The One Cosmetic Procedure Simone Biles Admits To Getting

Not even the greatest gymnast of all time is free of society's beauty pressure. In March 2024, Simone Biles got Botox for the first time, proving that no amount of gold medals can distract her from skin imperfections. But the natural consequences of time aren't the first cosmetic worries that Biles has faced. The physical traits that have helped Biles break all sorts of Olympic records and transform the sport were often at odds with beauty standards when she was growing up.

Biles experienced bullying from her male peers over her muscled physique. "Going to public school nobody really had a body build that I did, and I was a girl, so the guys would sometimes make fun of me," she told CNN in 2016. With maturity and hindsight on her side, Biles now sees their teasing was rooted in jealousy. But it affected her self-esteem. "I would always wear a jacket," she added.

With the help of gymnastics, Biles learned to love her body. "We wouldn't be able to do the things or achieve the things we did without our bodies so we're very grateful for them," she told CNN in 2017. She goes to great lengths to give her the care it deserves, which includes paying close attention to her mental health with the help of a therapist. "That helped me get in tune with myself," she told Health magazine (via Daily Mail). Despite the work she put into self-love and acceptance, Biles still isn't immune to self-criticism.

For her 27th birthday, Simone Biles treated herself to a low dose of the popular wrinkle-freezing injections, known as Baby Botox. She casually made the revelation while doing a makeup tutorial on TikTok ahead of the 2024 Paris Olympics all-around finals. But Biles was unhappy with how the drugs affected her facial mobility. "I would be, like, standing at practice, and then my eyebrow would slowly be going up," she shared.

Biles could feel the eyebrow movement, but she was unable to bring them back down. After a few moments, her brows would return to their natural position on their own. Thankfully, she eventually regained control of her muscles, but she hated how the temporary loss of her facial expressions made her feel. "Now I can do all the facials," she said, showing her eyebrows' full range of motion. "Not doing that again." Her fans praised the honesty she has with them. "You are so real being open about Botox," one user wrote.

Biles may have felt that she might benefit from Botox, but that doesn't mean she isn't confident enough to show off her natural skin. While most commonly seen in glamorous, shimmery gymnast looks, Biles also embraces how she looks without makeup. "No makeup no nothing goodnight world," she captioned a 2017 Instagram post. More recently, she posted a makeup-free selfie to showcase how the Texas home she's building is turning out. Botox or not, Biles has proved she is comfortable in her own skin.

Just because Simone Biles has embraced her unique beauty doesn't mean she isn't subjected to unsolicited opinions. Over the years, the gymnastics legend has faced criticism over what some see as unkempt hair. "Most of the backlash we get is from our own community, which is unfortunate," she told Elle in July 2024. "I don't really care if my edges aren't smooth." Even if keeping up with her hair was never a priority, she still felt self-conscious. "I used to worry about [my hair being considered] not professional," she said.

But she learned to tune out the worries. "I'm not embarrassed about it anymore," she said. Part of the reason is that Biles' parents didn't focus on hair. "Nobody taught me [how to do my hair]," she said. "I always went to the professionals." As a result, she has always relied on others for everything hair-related. Luckily, she had fellow gymnast Jordan Chiles (seen above) at the 2024 Olympics. "We can all go to her for braids," she added.

Still, Biles sometimes feels the need to explain herself whenever she feels her hair isn't looking its best. While riding the bus amid heat warnings during the Olympics, she warned naysayers to keep their thoughts to themselves. "Don't come for me about my hair. IT WAS DONE but bus has NO AC & it's like 9,000 degrees ... oh & a 45 min ride," she said in an Instagram Story (via ABC News).