Martha Stewart Reveals the One Time She Let a Surgeon Touch Her Face — And Insists It’s Not Plastic Surgery

Martha Stewart is setting the record straight on persistent plastic surgery rumors that have followed her for years. The 84-year-old lifestyle guru is currently busy promoting her new skincare line, Elm Biosciences, and she is using the opportunity to field questions about how she keeps her complexion looking so youthful.

Everybody insists that I’ve had plastic surgery and I have not ever had plastic surgery, she told People in a new exclusive interview published on January 23, I’m the most honest person on earth — but if they won’t take my word for it, I don’t know. How can they not take my word for it? That’s the truth!

While she is firm about never having a traditional facelift or major surgery, the best-selling author does admit that a plastic surgeon once performed reparative work on her face. The incident happened almost 10 years ago after she was injured by one of her dogs, though she told the outlet she doesn’t consider that to be the same thing as a cosmetic procedure.

Recalling the accident, Stewart explained that she had leaned down to kiss her beloved French bulldogs goodbye when one of them got spooked and bolted up. The dog didn’t bite her, but the impact was severe enough to cause a significant injury that required immediate medical attention.

She didn’t bite me. She bashed my lip into my tooth and split it from my lip almost all the way to my nose and blood started gushing out all over the dog, Stewart explained. The injury was so bad that she was forced to miss an appearance on Today, which she noted was the only time she has ever missed a scheduled event in her long career.

After being driven to the hospital through a snowstorm, she requested a plastic surgeon specifically to ensure the best possible healing for her face. I get to the hospital and I think they did 16 stitches in my lip. I can’t call that plastic surgery, that is a repair, she stated. It’s a terrible, terrible, terrible split lip… you cannot see. I healed so well. That is the extent of a plastic surgeon working on my face.

Aside from her recent skincare launch, Stewart is starting 2026 with a packed schedule of new business ventures and home inspiration. She is currently celebrating “Dry January” and recently told TMZ that she is feeling excellent as she rings in the new year booze-free. Her lifestyle brand also just announced a new collaboration for 2026 centered on antique home updates and refined black-and-gold interior design trends.

Foodies have even more to look forward to this spring, as Stewart is set to open her second restaurant, and her first on the East Coast, on March 14. Titled The Bedford by Martha Stewart, the eatery will be located at Foxwoods Resort Casino in Connecticut and is inspired by her actual New York farmhouse. The menu is expected to feature elevated comfort food classics like her famous smashed baked potatoes and herb-roasted chicken.

On the retail front, her modern farmhouse furniture line is currently seeing a massive surge in popularity, with several pieces recently going on sale at Wayfair for the new year. She also remains active on her personal blog, sharing winter chores from her farm and updates on her recently rescued Friesian horses, Ulysses and Stewart. Whether she is opening a new restaurant or launching a biotech-backed night cream, the 84-year-old mogul shows no signs of slowing down.

Do you think Martha Stewart’s “honesty” about her lip repair and her use of high-end skincare is enough to explain her ageless glow, or do you still find the plastic surgery rumors hard to ignore? Share your thoughts in the comments.