Karamo Brown Wanted a Slimmer Face. Instead, a Trendy Surgery Changed His Life Forever

Karamo Brown had already been candid about his fractured relationship with some of his former “Queer Eye” cast mates. Now, the television personality is opening up about another painful chapter from his life.

The Root previously reported how the 45-year-old’s mother was left in tears after overhearing some of his former co-stars speaking negatively about him during a set visit—a moment he described as a major breaking point in his decision to address the tension publicly.

But aside from the behind-the-scenes fallout, speculation surrounding Brown’s appearance became its own conversation online for years. Now, he’s shedding light on a cosmetic procedure that he says left him suffering in silence.

“People have been like, ‘Karamo’s had plastic surgery. He has so much filler in his face,’” he told PEOPLE. “I was like, ‘You know what? I can’t say anything because you can’t get into fights with the trolls.’ But I was suffering for years in pain and no one knew,” he added.

According to Brown, the decision to undergo the procedure came after he gained roughly 70 pounds during the COVID-19 pandemic. Like many people navigating an already stressful period, he found himself wrestling with body image issues while also dealing with relentless commentary from strangers who felt entitled to weigh in on his appearance.

What he hoped would be a confidence boost instead became “a year-and-a-half of pain” and a daily physical battle. 

Brown recalled how the procedure left him dealing with persistent swelling, hardened scar tissue and discomfort that followed him both on and off camera. At times, the condition became so noticeable that viewers could see it while he was smiling on television.

“There’d be times you’d see me smile, and it was tight,” the daytime TV host said. “My cheeks would be big because they were full of saliva, full of scar tissue. I was in the worst pain.”

The pain didn’t stop when the cameras stopped rolling. Brown revealed that there were days filming his talk show when his mouth would become painfully swollen and uncomfortably dry while trying to power through a demanding production schedule. 

In an effort to make the swelling less noticeable, Brown says he became hyper-focused on losing weight, ultimately shedding 70 pounds during the second season of his daytime talk show.

“The scar tissue and the saliva were still there, but because I was skinnier, it looked kind of normal,” he said. 

As painful as the online criticism was, Brown suggested some of the comments that lingered the longest came from people within his own orbit.

Recalling a moment involving a former “Queer Eye” cast mate watching an old clip from the show, Brown remembered hearing, “Oh, look how handsome he used to be.”

“I caught your little dig,” Brown recalled thinking. “Those types of things affect you. They hurt your feelings.”

Eventually, the former “Real World” star sought treatment from facial plastic surgeon Dr. Carl Truesdale, whom he credits with helping eliminate the scar tissue and restore his quality of life because he “couldn’t live with the chronic pain anymore.”

Today, Brown says the pain and swelling is gone. He’s also hoping his experience encourages others dealing with chronic pain to speak openly about what they’re going through instead of suffering in silence.

“You don’t have to suffer alone,” the four-time author said. “I wish I would have told people what I was going through and not allowed myself to just stay quiet.”