Italian Actresses Cosmetic Surgery: Procedures, Risks & Recovery

Italian actresses’ plastic surgery is one of the beauty questions people search for most: «Has Monica Bellucci had work done?», «Did Sophia Loren ever have a nose job?», «Are Sabrina Salerno’s breasts real?». Behind each question there are two very different things: what the stars have actually said, and what others have guessed from photos.

In this guide we go through Italy’s best-loved actresses and singers one by one, from cinema legends to today’s pop stars. For each of them we separate what she admitted (with the news source) from mere rumours, recall the work that made her famous, and explain with medical sources what each procedure people ask about really involves: rhinoplasty, facelift, eyelid surgery, Botox, fillers and breast implants.

Italian Actresses Plastic Surgery: Breasts, Lips, Fillers and Mini Facelift

Anna Tatangelo, Elettra Lamborghini, Alba Parietti and Serena Grandi have spoken openly about surgery, while Sophia Loren, Claudia Cardinale and Sabrina Salerno have always said they never had any. The table sums up their statements, which are quoted in detail in the sections below.

One important caveat: a photo alone does not prove surgery. Lighting, makeup, lenses, weight and simple ageing change a face more than most people think. So when a star has never confirmed anything, we call it a rumour, not a fact.

Sophia Loren and the Nose She Kept: What Rhinoplasty Involves

No, by her own account: Sophia Loren has said that as a young actress she was told to shorten her nose and make her mouth smaller, but she refused, and in 2014 she said she did not want to touch anything on her face because she likes it (Source: HuffPost).

Sophia Loren in 2009: the «too long» nose she refused to operate on became part of her beauty.
📷 Source: Wikimedia Commons (Chrisa Hickey)

Born in Rome in 1934 and raised in Pozzuoli, she is the Italian screen goddess: an Oscar for Two Women (La ciociara), classics with Marcello Mastroianni such as Marriage Italian Style and A Special Day, and The Life Ahead (2020), directed by her son Edoardo Ponti. In her memoir she recalls a cameraman calling her «impossible to photograph», and writes that she did not want a small, turned-up nose (Source: HuffPost).

What would that operation have meant? Rhinoplasty changes the shape or size of the nose; it usually takes 1.5 to 3 hours under general anaesthetic, a splint stays on for about 7 days, and swelling can take up to 6 months to settle completely. Rare risks include permanent breathing difficulty and a changed sense of smell (Source: NHS).

Her choice is still quoted everywhere: a strong nose can be part of a face’s harmony. If you are weighing up a nose job yourself, see real results in our rhinoplasty before and after gallery.

Claudia Cardinale and the Facelift: How It Works and What It Cannot Do

No: Claudia Cardinale said she never had cosmetic surgery and did not even dye her hair, adding that some people simply do not accept the passing of time (Source: CinemaItaliano.info).

Claudia Cardinale at the 2009 Women’s World Awards: she always championed ageing naturally.
📷 Source: Wikimedia Commons (Manfred Werner (Tsui))

Born in Tunis in 1938, she was the face of The Leopard, 8½ and Once Upon a Time in the West. She died in September 2025, aged 87, mourned by the international press as one of the last great European film stars (Source: CTV News).

The operation most often linked to older stars is the facelift (rhytidectomy): it lifts and tightens the skin of the cheeks, jawline and neck. It is usually done under general anaesthetic, takes about 2–3 hours, bruising lasts at least 2 weeks and the final result shows after 6–9 months; risks include nerve injury, asymmetry and visible scars (Source: NHS).

Even when it goes well, a facelift does not stop ageing or change your basic features: it treats sagging skin, deep folds and a loose neck (Source: ASPS).

For timings and options, read what age you should get a facelift.

Monica Bellucci Without Botox: How It Works and How Long It Lasts

Natural, according to her: Monica Bellucci told Vanity Fair she had repeatedly turned down cosmetic touch-ups and had a single vitamin treatment, adding that she prefers wrinkles to a plastic face (Source: Blitz Quotidiano).

Monica Bellucci at the Locarno Film Festival in August 2026, at the «Ketticè» photocall.
📷 Source: Wikimedia Commons (Walid Farouk)

Born in Città di Castello in 1964, she moved from modelling to cinema with Malèna, The Passion of the Christ and her Bond role in Spectre; in 2024 she was in Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, and in August 2026 she was in Locarno to present Ketticè. In 2017, receiving a career award in Monte Carlo, she said it did not bother her at all to see herself on screen with more wrinkles (Source: Panorama).

She does not judge women who choose otherwise. In 2021 she told la Repubblica that she still puts up with her wrinkles but does not condemn cosmetic touch-ups if they are well done and make you feel better (Source: Il Fatto Quotidiano).

The most common cosmetic treatment in the world is the one she avoids: botulinum toxin, with 7.8 million treatments in 2024, followed by hyaluronic acid with 6.3 million (Source: ISAPS).

Botox relaxes the muscles that cause expression lines: results show within a few days, are complete in about a week and usually last 3–4 months (Source: ASPS).

Sabrina Ferilli Before and After: Eyelid Surgery and Cheek Filler Risks

It is a rumour: Sabrina Ferilli has never confirmed any work; the claim of eyelid surgery and cheek fillers comes from the «Fatti e Rifatti» segment of the satirical TV show Striscia la Notizia, repeated by some websites (Source: DonnaGlamour).

Sabrina Ferilli at the 2022 David di Donatello awards at the Quirinale.
📷 Source: Wikimedia Commons (Quirinale)

Born in Rome in 1964, she is one of Italy’s most loved actresses, from Ferie d’agosto to Paolo Sorrentino’s Oscar-winning The Great Beauty, and a judge on the TV talent show Tú sí que vales. Her intense gaze and warm smile have always been her trademark.

What does eyelid surgery do? Blepharoplasty removes excess skin or fat from the eyelids to treat hooded lids or eye bags; it takes 45 minutes to 2.5 hours, most people go home the same day, and about 2 weeks off work is usual (Source: NHS).

On the upper lids it corrects folds of loose skin that can even limit vision; on the lower lids it treats bags and excess skin. If the brow itself has dropped, however, a brow lift, a separate operation, may be the better choice (Source: ASPS).

We cover it in detail in our guide to blepharoplasty in Turkey.

Cheek fillers are injectable implants, often made of hyaluronic acid: some are absorbed over time, so treatments must be repeated. The most serious risk is accidental injection into a blood vessel, which can cause tissue death, vision problems including blindness, and stroke (Source: FDA).

Ornella Muti: Why Treatments Guessed From Photos Are Not a Diagnosis

For Ornella Muti, too, there are guesses rather than admissions. After she co-hosted the 2022 Sanremo festival, a plastic surgeon asked on Instagram listed supposed treatments, but the report on it contains no confirmation from the actress (Source: Il Fatto Quotidiano).

Maria Grazia Cucinotta: Botox Side Effects and Breast Reduction

Because it did not agree with her: Maria Grazia Cucinotta told la Repubblica she was pushed into Botox for her forehead lines, had only a tiny amount and felt unwell for two weeks; since then she wants to be free to move her face (Source: Open).

Maria Grazia Cucinotta at the Vienna Life Ball in 2013.
📷 Source: Wikimedia Commons (Manfred Werner (Tsui))

Born in Messina in 1968, she found worldwide fame in Il Postino with Massimo Troisi, and was a Bond girl in The World Is Not Enough. In 2022, commenting on Pope Francis’s words about cosmetic surgery, she said that growing old is a gift not given to everyone (Source: LaPresse).

Her story is a useful reminder that Botox has side effects too. They can include bruising and pain at the injection site, flu-like symptoms, headache, nausea and, if the toxin migrates, temporary facial weakness or drooping, which is why the treated area should not be rubbed or massaged (Source: ASPS).

A little-known detail: at 18, dreaming of a modelling career, she wanted to reduce her breasts to an A cup, but did not have the courage to go ahead (Source: Blitz Quotidiano).

Breast reduction removes skin and breast tissue and reshapes the breast; women often report less neck, back and shoulder pain afterwards (Source: ASPS).

Patty Pravo and the Facelift: Real Recovery Time and Final Result

She says no: on the talk show Belve in October 2023, Patty Pravo said she had never had anything done, «just a few little injections», adding that she would have a facelift but has no time (Source: Sky TG24).

Patty Pravo in Rome: the singer of «La bambola» has never stopped performing.
📷 Source: Wikimedia Commons (Giadytersicore92)

Born in Venice in 1948, she is a legend of Italian music, from La bambola to Pensiero stupendo. In 2025 she told Corriere della Sera the same thing: at most small injections, no facelift, because it takes two months to recover (Source: Open).

She is right that a facelift needs time, although two months is her own estimate: according to the NHS, full recovery takes about 2–4 weeks, facial stiffness eases within 6 weeks, stitches come out after 7–14 days and the final result appears after 6–9 months (Source: NHS).

How Doctors Detect Breast Implants: The Sabrina Salerno Case

Yes, according to the certificate she published herself: in May 2023 Sabrina Salerno shared on Instagram an assessment signed by a plastic surgeon that rules out breast implants absolutely (Source: Sky TG24).

Born in Genoa in 1968, she became a pop icon with Boys (Summertime Love), and for more than thirty years people have asked whether her breasts are real. Her 2023 answer was unequivocal: a medical document, not just a denial.

How do doctors tell whether someone has implants? By examination and, when needed, imaging: MRI is the best test to detect a «silent» rupture of a silicone implant, and ultrasound is an alternative (Source: FDA).

Anna Tatangelo and Breast Augmentation: Recovery and Implant Risks

Yes, she said so herself: in an interview with the weekly Gente, Anna Tatangelo explained that she had her breasts done to feel more confident and feminine (Source: Blitz Quotidiano).

Anna Tatangelo in 2013: the singer from Sora has spoken openly about her breast surgery.
📷 Source: Wikimedia Commons (Paolo9300)

Born in Sora in 1987, she won the newcomers’ section of the Sanremo festival as a teenager with Doppiamente fragili and has returned to the festival several times. Rumours about her nose and lips, based on TV photo comparisons, have never been confirmed by her.

Breast augmentation places an implant through an incision at the edge of the areola, in the fold under the breast or in the armpit, into a pocket under the chest muscle or directly behind the breast tissue (Source: ASPS).

Most women take a week or two off work, avoid heavy lifting and strenuous exercise for at least a month, and their breasts look more natural after a few months. Implants are not for life: some women need further surgery around 10 years later. Risks include capsular contracture, rupture and, rarely, the lymphoma BIA-ALCL (Source: NHS).

If you are considering it, compare packages in our guide how much is a boob job in Turkey, or read about fat transfer breast augmentation if you would rather avoid implants.

Lip Fillers Like Elettra Lamborghini: How Long They Last and Repeat Sessions

Only her breasts: Elettra Lamborghini has said she had her breasts done and is not «obsessed» with cosmetic surgery (Source: Sky TG24).

Elettra Lamborghini at the Venice Film Festival in September 2025.
📷 Source: Wikimedia Commons (Luca Fazzolari (LucaFazPhoto))

Born in Bologna in 1994, she took reggaeton up the Italian charts with Pem Pem and competed at Sanremo 2020 with Musica (e il resto scompare). In 2020, answering a Striscia la Notizia segment, she said she had absolutely not had a nose job, and that she tried lip filler only once and stopped because she disliked the result (Source: DiLei).

In April 2026, after her interview on Belve, she said she should not have accepted it because she was burnt out: a rare moment of honesty about the pressure stars live under (Source: Il Fatto Quotidiano).

Her case shows one advantage of fillers: they are not permanent. Results are visible at once and last from several months to several years, depending on the product and the patient (Source: ASPS).

Fillers can plump thin lips, soften creases and wrinkles and fill hollows, but they must be repeated to keep the effect (Source: ASPS).

Read more in how long does lip filler last.

Cosmetic Surgery Complications: The Cases of Serena Grandi and Alba Parietti

The most candid voices are Serena Grandi, who wrote in 2021 that her body is «tormented» by cosmetic surgery and medical malpractice, and Alba Parietti, who has never hidden her procedures and now admits her lips did not turn out as she wanted (Sources: Il Fatto Quotidiano, Il Fatto Quotidiano).

Serena Grandi: Breast Cancer and Mammograms With Implants

Born in Bologna in 1958, an icon of the 1980s with Miranda and later in The Great Beauty, she writes in her book Serena a tutti i costi (2021) that she removed the mirrors from her home because she can no longer bear to look at herself (Source: Il Fatto Quotidiano).

On the TV show I Fatti Vostri she said that during a cosmetic breast operation a 5 cm carcinoma was found, and that in her and her lawyer’s view the diagnosis had come late (Source: Blitz Quotidiano).

Her story points to a safety rule: women with breast implants or breast surgery should keep going to breast screening and tell the radiographer, because X-rays cannot pass through implants and a different technique may be needed; mammograms are safe and do not rupture implants (Source: NHS).

Alba Parietti: Breasts, Lips and a Mini Facelift

Born in Turin in 1961, in February 2026, while reporting from Sanremo, she said she went from small breasts to a C cup and had a single mini facelift at 60 (Source: Il Fatto Quotidiano).

As early as 2009 she said she regretted her lips: she wanted them full when she was young, but the silicone injections she had are not reversible (Source: Blitz Quotidiano).

Today injectable silicone is not approved for any aesthetic procedure and can cause long-term pain, infection, scarring, embolism, stroke and death; modern hyaluronic acid fillers are a different thing (Source: FDA).

Italian Actresses Without Cosmetic Surgery and Natural Facial Ageing

Beauty is subjective, but among the best-loved stars, those who have always said they never had surgery are Sophia Loren, Claudia Cardinale and Monica Bellucci (apart from one vitamin treatment), as well as Sabrina Salerno, who documented that her breasts are natural (Sources: HuffPost, CinemaItaliano.info, Blitz Quotidiano, Sky TG24).

Their message is similar: accept the passing of time. Bellucci has spoken about pairing biological beauty with an inner beauty; Cucinotta has joked that her face looks like a shar pei’s, and that she is fine with it (Sources: Il Fatto Quotidiano, Open).

Body Shaming and Surgery: Why Surgeons Assess in Person, Not From Photos

With humour and with facts: Sabrina Salerno answered thirty years of insinuations with a medical certificate, Elettra Lamborghini challenged Striscia’s photos as taken from a different angle, and Alba Parietti keeps talking about her procedures without hiding them (Sources: Sky TG24, DiLei, Il Fatto Quotidiano).

«Before and after» comparisons built from photos taken decades apart are misleading: the lighting, the lens, the makeup and the face itself change with age. That is why a good plastic surgeon assesses a patient in person, never from a picture.

Behind the pressure to look a certain way there is also a mental-health question. When someone wants to change their appearance to cope with other people’s judgement, the first step should be an honest conversation about their motives, before any procedure.

How Much Does It Cost to Get the Celebrity Look? Indicative Prices

It depends on the procedure: through International Clinics a first rhinoplasty costs $2,500–$3,000 (approx. £1,900–£2,250), and breast augmentation costs $4,400 (approx. £3,300) with Arion implants or $5,200 (approx. £3,900) with Motiva implants. Botox and fillers are temporary and must be repeated, so their cost adds up over time.

For what each package includes, see how much is a nose job in Turkey and our famous facelift before and after guide.

Cosmetic surgery is growing worldwide: close to 38 million procedures were performed in 2024, more than 17.4 million of them surgical, and eyelid surgery overtook liposuction for the first time as the most common operation (Source: ISAPS).

How Do You Choose a Plastic Surgeon Safely?

Check that the surgeon is a specialist in plastic, reconstructive and aesthetic surgery, which in Italy means 5 years of specialist training after medical school; have an in-person consultation before deciding; and be wary of very low prices and adverts promising surgery with no recovery time or scars, advises the Italian society of plastic surgeons (Source: SICPRE).

• Ask where you will be operated on, whether the facility is licensed and whether an anaesthetist will be present.
• Check the doctor’s qualifications on the official medical register.
• Ask for a quote that includes the operating room, the anaesthetist and devices such as implants.
• Get the risks, recovery time and follow-up visits explained in writing.

Curious about stars from other countries? Read our guides to Hollywood actresses’ plastic surgery, French actresses’ plastic surgery, Spanish actresses’ plastic surgery, Arab actresses’ plastic surgery, Russian actresses’ plastic surgery and Iranian actresses’ plastic surgery.

Cosmetic Surgery With International Clinics: Selected Surgeons and a Care Plan

International Clinics is neither a treatment centre nor a hospital broker: it is the link between you and the right treatment. We have selected experienced plastic surgeons and leading medical facilities, contracted with them against high standards of medical quality, and prepare a treatment plan tailored to each patient. We are a licensed company with international partners, expanding our hospital contracts across several countries, starting with the UAE.

Photos come from Wikimedia Commons and are used under their licences; they do not imply any link between the artists and International Clinics. Statements are reported by the outlets cited.