The rise of male cheek fillers: Barry Keoghan and Ryan Gosling lead stars with ‘fuller’ faces – but it can create dreaded ‘chipmunk’ cheeks

First came ‘Brotox’ to smooth out wrinkles, and now it seems that men are jumping on the trend for fillers to restore sagging skin too.

Irish actor Barry Keoghan, 33, sparked tweakment speculation when he attended the premiere for The Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man in New York earlier this month.

Since making his debut in 2010’s Between the Canals, Keoghan’s appearance has changed dramatically, including his sharper jawline and a fuller pout that could be attributed to aesthetic procedures.

Now, a cosmetic dermatologist has revealed he may have also had cheek fillers injected under the skin to restore lost volume.

‘The increased fullness through the cheek area does appear consistent with cheek filler,’ Dr Nora Jaafar told the Daily Mail.

‘When larger volumes are placed through the mid-face it can create a rounded or slightly “puffy” appearance, particularly with older hyaluronic acid fillers, which are highly hydrophilic and attract water into the tissue.

‘In men, this can soften the natural angular structure of the face, which is why poorly placed filler often looks more noticeable on male faces.’

However, Keoghan isn’t alone, with Dr Jaafar noting a ‘rise in men seeking aesthetic treatments’ to look more youthful – especially those whose appearances are under constant scrutiny on camera.

‘It’s a fast way to sharpen the face and look more refreshed almost immediately.

‘Male celebrities may opt for it because it quickly restores or enhances mid-face structure, which can soften with age or weight fluctuations. In high-definition filming and photography, stronger cheekbone definition can make the face appear more angular and youthful.’

Jim Carrey 

Jim Carrey broke cover earlier this month when the reclusive funnyman made a rare public appearance at the 51st Cesar Awards in Paris.

Carrey, 64, looked dramatically different as he accepted the Honorary Cesar at the French equivalent of the Oscars, with fans going as far as suggesting that he had sent a body double to collect the award.

Most noticeable was the added volume at the centre of his face, as Carrey’s visage looked softer and more rounded. 

Fans on Reddit suggested the change was due to cheek fillers, but Carrey has not commented on the rumours yet.  

Simon Cowell 

Simon Cowell has always been open about the work he’s had done. 

Last December, the record executive, now 66, told the Daily Mail: ‘I’ve had Botox. I’ve had lasers and this and that.’ 

The Britain’s Got Talent judge denied rumours he had undergone a facelift, adding: ‘I look at myself sometimes and go, “Oh God, I look like s***. Sometimes I think I look okay. 

‘I’m more about, “Is it real?” I guess that authenticity was my main thing.’ 

Simon previously also revealed he had gone ‘too far’ with facial fillers, adding that certain photos had left his son Eric ‘in hysterics’. 

He confirmed ‘there is no filler in my face at all now’ in an interview with The Sun in 2022. 

A plastic surgeon previously told this newspaper that the broadcaster had had Botox and fillers as well as some skin resurfacing work as a ‘part and parcel of his looking-good regime’. 

Tom Cruise 

Tom Cruise has sparked plastic surgery speculation a few times over the last decade, including in February 2025. 

Fans noticed his face looked oddly ‘puffy’ in a pregame ad for the Super Bowl as cosmetic experts told the Daily Mail that Cruise, 62, showed signs of filler in his cheeks. 

Dr Gaurav Bharti, a plastic surgeon at HKB Cosmetic Surgery in Charlotte, North Carolina, said: ‘I think the biggest thing with Tom Cruise is that he has historically aged pretty well.

‘But the biggest thing is his jawline definition has changed, and he now looks a little fuller on the Super Bowl and a bit more stretched out… instead of that harsh definition he typically has.

Dr Bharti suggested this could be due to weight gain or an ‘over-abundance of fillers’. 

In October 2021, a photo of Cruise at a baseball game in San Francisco hinted at the use of cheek fillers as his face appeared significantly fuller. 

However, he looked back to his old self when Cruise attended the Top Gun premiere at the Cannes Film Festival in May 2022. 

Commenting on the transformation, aesthetician expert Dawn Attewell told the Daily Mail: ‘In the infamous October 2021 picture, you can see that Tom looked swollen and puffy, which could be due to excessive filler, post-procedure swelling, or weight gain.’

When he attended the BAFTAs in 2016, Cruise’s fans suggested he looked dramatically different from earlier appearances because of his round cheeks. 

‘He has excessive volume in the middle of his face, probably as a result of fillers,’ said cosmetic surgeon Dr Costas Papageorgiou. ‘For four to six weeks afterwards, they can leave noticeable swelling and water retention.’

Barry Keoghan 

After it was suggested that Barry had gotten lip fillers, his most recent red carpet appearance left fans wondering whether he had used them on his face as well. 

A cosmetic surgeon previously revealed that Barry’s new look could be the result of using lip fillers amid a ‘noticeable rise’ in men exploring ‘undetectable injectables’.

‘What is important here is that it reflects how closely male facial changes are now noticed and discussed. Moments like this mirror what we see in clinic, where men are increasingly open to subtle lip enhancement that prioritises balance rather than obvious volume.’ 

Ryan Gosling 

Among the A-listers that have been rumoured to get cheek fillers is Ryan Gosling – with the speculation following him into 2026. 

During a recent appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, the Hollywood hunk surprised his wife Eva Mendes with an on-air celebration for her 52nd birthday. 

The internet’s boyfriend was showered with praise for the romantic gesture, but some fans also noticed Gosling’s face looked more plump and full. 

Fans suggested he may have opted for cheek fillers to counteract the effects of weight loss, with one X user writing: ‘It’s starting to look a little overdone.’

Others said that getting fillers is ‘normal in Hollywood’ and urged people to ‘stop hating’. 

Ryan Gosling is currently riding high on the success of his new film Hail Mary after it earned rave reviews from critics. 

Daniel Craig  

American plastic surgeon Dr Gary Motykie previously told the Daily Mail that Daniel Craig may have opted for fillers to counteract the effects of extreme weight loss programs during his time playing James Bond. 

Craig, now 58, reportedly underwent gruelling training while shooting for the Bond films, as experts suggested this would have caused a permanent loss of volume in his face. 

Dr Motykie said he likely received fillers to combat this and give himself a ‘fuller’ facial appearance.

‘Daniel Craig did start to look a bit gaunt in his 40s and upwards,’ he said, ‘when you lose all that weight it really shows up in the face’. However, Dr Motykie points out that, from around 2018 onwards, Craig’s face seemed to miraculously balloon in the cheek area.

Fillers can initially cause a ‘puffy’ and ‘fuller’ face, the surgeon said, because they suck in fluid from surrounding tissue that collects in the face.

This eases within a few days to weeks as the body redistributes the fluid and inflammation declines, but there is a lag-time where the face appears ‘poofy’.

Many stars hide away during this period, Dr Motykie said, but some can have their ‘hand caught in the cookie jar’ if they step out in public too early.

 Zac Efron 

The High School Musical star is no stranger to speculation about his changing appearance.

In 2021, Zac Efron suddenly debuted a new jawline, which he said was because of reconstructive surgery following a nasty fall that had ‘shattered his jaw’. In late 2023, he also appeared with a puffier face.

Dr Motykie said it was almost certain that Efron had received fillers in his face – possibly to replace volume lost from diets aimed to reduce fat.

But the plastic surgeon said it was also possible that the star’s puffier appearance could be linked to hormone or testosterone shots, which the star is also speculated to have used.

‘It may be that he lost the weight and then tried to put it back’ said Dr Motykie, ‘but could not regain volume in his face’.

Zac has faced repeated speculation about plastic surgery after he appeared with an altered jawline, but he has denied all the suggestions.

Last November, the 38-year-old actor sent his fans into meltdown when they noticed his face had seemingly changed again. 

Seen cheering for his younger brother Dylan during an episode of Dancing with the Stars (or the American version of Strictly), Zac looked noticeably like his old, teen heartthrob self. 

‘Oh wow, Zac Efron is back,’ one fan announced, while another added: ‘I don’t know what he did, but his face doesn’t look as botoxy tonight – he looks great.’

 David Beckham 

David Beckham, 50, was the pretty boy of soccer, known for his angular jaw and sharp cheekbones.

But in 2023, he appeared at the UK premiere of the movie ‘Beckham’ modeling a much fuller face.

Dr Motykie said his face may have thinned out as a result of losing weight for his copious fashion shoots – with the star then turning to filler to regain volume. 

The Manchester United legend has never addressed plastic surgery speculation.