 1986. | Source: Getty Images

Cher at the Academy Awards in Los Angeles, California on April 11,1988. | Source: Getty Images

As Cher transitioned into award-winning film roles, conversations about her looks intensified, even though cosmetic discussions were far less open at the time.

Cher at the "Stranger in This Town" Album Release Party in Los Angeles, California on September 4, 1991. | Source: Getty Images

Cher at the 12th Annual Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) Awards in New York City circa 1993. | Source: Getty Images

Cher at the Drug Abuse Resistance Education (D.A.R.E.) Benefit in Culver City, California on February 22, 1994. | Source: Getty Images

By the early 1990s, Cher's face appeared smoother and more sculpted, which would later fuel increasingly extreme tabloid rumors, claims she later directly addressed.

Cher at the 54th Annual Golden Globe Awards in Beverly Hills, California in 1997. | Source: Getty Images

Cher ahead of performing at the " VH1 Divas Live '99" concert in 1999. | Source: Getty Images

Cher at the 52nd Emmy Awards Show in Los Angeles, California on September 10, 2000. | Source: Getty Images

Through red carpets, performances, and public appearances, Cher continued evolving — visually and artistically — without pretending she wasn't making choices along the way.

In a Primetime interview broadcast on February 28, 2002, Cher spoke openly about cosmetic surgery and rumors surrounding her appearance.

She explained that "keeping the package viable" had involved plastic surgery, but not to the extent tabloids claimed. She pushed back on exaggerated reports, saying:

"If I'd had as much plastic surgery as they [say], you know, like I've got [butt] implants and calf implants and cheek implants. I've had the same cheeks my entire life. No butt lifts. No ribs removed."

She also made it clear that even if she had, she wouldn't feel ashamed, "If I want to put my tits on my back, it's nobody's business but my own."

Cher onstage at the "Living Proof" Farewell Tour in 2003. | Source: Getty Images

In the same interview, which was shared by a fan on YouTube, Cher explained why she had always been open about earlier cosmetic work:

"Maybe because I was really flamboyant, because I didn't hide anything… when I got my nose and my teeth done, I said it because it didn't occur to me that that would be anything that anybody would even care about."

Plastic surgeon Dr. Gary Linkov later analyzed Cher's changing appearance across the years. Although he said he couldn't determine the exact incision placement around the ear, he noted that Cher has previously admitted to having a facelift.

According to Dr. Linkov, by 2002 — when Cher was 56 — he began to see signs consistent with Botox use, particularly in the forehead, glabella, and crow's feet, where the skin appears noticeably smoother.

Cher at the Agent Provocateur Fall show during Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in Culver City, California on March 20, 2006. | Source: Getty Images

He also suggested she may have begun cheek and lip filler around that time, noting increased volume in the medial cheeks.

Linkov explained that this timeline aligns with when Botox and fillers were first approved for cosmetic use in the early 2000s, adding that filler is often placed more heavily in the medial cheek compared to the lateral, whether using fat or hyaluronic acid fillers.

Cher at the 67th Annual Golden Globe Awards in Beverly Hills, California on January 17, 2010. | Source: Getty Images

Cher at the premiere of "American Masters Inventing David Geffen" in Beverly Hills, California on November 13, 2012. | Source: Getty Images

Cher at the "China: Through The Looking Glass" Costume Institute Benefit Gala in New York City on May 4, 2015. | Source: Getty Images

Cher performing onstage at the Billboard Music Awards in Las Vegas, Nevada on May 21, 2017. | Source: Getty Images

As she aged, public fascination with her appearance only grew, especially as she continued performing and attending major events.

Even in later years, Cher has addressed her appearance directly. According to the Daily Mail, she once described herself as the "poster girl for plastic surgery" and confirmed, "yes [sic], I have had a facelift, but who hasn't?"

Cher at the UK premiere of "Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again" in London, England on July 16, 2018. | Source: Getty Images

Cher performing at Madison Square Garden in New York City on December 4, 2019. | Source: Getty Images

Cher at The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures Opening Gala in Los Angeles, California on September 25, 2021. | Source: Getty Images

Cher at the CFDA Fashion Awards in New York City on November 7, 2022. | Source: Getty Images

In a 2023 interview on Good Morning Britain, Cher reflected on aging and appearance. The iconic musician noted that she can't believe she'll be 80 sooner than she'd like, and said she'll still be wearing jeans, keeping her long hair, and doing what she's always done.

When asked about her secret, Cher mentioned having both young and old friends, keeping up with trends, and credited her family genes. She added:

"I don't know if not feeling old makes you younger [...] I'm not trying to feel young. I'm not trying to be young. I am who I am."

Cher performing onstage at the iHeartRadio z100's Jingle Ball in New York City on December 8, 2023. | Source: Getty Images

Cher and Alexander "AE" Edwards at the iHeartRadio Music Awards in Los Angeles, California on April 1, 2024. | Source: Getty Images

Cher accepting the Icon Award during the iHeartRadio Music Awards at Dolby Theatre. | Source: Getty Images

Cher at the premiere of "My Mom Jayne" during the Tribeca Festival in New York on June 13, 2025. | Source: Getty Images

Cher speaking to the press after she received the "Legend" Bambi Award during the Bambi Awards in Munich, Germany on November 13, 2025. | Source: Getty Images

Cher presenting onstage during the 68th Grammy Awards in Los Angeles, California on February 1, 2026. | Source: Getty Images

At 79, Cher remains active, visible, and unmistakably herself, continuing to appear at awards shows, concerts, and public events.

Cher smiles at the crowd during the 68th Annual Grammy Awards. | Source: Getty Images

What AI imagines Cher would look like without getting any cosmetic work done. | Source: imagine.art/nano banana

Cher at the Los Angeles premiere of "The Bikeriders" in California on June 17, 2024. | Source: Getty Images

What Cher would look like if she aged naturally, according to AI. | Source: imagine.art/nano banana

Cher at the Bambi Awards in Munich, Germany on November 13, 2025. | Source: Getty Images

Cher without any cosmetic enhancement work done, according to AI. | Source: imagine.art/nano banana

Cher at the iHeartRadio Music Awards in Los Angeles, California on April 1, 2024. | Source: Getty Images

What Cher would look like had she not gotten any work done, according to AI. | Source: imagine.art/nano banana

The AI-generated images imagine Cher with deeper wrinkles, looser skin, and more pronounced signs of aging, offering a contrast to her real-life appearance today.

Cher never claimed to age without help. What she has consistently done is own her choices, speak openly about them, and refuse to treat aging as something shameful.

Whether viewed through real photos or AI projections, her appearance — like her career — tells a powerful story she's never tried to hide.