Before & After Pics Of HGTV Star Nicole Curtis' Transformation Are Jarring
Nicole Curtis has been a mainstay on HGTV since her series "Rehab Addict" premiered in 2010. However, her journey to television fame was no walk in the park. Curtis has undergone many transformations in her life, both inside and out. Even though Curtis is no stranger to tragedy and obstacles, she managed to work her way to the top. And her appearance reflects that. The successful, albeit sometimes controversial, HGTV star is proud of her past, something she shows with her frequent throwback photos on social media.
In 2019, Curtis proved she has no shame in being among the celebs who worked at Hooters when she shared an Instagram picture of her 18-year-old self from her waitressing days in the mid-90s. Embracing the decade's typical style, Curtis wore a cherry-tinted lip gloss with a thin layer of black eyeliner on her inner eye. She also rocked a much deeper tan, which is perhaps unsurprising, considering she lived in Florida at the time. Nowadays, the Detroit-based designer rocks a natural lip gloss and smoky eyes with well-defined brows in many of her photographs.
Curtis also wears her hair in a lighter shade of blond, whereas she preferred her locks in a more natural honey tone in her adolescence. She may look more mature and elegant now, but the young Curtis still exuded confidence. That's why she is still proud of her Hooters days. "I was cleaning houses by day and serving wings at night. In no time at all, I had enough money for the down payment on my first house," she captioned the Instagram post. Curtis has come a long way, and her evolving looks show it.
Nicole Curtis' journey from waitress to self-made businesswoman
Nicole Curtis never looked down on any job. She had a dream of restoring old homes, but she knew that every job was a step toward that dream. She feels grateful for the growth and the work ethic she experienced along the way. Cleaning houses and serving burgers and fries at Hooters was just part of her journey, and Curtis was never embarrassed about working in the male-oriented restaurant. "I was 18 and driven to get through school, buy a house and move on to my next big thing," she captioned a 2018 Instagram post.
Before she started her job at Hooters, Curtis felt similarly about working the late shift at IHOP (seen above in her uniform). "POV: You're 17 & have no idea that pushing pancakes at IHOP dreaming of saving old houses could lead to 100s of [houses saved] and your most iconic [restoration]," she captioned an October 2025 Instagram post. She emphasized her gratitude for the opportunities afforded by her previous employers. "Special thanks to IHOP — midnight shifts paved the way," she wrote.
In her 2018 post about her Hooters days, Curtis also showed pride in her connection with the sometimes looked-down-upon establishment. "If anything, I felt empowered. There's something magical about looking around and knowing you bought it your damn self," she wrote. Curtis' transformation in the years before and since her fame reflects her personal trajectory. "I got interested in rehabbing because I was poor. Nothing motivates you to learn how to do something like not having the money to pay to have it done," she told AZCentral in 2015.