Simon Cowell has revealed that his son Eric was frightened by his altered appearance, prompting the Britain's Got Talent judge to stop using fillers entirely. The TV star, who celebrates his 67th birthday today (October 7), has spoken openly about the cosmetic procedures he has undergone over the years.
Early adoption of injectables
Cowell was one of the early male television personalities to normalise non-surgical cosmetic procedures. Starting around the mid-2000s, he routinely used Botox and heavy dermal fillers. The star freely admits to previously abusing these treatments, once joking that he had used "thousands" of units of Botox. Over time, repeated filler use gave his face a noticeably fuller, heavier, and occasionally rigid look, particularly around the cheeks and eyes.
Turning point with son Eric
By the early 2020s, public reaction to his altered appearance peaked. Cowell admitted he had gone too far with injectable treatments and looked "like a weirdo" and "something out of a horror film". He also said he didn't even recognise himself when he saw an old photo. He decided to completely stop using fillers after his young son, Eric, became frightened and went into hysterics over his altered appearance, and he had all the filler dissolved from his face. He has since claimed to have "zero" filler left in his face in an effort to maintain a more natural look.
Thread lift and veneers
Instead of a traditional surgical facelift, Cowell revealed in 2018 that he underwent a non-surgical procedure known as a Silhouette Soft Lift (often called a "thread lift"). This procedure involves inserting bioplastic threads under the skin and pulling them to lift sagging areas around the jaw and cheekbones. The star also made a major change to his smile by getting a set of ultra-bright, noticeably white dental veneers. The stark brightness and uniform shape of the veneers altered his overall jawline and lower facial structure.
Weight loss and recovery
Beyond cosmetic tweaks, Cowell lost over 20 pounds around 2019 after switching to a health-focused, predominantly plant-based diet. The weight loss thinned out his cheeks and jawline significantly. Additionally, after recovering from a serious e-bike crash in 2020 where he broke his back, he focused heavily on physical recovery, hydration, and skin health rather than relying on injectables.
Despite rumours online, Cowell consistently denies ever having a full traditional surgical facelift. In an interview with the Daily Mail, he stated: "I have heard certain things about how I've had a facelift. I haven't. I've had Botox. I've had lasers and this and that." However, despite this, he acknowledges that a combination of heavy injectables, thread lifts, ultra-white veneers, weight loss, and eventual removal of facial fillers led to his dramatically shifting appearance over the years.
