- See Anya Taylor-Joy before and after fame, and how her appearance has changed over the years.
- As of 2022, her appearance has fueled ongoing rumors of plastic surgery.
- Doctors suspect that he may have had buccal fat removed with other procedures.
“I stopped looking in the mirror for a long time,” admitted Anya Taylor-Joy in a 2016 interview. W. At that time, he had just finished filming A witch—his first major role—and he was still adjusting to the public eye. She was then tagged on Facebook in photos comparing her wide eyes to a fish. “That really pissed me off… I still don’t spend a lot of time in front of mirrors.”
Ten years later, those same remarkable proportions helped explain his rise. After entering The Queen’s Gambitthe 29-year-old is still one of Hollywood’s most sought-after stars, as well as a star in fashion and beauty. Her ethereal features even earned her the title of “the most beautiful woman in the world,” according to a facial measurement study.
But in recent years, that face—once celebrated for its unique structure—has begun to look remarkably different. Her glowing appearance has sparked discussion online about possible cosmetic procedures.
So is there any truth to these rumours? Let’s take a look at Anya’s transformation, year by year.
Baby Face: 2015–2018
At the 2015 Empire Awards
J. Adams/Landmark/ImageCollect
Anya was only 18 years old when she played her role A witch he started his work. And yes, she was already a winner—in fact, the year before, she was auditioned by a modeling agency. No wonder, with those piercing brown eyes, full cheeks and natural blonde hair. “I had long and blonde hair my whole life. I remember it was a source of identity for me,” she said. Vanity Fair.
At AFI Fest 2016

Birdie Thompson/AdMedia/ImageCollect
By 2016, she was living life as a brunette—which became a form of protection as her profile grew. “My hair was very dark when I started my career, and it was almost like: ‘This is how I express myself.’ I fought hard not to go back to my roots.” Very convincing, I always thought it was her natural hair color!
At the 2017 ELLE Style Awards

Keith Mayhew/Landmark/ImageCollect
At the age of 20, Anya returned to dark blonde. Here, we can indeed look at her genetic blessings: naturally full lips (with a very defined Cupid’s bow), plump cheeks, and wide-spaced, feathered eyes. She later thanked her mother for plucking her eyebrows: “My grandmother plucked all her eyebrows because of the custom of the time, and when I started plucking my eyebrows at the age of seven my mother plucked them out and said, ‘never touch your eyebrows’. He was very serious about it, so I listened to him!”
At Chanel’s 2018 Pre-BAFTA Dinner with Charles Finch

Landmark Media/ImageCollect
She then had one more cycle as a brunette in 2018. This time, she paired her newly darkened hair with an embellished headband, fuchsia lipstick and matching highlights, and shimmery gold eyeshadow. Of course, this was before he commanded an A-list style team!
Major break: 2020-2021
2020 Los Angeles Premiere of ‘Emma’

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Anya had a big year in 2020, where her role played out Emma again The Queen’s Gambit put him on the map as part of the new Hollywood A list. But I haven’t seen any major changes in his facial features yet. The only change is the lightened hair, which will soon become her signature… not with those roots. (This photo was taken before COVID, so I’m not sure why her hair looks like this!)
2021 Los Angeles Premiere of ‘Last Night in Soho’

Xavier Collin/Image Press Agency/ImageCollect
When I turned 25, the change was underway. Apparently, the platinum hair made a big difference (and from here on out, we’ll never see her again with visible regrowth). She also darkened her eyelashes to add contrast, and started wearing dramatic eye makeup. But was there something else going on here that no one noticed at the time? Why yes, I think there is, if you look closely at his cheeks and nose.
Selective Change: 2022–2025
2022 New York Premiere of ‘The Menu’

Patricia Schlein/AdMedia/ImageCollect
If fans haven’t seen a change in Anya in 2021, they will definitely done in 2022. Part of it is extreme style—she became a Dior ambassador last year, so that’s why they put her in this scary hairstyle and vampy lipstick. However, that doesn’t count the visible crease below her cheeks. Could it be weight loss … or something permanent?!
2023 Los Angeles Premiere of ‘The Super Mario Bros. Movie’

Xavier Collin/Image Press Agency/ImageCollect
A few months later, she looked healthy—but of course, she’s smiling here, so we can’t really see that lower cheek area. What I notice are his teeth, though. Apparently, he’s a smoker, so that might explain why they’re so dirty. Counting down to veneers in 3, 2, 1….
In 2024 Cannes Premiere of ‘Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga’

Laurent Koffel/ImageCollect
Okay, we won’t see all of his teeth here, but I suspect he had them white and shiny by this point. At that time, her cheeks look very cool. Just compare and contrast with how they looked from this angle in 2016! I have to admit, the result is amazing… but not in all the pictures, as you will soon see.
At the 2025 Golden Globes

Xavier Collin/Image Press Agency/ImageCollect
That brings us to Anya’s latest red carpet appearance, and our best look at her ever-changing facial features. Those hollow cheeks we saw earlier are still very much present, making her face look flabby (and, I hate to say it, old). I feel like they would look good with her face up, but forward, not so much!
Anya Taylor-Joy: Before and after
2017 vs 2025

Keith Mayhew/Landmark/ImageCollect, Xavier Collin/Image Press Agency/ImageCollect
Anya is beautiful in front again behind, but there is no question that his face has changed in recent years. Some may put it down to normal aging and weight loss, but I think it’s very unusual that her cheeks would sink in that without some intervention.
So what do experts think is going on here?
“I see other signs of procedures that may be provided by plastic,” said Dr. Gary Linkov. “The first is a brow lift. If I look at the area below the eyebrow and the top right of the eyelid itself, that distance has been extended to my eye. Although Botox can sometimes help lift the tail of the brow, it usually does not cause the entire brow to lift. But Dr. Jeffrey H. Speigel disagrees. “Is that a surgical brow lift? It could have been, but it was highly doubtful for his age. So it is possible that you got botulinum a little bit. [Botox] it is placed on the side of the eyes, which makes the eyebrows come out.”
Both Dr. Linkov and Dr. Daniel Barrett is believed to have had a nose job. “I also see potential symptoms of rhinoplasty with alarplasty [nostril reduction],” said Dr. Linkov. “To me, the tip of the nose, the bridge of the nose, both seem too small. And the ala or wings of the nose seem thinner now compared to before.” Dr. Barrett says, “His nose looks a little different, it looks more refined in the back photo. That, to me, looks like she might have had a rhinoplasty.”
Dr. Chip Cole thinks eye surgery is a possibility, too. “If you look at his canthus, that thing that goes down the lower lid, that always looked like a signature. Now, you’re seeing a little bit of it. So I think he’s been strengthening the canthal vein.”
And let’s not forget about his teeth. Before, “he had a lot of stains between his teeth,” said Dr. Sarah Hahn. Now, “the color is over.” [teeth] seven to 10.”
But the biggest change, that every expert noticed? His cheeks!
Dr. Cole believes he started with filler, then moved on to buccal fat removal. “It looks like she had filler in her cheeks [in 2021]. A year later… you undergo significant changes. He looks like he’s had fillers in his cheeks and he’s had buccal fat removed and the lower third of his face slimmed down.” Dr. Linkov suspects the same process. “In 2023, at the age of 27, I see signs that buccal fat may be removed. To me, the area where the buccal fat sits usually looks hollow on both sides.”
Dr. Linkov, first of all, no longer does surgery. He said to Daily Mail that it leaves patients looking stronger, less sick, and older than their years. And maybe Anya saw that, too. “In 2024 … it seems that the buccal fat has been restored, which is a procedure that can be done if a lot of buccal fat has been removed,” said Dr. Cole. If he’s right, maybe this isn’t the cautionary tale it seems after all.
More Celebrities Before and After Changes
- @drspiegel. (2025, January 24). She looks amazing before and after [Video]. TikTok.
- Morrison, C. (2024, November 8). Plastic surgeon reveals which celebrities ‘had buccal fat removal surgery’ – and why they’ll regret it. Daily Mail.
- Tanatarova, E. (2024, July 24). Anya Taylor Joy is the most beautiful woman in the world according to the ‘gold standard’. Daily Mail.
- Doctor Gary Linkov. (2024, June 16). A NEW FACE by Anya Taylor-Joy [Video]. YouTube.
- Dr. Chip Cole. (2024, May 25). Anya Taylor-Joy’s New Face Transformation [Video]. YouTube.
- @barrettplasticsurgery. (2023, March 20). Plastic Surgery Secrets✨ Anya Taylor-Joy [Video]. YouTube.
- @veneercheck. (2022, May 22). #anyataylorjoy [Video]. TikTok.
- March, B. (2019, March 6). My Beauty Edit: Anya Taylor-Joy. Harper’s Bazaar UK.
- Regensdorf, L. (2019, March 3). Anya Taylor-Joy sure has a “Witchy” Life Plan. Vanity Fair.
- Hirschberg, L. (2016, September 19). Anya Taylor-Joy, The New Queen of Indie. W.
