Ricki Lake Talks ‘Brave’ Decision to Undergo Facelift, Shares Before and After Photos

On Friday, the 56-year-old actress shared a post on Instagram, in which she reflected on her “brave choice” to go under the knife last year after losing 40 pounds, calling the procedure “one of the best decisions” she’s ever made.

“One year ago today I did a thing,” Lake began in the post’s caption. “Yes, today July 18th, is the one year anniversary of my deep plane lower face and neck lift, plus a mild co2 laser. I was in the best of hands with my plastic surgeon @drallenfoulad., a true master in his field. After a dear friend had the most incredible experience with Dr, Foulad, I made the decision to follow in her footsteps. She is that friend that does all the research and due diligence for you. She met with all the top docs in the country. So thankful for her going first.”

The Hairspray actress added that after her weight loss transformation, she wanted to address her changed facial appearance.

“I had lost 40 lbs and did not like the extra skin that hung from below my chin,” she explained. “It was never going to tighten up on its own. Not at 55. Trust me, when I tell you, I still felt extra cute and loved myself regardless, especially after working so hard to get in the best shape of my life.”

As for the surgery itself, Lake called it “the icing on the cake,” before praising her decision to have plastic surgery.

“One year later, I look back on my brave choice and consider it one of the best decisions I ever made for myself,” she wrote. “I share with all of you, as I am an open book and always will be. Also, so many people are interested and want to know, so here you go…”

The former talk show host’s post featured a carousel of 11 photos, which documented the entire process — from her first consultation to her recovery.

Two of the photos showed the area Lake said she “disliked,” while others featured shots of Lake in the days and first few weeks post-op, including a shot of herself and her husband Ross Burningham in bed, in which she can be seen with a bandage wrapped over her head and chin.

“day 2 with my sweet husband. He was so nervous yet so supportive,” Lake said of the photo.

The final two photos in the Serial Mom star’s carousel were from May 2025, with Lake showing off her new look.

Lake’s fans and celebrity pals took to the comments section to react to her candid post.

“You are gorgeous in every way, from every angle, inside and out, before and after. I adore you beyond❤️,” Nikki Reed wrote.

“you look beautiful as always ❤️,” Jennie Garth said, while Amy Sedaris added, “So good Ricki Thank you for sharing.”

Lake first revealed she had a lower face and neck lift during an appearance on Watch What Happens Live last month.

She gushed over Dr. Foulad, before calling her plastic surgery the “best facelift I’ve ever seen,” showing off her lack of scarring.

Lake also promoted de-stigmatizing plastic surgery, saying, “I’m fully transparent, always have been. I don’t want there to be any stigma. This is something that was bothering me. I lost a lot of weight, and I had this certain thing hanging, and I had it fixed.”

As she mentioned in Friday’s Instagram post and on WWHL, the Cry Baby star’s decision to undergo plastic surgery came after a dramatic weight loss transformation, in which she lost over 30 pounds.

Lake first opened up about her weight loss in February 2024 when she took to social media to share the news along with photos of her slimmed-down figure.

“On October 26th, 2023 I made a commitment to myself to get healthier,” she wrote at the time. Over the four months that followed that commitment, Lake and her husband each lost over 30 pounds.

During an interview with Us Weekly in January 2025, Lake shared details about her diet and exercise regimen, saying that she followed “a very strict keto diet.”

She also explained why she decided against using Ozempic or other antidiabetic medications that have become popular for their weight loss benefits.

“I did not go on any drug because I wasn’t prediabetic,” Lake explained. “There’s nothing wrong with those drugs. They’re actually game changers for so many people. But for me, I did not want to be reliant on a drug if I could help it.”