By Gena Oppenheim
8:43am PDT, Mar 18, 2019
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Over numerous seasons on Bravo, the image-obsessed ladies of the "Real Housewives" franchises haven't changed their expensive shopping habits or tendencies to incite petty drama, but they've evolved tremendously in one aspect: their appearances! In honor of "The Real Housewives of New Jersey" star Melissa Gorga's 40th birthday on March 21, 2019, Wonderwall.com rounded up the most drastic transformations among the reality shows' long-standing stars. Keep reading to see how much Melissa's looks have changed since she joined the cast of "RHONJ" in 2011, and for more "Housewives" before and after plastic surgery…
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While many of the "Real Housewives" stars have no issue discussing the work they've had done, Melissa Gorga wanted to keep the nose job she had following her first season on the show to herself. She finally copped to going under the knife after being called out publicly by former co-star Jacqueline Laurita. "It's a personal thing," she told Bravo's The Daily Dish. "It's not hurting anyone. It's your own business." Having just finished up Season 9 of "The Real Housewives of New Jersey," Melissa is starting to be more vocal about plastic surgery. The Envy Boutique owner revealed plans to get a full overhaul when she hits 50. "I always say when I turn the milestone age, I am getting it all," she told Daily Mail Australia. She was also open about her decision to change out her breast implants after 13 years with her original pair. She had the replacement procedure in 2015.
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Vicki Gunvalson is one of the few O.G. "Housewives" stars left in the Bravo franchise (she signed on for Season 1 of "The Real Housewives of Orange County" in 2006). With 13 seasons under her belt, she looks like a whole new person now… literally!
RELATED: Celebrity plastic surgery before-and-after photos
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Since hitting the Bravo airwaves in 2006, Vicki Gunvalson has gone under the knife more times than we can count, not including the usual Botox injection here and there. After being cruelly shamed during Season 7 by former house-husband Slade Smiley for looking like Miss Piggy, the Coto Insurance mogul got a chin implant, nose thinning and fat transfer to the face. Ahead of Season 11, she underwent upper and lower eyelid lifts — but she still wasn't satisfied. She also also had her fillers removed and had a face lift before Season 13. Vicki has said she's finished with plastic surgery and her new boyfriend, Steve Lodge, is holding her accountable. "I promised Steve I'm done," she told "Entertainment Tonight." We'll see about that come next season…
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NeNe Leakes got her start on Season 1 of "The Real Housewives of Atlanta" in 2008. She took a brief hiatus to appear on "The New Normal" and "Glee" but has since returned to Bravo with a few tweaks to her appearance.
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NeNe Leakes, who just finished up Season 11 of "The Real Housewives of Atlanta," isn't at all ashamed of the work she's had done because, she's explained, she just wants to feel like her best self. Two years after starting the show, the Swagg Boutique owner had a nose job, breast lift and implant reduction as well as liposuction around her waist. "I still wanted to look like NeNe, the black woman that I am, but a better version," she told People magazine. She had the same sentiment about getting her nose redone in 2016, telling Bravo, "I got my nose done, first of all, because I can and I will and I will get it done again if I want to, OK?" NeNe explained that she only had her nostrils taken in during her first rhinoplasty and needed a second operation to correct cartilage growth near her tip.
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Ramona Singer has been a series regular on "The Real Housewives of New York City" since Season 1 in 2008, but we can't help but notice a lot of changes to her look since she became a single woman again.
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Ramona Singer admitted to freshening up her look with a breast augmentation after splitting with husband Mario Singer in 2014. "I did it for me," she told the Daily Mail. "I wanted to feel sexier. I wanted to be able to look just as good with a brassiere as without one." Ramona, who's now in her early 60s, insists the only other work she's had done is an eye lift. She also goes for Botox injections twice a year but says, "I do it as light as possible so there is movement to my face." After all, she wouldn't want to affect those infamous "Ramona crazy eyes" we've come to know and love!
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Kyle Richards has admitted to having plastic surgery before and after joining "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" for Season 1 in 2010.
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Way before Kyle Richards became a member of "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills," she had her nose fixed in 2006. "My nose bothered me for a long time," she told Us Weekly. "The surgery made me feel better." But she's had more work done throughout her nine seasons on the reality series including Botox injections, a lip augmentation and liposuction to blast off stubborn fat on her hips. "After having four kids, no matter what exercise I did, the love handles wouldn't go away," she explained. Other than that, Kyle credits her youthful skin to plasma-rich facials, laser treatments and genetics. "My mom had amazing skin and I take very good care of myself and am good at makeup. Period," she wrote on Instagram responding to facelift rumors. "Surgery requires downtime. I don't have any downtime and I don't feel like I need it yet."
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Tamra Judge has come a long way since joining "The Real Housewives of Orange County" for Season 1 in 2006. She now owns her own fitness studio and won a bikini bodybuilding competition, but that doesn't mean she hasn't gotten a bit of help from plastic surgery professionals in the process.
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Tamra Judge has showcased a lot of her life on "The Real Housewives of Orange County," like her nasty divorce from Simon Barney and struggles with current husband Eddie Judge's heart condition, so why not also share her plastic surgery journey? "I'm open and honest about it because I want women to know that everyone gets old, even people on TV," she told Bravo after getting a lower face lift in 2017 ahead of Season 13. "And there is nothing wrong with growing old gracefully if that's what you want." Tamra, now in her 50s, has been equally open about her five breast surgeries, most recently opting to put implants back in after having them removed. "It is what it is," she told People magazine. "It's a personal choice and for me. I don't do it for the public or my husband. It's something you do to make yourself feel better."
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Teresa Giudice has been a mainstay on "The Real Housewives of New Jersey" since Season 1 began in 2009. Aside from building muscle as she trained hard for a 2018 bodybuilding competition, she's also made a few other enhancements to her look over the years.
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After going on a strict diet and transforming her body for a fitness competition during Season 9 of "The Real Housewives of New Jersey," a fuller-faced Teresa Giudice sparked plastic surgery rumors. She insisted she's only had Botox and lip fillers and that her new look came from eating carbs again. "I'm drinking tequila and I'm not supposed to," said told Bravo. "It's calories! And I'm eating pasta now." Teresa also admitted to going under the knife to have her breast implants replaced in 2018. "It's been 10 years," she explained. "When I started, I had none. I had like a minus A [cup]!"
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Bethenny Frankel has been an integral part of "The Real Housewives of New York City" since Season 1 in 2008, save for a three-year break, but you'd never know all the drama she's endured judging by her wrinkle-free face.
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Bethenny Frankel's shrinking jawline might be the most noticeable change in her appearance since she started on "The Real Housewives of New York City," but she claims the change was totally unintentional. "I had my jaw injected with Botox because I have TMJ," she told Bravo. "And if you look at pictures of me from probably, like, seven years ago, it's gradually gotten smaller to the point where I had to stop, and now it actually hurts again." The Skinny Girl mogul also admitted to getting occasional injections for her wrinkles too but said, "I don't do it religiously. Maybe once a year when I think of it, I'll be like, 'Oh, I look like a Shar-Pei, let me do that." The only invasive surgeries she's had were on her breasts: She first got implants to fix weight-loss-related sag, then removed them when she went in for a breast lift.
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Lisa Vanderpump, another O.G. of the Bravo franchise, started out on Season 1 of "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" back in 2010. She's been quite coy about going under the knife, but let's just say that Lisa Rinna isn't the only "RHOBH" castmate sporting plumped-up lips.
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"The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" star Lisa Vanderpump has been denying plastic surgery rumors for years. "I have no facelifts or anything, and you can check out the scars. Nothing like that," she's said. But Bravo host Andy Cohen managed to squeeze the real scoop out of her during a game of "Plastic Perjury" in which she copped to having an eye lift and lip augmentation in the past. One quick fix Lisa has no problem admitting to is Botox for wrinkles, but who in Beverly Hills doesn't go under the needle?
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Shannon Beador only joined the cast of "The Real Housewives of Orange County" for Season 9 in 2014, but boy has she made an impact in just four seasons. As she reinvented herself after divorcing cheating husband David Beador, it's no surprise she got some work done.
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Shannon Beador has been trying to lose the weight she gained throughout her rocky divorce from David Beador with diet and exercise, but she admitted to getting a little help from plastic surgery as well. In 2018, she turned to a fat-freezing procedure to target stubborn areas. "Trying Coolsculpting on the back of my arms, which is a tough area for us gals over 50," she wrote on Twitter. Shannon also went under the knife to fix her eyes and even aired her recovery on "The Real Housewives of Orange County." "I'm having eyelid surgery because I'm a single lady and I'm going to, someday, date," she explained. You go, girl!
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For a long time, Kandi Burruss managed to avoid going under the knife after she joined the cast of "The Real Housewives of Atlanta" for Season 1 in 2008.
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Kandi Burruss finally caught the plastic surgery bug after Season 9 of "The Real Housewives of Atlanta" and decided to get breast implants. "I've just joined the club," she revealed after having an augmentation in 2017. "Well, after we finished taping, I decided to pump them up." Though she might be one of the "RHOA" castmates with the least work done to date, there's still time, honey.
