Plastic surgeons reveal what could be behind ICE Barbie Kristi Noem's changing face

Kristi Noem has turned heads with her polished, glamorous appearance.

But the 53-year-old Homeland Security secretary was criticized over her looks in a recent South Park episode that showed her face melting off her body, in a jab at her alleged plastic surgeries.

Now, two surgeons have revealed to DailyMail.com whether they believe there is any truth to the claims.

After reviewing photos of the 'ICE Barbie' over the years, both said she had likely invested in subtle tweaks using Botox to banish wrinkles and filler to plump her cheeks and lips.

But much of her 'glow-up,' said the doctors, who have not seen Noem in person, was due to a change of style, which had veered from conservative to glamorous, deploying large, fake eyelashes, long wavy hair and heavier makeup.

Both surgeons said they did not think she had gone under the knife for any more extreme procedures, such as a facelift or nose job.

Dr Adam Rubinstein, a plastic surgeon in Florida, told this website: 'Kristi Noem is an attractive woman, both before and after any change to her appearance.

'What we are looking at in these pictures really is more of a glamorous makeover than a surgical makeover.'

Dr Jimmy Sung, a plastic surgeon at Tribeca Aesthetics, told this website: 'If you think about it, these are the aesthetics that Trump likes... now known as the Mar-a-Lago look, where everything is just a bit exaggerated.'

The plastic surgeons based their comments on photos and videos of the politician but did not examine her in person.

Noem has never confirmed using Botox or fillers, and representatives for the politician did not respond to DailyMail.com's request for comment. But in March 2024 she did reveal she had received undisclosed cosmetic procedures on her teeth.

In an advertisement for Smile Texas, a dental clinic, the former South Dakota governor said she needed work from the clinic to 'fix my teeth' after suffering a biking accident.

She said: 'I’m the governor of South Dakota and [I] had the opportunity to come to Smile Texas to fix my teeth, which has been absolutely amazing.

'I want when people look at me to hear the words that I say and not be distracted by something that I'm wearing or how I look or even my appearance.

'I want them to focus on my thoughts and ideas and what we can do to really make this country better.'

Stating that Noem had likely used filler, Dr Rubinstein said: 'Her cheeks are looking a little puffy compared to how she was before, and that is something that would normally be achieved with fillers.

'Her lips too, these wouldn't naturally get larger over time.'

Dr Sung added: 'What really stands out to me is the cheek.

'That has either been achieved with a lot of filler into her face, or something called an injectable implant. I think that is possible because in videos her face often doesn't move that much.'

An injectable cheek implant is a substance that is injected into the cheek to add volume.

It is typically intended to be permanent or long-lasting, using a substance that remains stable and does not degrade over time. In contrast, fillers last only six to 18 months and gradually dissolve.

Estimating how much filler she may have used, Dr Sung said: 'There's got to be 10 to 15 syringes in her face at any one time at least.'

On average, patients receive about one to three syringes of filler every session, surgeons say.

Other surgeons have previously suggested that Noem may have received a neck lift or mini facelift, where the skin around the cheeks and jawline is tightened.

Dr Michael Niccole, a plastic surgeon at CosmetiCare Plastic Surgery Center in California, told celebrity news website Nicki Swift in March this year: 'She looks significantly refreshed and lifted, the skin on her neck appears tighter, her facial contours more defined, and her skin tone and texture are dramatically improved.

'It's likely she's undergone a neck lift and a mini facelift, possibly along with skin rejuvenation treatments like microneedling or a light erbium laser.'

But the plastic surgeons who spoke to DailyMail.com said this was unlikely because they could only see tightening in her jawline, which they said would be unusual for someone undergoing more invasive procedures.

Dr Sung said her defined jawline was likely the result of fillers or threads, temporary sutures inserted under the skin to lift and tighten sagging skin.

He added: 'This is clear to me because, with these procedures, you would typically tighten skin in other areas, like the neck, but that clearly isn't the case here.'

The surgeons pointed to an apparent reduction in wrinkles on her forehead and around her mouth over time to suggest that she was likely using Botox or having filler injected into these areas.

Aside from cosmetic procedures, after Trump won the presidency, Noem has reinvented her hair from a layered straight cut to long, voluminous waves.

Her makeup was previously subdued, and her clothing was simple.

But now, since transforming into her 'ICE Barbie persona', she has more dramatic makeup and less conservative clothing.

Dr Sung said her appearance was now not dissimilar to other MAGA stars such as Kimberly Guilfoyle and Lara Trump.

In the South Park episode, Noem is shown shooting several dogs as Botox melted off her face, in a reference to her admission that she once shot her dog.

In another scene, the secretary's good looks disappear as she takes a bath, before a glam squad appeared to put her public face back on.

It eventually concludes with Noem and ICE agents raiding heaven as her face melted and fell to the floor. She is also shown asking President Donald Trump whether he is trying to replace her, saying: 'Think I can’t handle myself because I’m a lady with good looks that drive men wild?'

Noem has since slammed the new South Park episode, saying on the Glenn Beck podcast that the show was 'lazy'.

She said: 'I didn't get to see it; I was going over budget numbers. I just think it never ends, it's lazy to constantly make fun of women for how they look.

'Always the liberals and extremists do that, if they wanted to criticize my job, go ahead and do that, but clearly, they can't. They just pick something petty like that.'