Karamo Brown, the 45-year-old Queer Eye star, says a 2021 buccal fat removal procedure triggered years of chronic pain, swelling, and complications tied to scar tissue and blocked saliva glands—pain he kept private while online speculation swirled.
Karamo Brown didn’t expect a change he was chasing to turn into a long, punishing reality.
In a new People cover story. the 45-year-old Queer Eye star revealed that a 2021 buccal fat removal procedure set off years of chronic pain. swelling. and complications linked to scar tissue and blocked saliva glands. While he faced constant commentary about his appearance. he said he kept his struggles to himself for years—until the physical toll became impossible to manage.
“For years, people have been like, ‘Karamo‘s had plastic surgery. He has so much filler in his face,’” Brown shared. “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 decided to undergo the cosmetic procedure after gaining about 70 pounds during the COVID-19 pandemic and feeling self-conscious about how he looked. “I was a big boy. and everyone online liked to tell me how much of a big boy I was. ” he said. “So. I was like. ‘Okay. maybe if I slim out my face. I’ll be cute.’ It turned into a year-and-a-half of pain.”.
As the procedure healed, he says scar tissue formed in his cheeks and interfered with saliva drainage. The result was painful swelling—so noticeable that even moments like smiling became complicated. “There’d be times you’d see me smile, and it was tight,” he says. “My cheeks would be big because they were full of saliva, full of scar tissue. I was in the worst pain.”.
When he launched The Karamo Show in 2022, he said the symptoms became especially hard to handle during production. He described filming demanding schedules—sometimes “shoot six episodes a day”—followed by times when his mouth would feel both dry and swollen. “There would be times when I was filming that my mouth ‘would get so dry and it would be so swollen. ‘” he said.
After that. he worked to lose 70 pounds during season two. telling People that slimming down made the scar issue less visible. “The scar tissue and the saliva were still there. but because I was skinnier. it looked kind of normal. ” he says. He added that he stopped eating at points because it helped him feel less burdened by the scar tissue.
Now. Brown says he’s speaking out because he wants to help others who might be living through the same kind of pain in silence. “I know there’s other people suffering with their chronic pain,” he says. “I was fortunate enough to have the resources to find somebody who could help me. but I want to tell people that you don’t have to suffer alone. I wish I would have told people what I was going through and not allowed myself to just stay quiet.”.
During the same interview, Brown also addressed the Queer Eye drama and allegations of bad behavior on set.
Karamo Brown Queer Eye The Karamo Show People cover story buccal fat removal chronic pain scar tissue blocked saliva glands COVID-19 weight gain celebrity health