“Has anyone else noticed how Tom Cruise’s face has become puffy over the last year or so? It almost looks like he’s wearing prosthetics to make him look older (obviously not)… but it looks like the type of puffiness that comes from medications,” another person wrote.

Many other social media user shared the same sentiment, with another person sharing “What HAS Tom Cruise done to his face? The real question should be what has he not done to his face.”

“I wish he would stop with the fillers and Botox. His face is not Tom Cruising. He could absolutely be an old man zaddy… ignoring Scientology, of course,” someone else wrote.

“What happened to his face?” another typed. A fellow social media user commented, “The only thing more stretched out than this closing ceremony is Tom Cruise’s new face.”

Plastic Surgeon Weighed In On Tom Cruise’s Scrutinized Appearance

Following Cruise’s viral performance at the 2024 Paris Olympics closing ceremony, consultant plastic surgeon Kshem Yapa shared his thoughts on the actor’s possible cosmetic enhancements.

Yapa speculated that Cruise might have undergone a combination of a facelift and fat grafting. According to the consultant plastic surgeon, this procedure can effectively address the natural aging process, where skin becomes lax and volume diminishes in key areas such as the temples and mid-face.

“A facelift repositions sagging tissue, while fat grafting, usually from areas like the stomach, restores volume,” he explained. However, Yapa warned that fat grafting requires a delicate balance. He noted that the fat retains its original characteristics, so gaining weight could cause the face to appear noticeably fuller.

Overdone fat grafting, Yapa added, can lead to a “mask-like appearance” where the mid-face appears stiff, a look some experts refer to as the “Howdy Doody effect,” named after a puppet character from the 1960s.

This wasn’t the first time Cruise’s changed appearance sparked speculation. In October 2021, he was photographed at a baseball game with unusually bloated cheeks, leading to widespread discussions about possible cosmetic procedures.

“Too much filler. Lay off the Botox, Tom,” one person shared. Another typed, “Tom Cruise plus a few pounds of fillers/ Botox.” A third shared, “Tom Cruise becomes latest Hollywood star to ruin his face with fillers in an attempt to look ‘youthful.'”

“He just had another surgery, that’s all,” a fourth user sarcastically added. Yet, by the Cannes Film Festival in May 2022, the actor appeared strikingly youthful, only for his facial features to shift again in subsequent public appearances. Yapa suggested that this fluctuation could be due to excessive fat grafting.

While fat grafting is an effective treatment, it can be difficult to reverse. Unlike other fillers, which dissolve over time, fat grafts are permanent and may require additional surgery for removal if the results are unsatisfactory.

Other cosmetic experts have proposed that Cruise’s look might also be attributed to non-invasive procedures like Botox or micro-needling, both popular among celebrities for maintaining a smooth, refreshed appearance.

Dr. Fadi Hamadani suggested that Cruise could have used a combination of treatments, including advanced techniques like Morpheus8 or FaceTite, which aim to tighten and contour the skin without the invasiveness of traditional surgery. These treatments offer a subtle enhancement while preserving a natural look.

The ongoing speculation about Tom Cruise’s appearance highlights the immense pressure celebrities face to maintain a youthful image. For Cruise, who has built his career on being a larger-than-life action hero, balancing the expectations of fans and the realities of aging remains a delicate act.