Love her or hate her, Tamra Judge is one of the most unfiltered, candid Housewives there is—both on and off the show. The Real Housewives of Orange County star has a long history of talking openly about her plastic surgeries, from multiple breast surgeries to her facelift. But even her most devoted fans were shocked when she took to Instagram last week, to post photos and videos of herself after undergoing a brow lift, CO2 laser, and Blue Peel.
From the extreme swelling, bruising, and peeling skin (that Judge’s own mother said “made her want to throw up”) to the medication-induced constipation, the 57-year-old hasn’t held back when it comes to documenting every step of the recovery process. We sat down with Judge, one week post-surgery, to chat about the intense reaction her posts have elicited, the feedback she’s gotten from her castmates, and the results her doctor promised her in time for the RHOC reunion.
RealSelf: You underwent a brow lift, CO2 laser, and Blue Peel. Tell us why you opted for those three, and why now? Are these procedures you’ve been considering for a while?
Tamra Judge: I had been doing Botox in my forehead and noticed that not only had it stopped working but also that I actually looked better without it because it had started to drop my brows. But I still had all those forehead wrinkles. I asked Dr. Milind Ambe, who did my facelift, about a brow lift, and he referred me to his colleague, Dr. Donald Mowlds.
I was worried that after a brow lift, I’d come out and my brows would be up way high on my forehead and I’d look crazy. That was one of the reasons I’d always been against it. But there was a woman in his office who was a little younger than me, who had done one, and she looked amazing and so natural. Brow lifts have come a long way. They used to leave you with a big scar across your forehead, but I had it done endoscopically, so I just have four little areas of minimal scarring in my hairline.
I had a lower facelift when I turned 50 but didn’t touch my forehead or brow area, and I realize now that that was kind of like having a cake with no icing or a Ferrari with stock wheels. I just felt like the bottom part of my face still looked very fresh and good for my age but the top felt very tired. So I decided to go for it.
I had gotten CO2 laser five years ago, but that was done in-office and it wasn’t as deep as this one. I swore then that I’d never do it again because it was a very painful procedure. But Dr. Mowlds said that he always does one with a facelift or brow lift, so I agreed to it. And I’d never had a Blue Peel before, and I’m still a little confused as to what exactly it adds, but he uses it with the CO2 laser.
RS: Tell us about the surgery day.
TJ: It was about three and a half or four hours total, and the laser took one and a half hours of that. It was very time consuming. I remember waking up from anesthesia, and by the time I got home, I was with it enough to realize that I wanted to take some videos and start to document everything.
RS: Speaking of documenting, we’ve seen a lot of behind-the-scenes content of your recovery, but tell us more about how the last week has gone.
TJ: The day of surgery, I was actually still pretty comfortable, although I woke up in the middle of the night with excruciating pain across my forehead. I called my doctor, and we realized it was due to sinus pain, as I’ve always had sinus issues. I took a sinus pill, and 60% of the pain went away within a few hours. I’d say day three was the worst. My face swelled to the point where I was unrecognizable. My doctor prescribed a steroid pack, and within that day, I started seeing improvement.
I’m curious, if I had just done the brow lift alone how I’d feel, because the recovery from the CO2 laser has been the hardest. The top of my head is still pretty numb. I had a dull headache for a few days, but really no pain from the brow lift. Most of the pain came from the swelling after the laser, and after pain came extreme discomfort. My skin felt tight and itchy and burning. There was peeling, and it was really raw. I honestly imagine it’s similar to what it’s like to be burned. I’ve been using an Obagi recovery cream that the doctor gave me that’s similar to Aquaphor in the sense that it’s thick and greasy, because the one thing about the CO2 laser is that it’s important to keep the skin really moisturized after. So I have that in my hair and on my phone, it’s everywhere. I’m also a picker, so I’ve had to be really careful not to pick and pull because there are crusties and skin flakes everywhere. I’ve had to change my sheets every day because they’re covered in flakes.
But today I woke up feeling like a supermodel because most of the flaking on my neck came off overnight, and I learned that the neck, chest, and hairline are always the last areas to flake off. I’m one week out today, and I’ve really turned the corner. I feel great and more human again. It will probably be another week or so before I do my hair or makeup or go out and do anything. We head up to our Big Bear house tomorrow to relax in the mountains for the next week, but then it’s back to work for me. Actually, I’ll be back doing my podcast on Monday.
RS: You’ve been open about previous plastic surgery, but you really are detailing this process quite extensively. Why now?
TJ: I’ve always been transparent about everything I’ve had done. My big thing, in Hollywood in general, is you see these women who do [cosmetic procedures] slowly and look great, but then they say it’s just healthy living or try to sell you their skin-care products. I live a healthy lifestyle and know firsthand that that’s great and important but not all you need. So I want to be transparent and show other women that they don’t have to be afraid or ashamed. And if they’re thinking about doing this, then this is the process and what it will look like day to day. Nobody documents right after surgery, they show the before and the after, so I was happy to show exactly what the whole journey is like.
RS: People are really hyped up about just how intense the recovery looks. What kind of response have you gotten from fans and followers?
TJ: Well, my doctor told me that one of the women in his office yelled at him and said, “What did you do to Tamra Judge?!” It’s definitely been a mixed response. The show is airing now, and with that there always comes a level of hate. Bravo fans are tough. But what’s interesting is that I’ve gained 20,000 followers just from doing this. And I have celebrities and people in the public eye that have started following me just because of this damn brow lift. So I’ve been getting some hate, but a lot of people are also saying they can’t wait for my next video.
RS: Did you tell any of your RHOC castmates what you were getting done? What has their reaction been like?
TJ: I think I told Emily, and I called Heather the night before to tell her. A lot of them have reached out to see how I’m feeling and all of that, but it’s more Housewives from other franchises that have reached out and want to know what I did and are asking who my doctor is and how they can get this done!
RS: Were these procedures part of your reunion prep?
TJ: Yes, and I scared myself a little bit because I really left no margin for error. I did this all five weeks before the reunion filming date. But my schedule is so tight that I barely have a week of downtime, much less two weeks, so this worked out well. We’re shooting the reunion in October, and my doctor is going to put me on a special skin-care system starting next week and told me by the time we film, my skin will be glowing. I said, “Great, I’ll take it.”
RS: What advice would you offer to someone considering undergoing one—or all three—of these procedures?
TJ: I always say, make sure you’re doing it for yourself. And there’s nothing to be ashamed of, we all age. So if it’s going to make you feel better, go for it.
