Jump directly to the content
FACE OFF

The mystery of Liam Payne’s new chiselled jaw and sharp cheekbones explained by expert

HE once sang “You don’t know you’re beautiful” but Liam Payne may not be taking his own advice about keeping the natural look.

The former One Direction singer shocked fans when he appeared with a much more chiselled face than he had even last year at the premiere of ex-bandmate Louis Tomlinson’s film All Of Those Voices.

Liam Payne and girlfriend Kate Cassidy dine at Sexy Fish in Mayfair before moving forward onto exclusive night spot the Chiltern Firehouse. 22 Mar 2023 Pictured: Liam Payne, Kate Cassidy. Photo credit: TOT/MEGA TheMegaAgency.com +1 888 505 6342
6
Liam may now look killer but is it all filler?Credit: The Mega Agency
LONDON, ENGLAND - MARCH 16: Liam Payne arrives at the "All Of Those Voices" UK Premiere at Cineworld Leicester Square on March 16, 2023 in London, England. (Photo by Karwai Tang/WireImage)
6
Expert Dr Saleena Zimri shares analysis on what Liam's most likely had done to his faceCredit: Getty

Liam, 29, has put his new, slimmer face down to weight loss.

In 2021 he said he had put on a lot of weight in lockdown, and added: “There were a few pictures of me on a boat and I was all bloated out and I call it my pills-and-booze face.

“It was ten times bigger than it is now.”

He added that well-stocked mini-bars in hotel rooms while on tour posed another problem.

READ MORE ON LIAM PAYNE

But skin specialist Dr Saleena Zimri exclusively tells us there may be more to it than Liam suggests.

The aesthetician,  practitioner, and founder of  says: “His jawline looks quite boxy and it’s only been a couple of years, so it’s unlikely that this is just weight loss or growing a bit older.

“In my opinion, what he’s had done is surgical because I don’t think even fillers could make you that boxy and wide without it looking fat and full.”

Here, Saleena reveals what she thinks Liam has had tweaked.

July 30th, 2014 - Saint Tropez ****** WORLDWIDE EXCLUSIVE PICTURES ****** ****** WITH A STRICT MINIMUM OF ¿ 200 PER PICTURE FOR MAGAZINE USAGE****** Over weight, One Direction singer Liam Payne is enjoying a day on a luxury boat with his girlfriend Sophia Smith and his best friend Andy Samuels in Saint Tropez. Liam makes laugh his friends by throwing bananas, eggs, yogurt and even a glass of wiskhy in the sea perhaps in the hope of feeding the fishes. Liam enjoys many cigarette and many drinks during the afternoon. ****** BYLINE MUST READ : ¿ Spread Pictures ****** ****** No Web Usage before agreement ****** ****** Strictly No Mobile Phone Application or Apps use without our Prior Agreement ****** Enquiries at photo@spreadpictures.com
6
He seems almost unrecognisable compared to this snap from 2014Credit: Spread Pictures
FILE - Louis Tomlinson Arrested For Altercation With Paparazzi In LA LONDON, ENGLAND - JUNE 08: Zayn Malik, Niall Horan, Louis Tomlinson, Liam Payne and Harry Styles of One Direction pose for photographs at Wembley Arena as they made the wishes of 60 seriously ill children come true and met the children prior to performing at Wembley Stadium on June 8, 2014 in London, United Kingdom. The band are ambassadors for Rays of Sunshine, a children's charity which grants wishes for seriously ill children in the UK. www.raysofsunshine.org.uk (Photo by Stuart C. Wilson/Getty Images for Rays of Sunshine)
6
Liam looks remarkably different compared to his days in One DirectionCredit: Getty

BUCCAL FAT REMOVAL

Dr Zimri believes it’s buccal fat removal that has given Liam his strong jawline.

“You can see that hollowing in his cheeks, on his lower face, the ligament bands are showing, and his face has become very boxy, and very structured,” she notes.

Buccal fat removal is a fast-growing trend among celebrities and social media personalities alike, which cuts out fat pads from the inside of a person’s cheek, giving them a more angular face as a result.

It can cost anywhere from $5,000 (£4,067) to $20,000 (£16.3k), but it can have long-term implications, and Dr Zimri wouldn’t have recommended it to Liam if he came into her clinic.

She explains: “Well-defined cheek hollows and less fat on the face looks good now in younger patients, but as we age, we lose volume in our face, and this can cause us to look visibly older.

“If your face is already angular, buccal fat removal could make you look gaunt, and older than you are.”

LIP FILLER

As well as surgery, Liam may have had some lip filler, according to
Dr Zimri.

She notes: “His lips certainly look more, more fuller, so I suspect he’s had a bit of injectables too.”

BOTOX

Liam may have also had some Botox put in his upper face, says Dr Zimri.

“He had quite hooded lids before,” she notes. “And now his eyebrows and lids both look a bit more lifted.

“Botox in the upper face is definitely a possibility.”

Read More on The Sun

JAW IMPLANT

Dr Zimri believes Liam has had a jaw implant put in, noting how “his chin and jawline are both a lot squarer.”

She adds: “He may have had it slightly contoured with some filler as well, but it looks like to me he’s had a surgical procedure, so a surgical implant to give more structure on the jaw and the chin.”

Liam Payne looks totally different with long hair and a beard after lockdown makeover
6
He also still looked somewhat chubbier with a pretty different face in lockdownCredit: Instagram
Liam Payne Instagram</p>
<p>http://www.instagram.com/p/CZ4PJ3ZMSNu/?hl=en
6
Even by last summer, Liam could almost be a different personCredit: Instagram / Liam Payne
Topics