Kathie Lee Gifford's New Look Dodges The Pitfalls Of 'Mar-A-Lago Face,' Expert Says

Kathie Lee Gifford has undergone a stunning transformation over the years, but some rumored tune-ups have led some to accuse her of jumping on the Mar-a-Lago face bandwagon. That was evident after the former "Live! with Regis and Kathie Lee" co-host accepted a "Moms of America" award at Mar-a-Lago in February 2026. "She and her fake face are welcome there," an X user wrote. However, Dr. Brandon Richland disagrees that Gifford followed in the footsteps of other MAGA women in her cosmetic work.

After looking at pictures from 2022 and 2025, Richland, a board-certified plastic surgeon at  Richland MD and Richland Aesthetics, doesn't see the high-contrast aesthetic associated with the Mar-a-Lago look, namely the flawless skin, high cheeks, and taut lower face. "She certainly looks remarkably refreshed and youthful for 71. However, I would not necessarily bucket her into that specific mold," he told us. Instead, he thinks whatever Gifford may have done was very subtle. "Her jawline remains very crisp, which at her age usually points to a well-executed deep plane facelift rather than just fillers," he explained. 

Slaven Vlasic & Jason Kempin/Getty

Richland also praised her skin, conjecturing that the former "Today" show co-host may have relied on minimally invasive procedures to achieve her smooth and glowy look, like Morpheus8 or CO2 laser treatments. Overall, Gifford's cosmetic work has given her the refreshed look without the pitfalls of Mar-a-Lago face. "Kathie Lee seems to have found a balance where she looks vibrant and rested without losing the character that makes her face recognizable," he said.

The truth of Kathie Lee Gifford's cosmetic interventions is known to her only, but she has given us some insight into her beauty journey. In 2017, she even underwent a neck-firming procedure on the "Today" show. "I thought, 'Why not?'" she said. But after years of cosmetic procedures, she reportedly wanted to embrace a more natural look. "She was doing it for years when she was on camera and there was pressure to look younger," a source told Closer Weekly in December 2024.

The insider continued: "It went with the territory and the business she was in, but that was then, and this is now." After Gifford stepped away from the spotlight, she was said to want to look more authentic. "She doesn't want to go down that road and look like everyone else, like a doll," the source added. And Dr. Brandon Richland believes that may be true. Even though his main opinion is that Gifford has had surgical enhancements, he can see how her refreshed look could be achieved with noninvasive procedures. "If she is not under the knife, her refreshed look could be attributed to a very disciplined medical grade skincare routine," he told Nicki Swift.

That routine, along with Botox to soften wrinkles, could be enough to completely transform her appearance, Richland said. That's particularly true when we take into consideration photographic and beauty techniques. "When you pair that with professional lighting and high-end styling, it can create a transformation that looks like surgery to the casual observer," he said.