Elon Musk’s change in appearance in a video flirting with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has shocked cosmetic experts. The tech billionaire is considered sharper and fresher at 53, but his mental state seems unstable.

Appearance upgrade

On September 23, Elon Musk attended the Atlantic Council’s Global Citizen Awards dinner at the Ziegfeld Ballroom in the Midtown Manhattan neighborhood of Manhattan, New York, USA.

After the event, the tech billionaire not only caused a stir online with a moment he was said to be flirting with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, but also attracted the attention of cosmetic experts because his appearance had changed significantly compared to before.

Elon Musk caused a stir online with a moment of “flirting” with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, and was also noticed for his handsome appearance. Photo: Shutterstock.

Experts agree that Elon Musk looks better at 53. The unkempt beard, messy hair, tired face and overweight body that people have often seen in recent years.

“He looks good. He’s more toned and fresh, his body lean and toned. His face doesn’t look gaunt though, it looks more defined. I know he’s admitted to taking semaglutide. I think that’s why he’s lost so much fat, but he works out a lot and has a personal trainer. He’s also very particular about his diet and exercise,” Dr. Jordan Terner, a plastic surgeon in New York, told the Daily Mail .

In 2023, the Tesla boss revealed that he was taking weight loss pills. He shared with his fans that he lost about 13.6 kg thanks to “fasting” and Wegovy.

Wegovy is known to use the active ingredient semaglutide to mimic the hormone GLP-1 to suppress appetite. Wegovy is approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for weight loss and the treatment of type 2 diabetes.

Dr. Smita Ramanadham, a plastic surgeon at SR Plastic Surgery in New Jersey, also agrees that Elon Musk looks better after losing weight.

“There is definitely weight loss. It is very possible that he is on some kind of maintenance dose of Wegovy. It could be a low dose or it could be every other week. But most people need some kind of maintenance dose to maintain weight loss. Exercise and a healthy lifestyle are absolutely necessary, otherwise the weight will come back… I think that once you lose weight, you have more energy and you can do your exercises and lift weights better. You are also more motivated to do so. So for Elon Musk, that is probably part of that change. I don’t think he’s continued to lose weight. It seems like he’s plateaued. He looks pretty fresh and fit,” she said.

However, according to Smita Ramanadham, Elon Musk’s transformation is not entirely natural. The female doctor believes that it is possible that the 7X billionaire has facial fillers or Botox to prevent aging.

Meanwhile, Dr. Terner believes that Elon Musk has resorted to more “dramatic” methods, such as facelift surgery, to correct a complication called “Ozempic face.” This occurs when drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy cause such rapid weight loss that the skin around the face loses its elasticity. Reality TV star Scott Disick is one of the most famous examples of this. Terner points out that Elon Musk’s mid-face looks tighter and taller than before, and his jawline is also more defined.

Many experts believe Elon Musk improved his appearance through weight loss and cosmetic surgery. Photo: Shutterstock.

Experts note that while it’s unclear how long Elon has been using Wegovy, it’s likely he’s still using the weight-loss product, at least in low-dose pills.

“Losing so much weight and in such a short period of time at his age is really hard to do with just diet and exercise. I think it’s a combination of diet, exercise, eating eight meals, conservative surgery, fillers, Botox,” Terner said.

Dr. Darrick Antell, a plastic surgeon in New York, suspects that Elon Musk has undergone a neck lift – a procedure designed specifically for men to reduce excess skin on the neck.

However, Adam Rubinstein, a plastic surgeon in Miami, Florida, USA, disagrees with his colleagues’ reasoning. He does not think any cosmetic surgery was performed.

“Musk looks like he has lost some volume in his face. That is consistent with weight loss,” the expert said.

Uncontrollable personality

While her beauty is considered to have “upgraded”, critics are concerned about her unstable mental state and many uncontrolled opinions on social networks.

In early September, after Donald Trump was assassinated for the second time, Elon Musk responded to questions about why people wanted Trump dead by turning the issue around and saying “no one is trying to assassinate Biden or Kamala.” The post was deleted later that day.

Elon also publicly called Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese a “fascist” for proposing laws to penalize social media companies for spreading misinformation.

Jonathan Hartley, a relationship coach in South Africa, told the Daily Mail that the paradox of better looks and worse personality is not uncommon. In Elon Musk’s case, it’s like watching someone polish the exterior of a Tesla while the battery is on fire.

“With high-profile individuals like Musk, there is often a complex interplay between appearance and mental state. Sometimes, the drive to improve physical appearance can actually be a coping mechanism for some kind of internal turmoil. So they try to control what they can on the outside when things seem chaotic on the inside,” the expert explains.

Elon Musk’s out-of-control social media statements have experts talking. Photo: Shutterstock.

Manuel Schlothauer, a therapist at the HeyManuel mental health centre in Ireland, says that physical transformation combined with increasingly radical public image is often seen in people under great pressure, such as celebrities who are in the spotlight.

Dr. Carole Lieberman, a forensic psychologist in Beverly Hills (California, USA), believes that Musk’s efforts to get in better shape may make him feel more confident in expressing himself.

However, the female expert also assessed that Musk may be showing signs of mania or bipolar disorder.

“Elon has admitted in the past that he may have had bipolar disorder, although he has said so superficially. When a person is in a manic phase, they often have chaotic thoughts expressed as a series of ideas, cannot sleep, and may overeat, rush. Their motor runs fast. This may cause him to express radical ideas outwardly,” Ms. Lieberman shared.

In addition, some experts believe that the increasingly extreme posts may be a side effect of long-term use of Wegovy. Some patients have reported psychotic behavior while taking the drug’s active ingredient, semaglutide, while others have reported hallucinations and suicidal thoughts.

Dr. Mena Mirhom, weight loss expert and associate professor of psychiatry at Columbia University Medical Center (USA), Elon Musk may have mood swings due to using Wegovy.

“Not everyone who loses a lot of weight or takes diet pills becomes more out of control, but there is a connection here that needs to be explored,” Mirhom says.

However, Dr. Ramanadham notes that the risk of behavioral problems or mood changes from diet pills is very rare.