How Dolly Parton's Face Has Changed Over The Years, According To Our Plastic Surgeon

Few celebrities own their love for nips and tucks like veteran singer and songwriter Dolly Parton. She famously said that looking as "cheap" as she does "takes a lot of time and money," and judging by our plastic surgeon's analysis, she wasn't kidding. Glam spoke exclusively to Dr. Frederick Weniger, a board-certified plastic surgeon in Hilton Head, South Carolina, and his expert take on how Parton's face has changed over the years gives a lot more context to her stance.

In 2023, the "9 to 5" singer told Saga Magazine that she routinely gets aesthetic procedures. "If something is bagging, sagging, or dragging, I'll tuck it, suck it, or pluck it," she said. However, Parton was quick to add that getting frequent procedures doesn't mean throwing caution to the wind. "I try to do just little bits at a time — I don't do like really big stuff," she told the outlet. "Only when I have to do something a little more, and even then, I try to be careful."

According to Dr. Weniger's analysis, Parton was being rather truthful. He believes that her history of surgical procedures spans decades, but has been "carefully maintained." In other words, Parton and her surgeon have been quite strategic. However, whether or not she's had so-called "big stuff" done mostly depends on what you consider big. Dr. Weniger points out that several of these procedures haven't just maintained her features; they've also altered some of them. And just like Dolly Parton's hair transformation over the years, the pictures are proof that her face has changed, too.

One of the most commonly asked questions about Dolly Parton's history with plastic surgery is whether she's had a facelift. In case you don't know, a facelift involves tightening loose skin and muscles to trim away signs of aging. It's the surgery that's made Kris Jenner's face transformation so viral. While Parton's change hasn't been anywhere near as drastic, her skin almost looks a bit too firm to be natural. 

For this reason, we were pretty curious as to whether our plastic surgeon could spot any signs of a facelift on Parton. During our exclusive chat with Dr. Frederick Weniger, he pointed to Dolly's face shape as a major tell. "Early on, Dolly's look featured strong cheekbones and a rounded facial structure," he says. "But over time, her mid-face appears more lifted and her skin exceptionally taut, which may point to a facelift to maintain definition and prevent sagging." He also says that the lack of sagging around her face and neck is another tell-tale sign.

Beyond a facelift, Dr. Weniger is pretty sure she's had filler, fat grafting, and possibly lip implants. He also points to the lack of lines and wrinkles around her eyes and forehead as signs of Botox. And unlike the possible facelift, we can tell for certain that this analysis is spot-on because the country singer has spoken about the possible complications. "Every now and then you'll get a haematoma [an internal pooling of blood in one place], or sometimes with fillers and Botox you can get too much and have to wait till the swelling goes down to look normal again," the "Jolene" singer told Saga Magazine.

Not all of Dolly Parton's beauty routines involve injectables. Speaking with TV journalist Ray Martin on "60 Minutes Australia" in 2025, she explained that she weighs her options before acting. "As we get older, you start noticing, well, could I get that smoothed out a little with a little collagen, or is that going to take a knife or whatever?" Dr. Frederick Weniger tells Glam exclusively that this use of non-invasive treatments is definitely a plus. "Her consistently smooth and luminous skin tone implies a regimen of laser resurfacing, chemical peels, or radiofrequency treatments to keep the complexion even."

Despite the side-eye that cosmetic procedures often get, Parton has made it clear that she has no intention of stopping. "I will have it again when I need it. If I need a little nip or tuck or something here and there, but for the most part now, after you get that stuff about as done as they can do you, then you use the Botox and you use the collagen," she said on "60 Minutes Australia." Her only tip? Get a professional. "Don't just go have anybody whacking on you because that can be a bad thing," she added.

Dr. Weniger applauds this attitude and says that her looks have been expertly maintained. Still, he has a few ideas for some skincare treatments with minimal recovery time "that could enhance her results while keeping her signature look intact." He suggests energy-based skin tightening and fractional laser resurfacing or microneedling with PRP to help stimulate collagen. "The goal would be to keep her face expressive and lively, minimizing over-tightening and focusing instead on keeping the skin vibrant and supple," he concludes.