Many of us first got to know Cardi B during Season Six of “Love and Hip Hop: New York,” but she was already making waves as an internet sensation. By the time she appeared on reality TV, the dancer-turned-rapper had already made a few physical changes. Over the years, she’s completely transformed her look from head to toe. Unlike many celebrities, Cardi is refreshingly honest about the procedures she’s had and the complications she’s faced. Today, we’re diving into how she “got a bag and fixed her teeth, wagon, chest, puppies, stomach, thighs,” and more.
“When people say, ‘Oh my gosh, Cardi, I miss your teeth, I miss your old teeth,’ you and my teeth were never f***ing friends. What are you talking about? Like you personally knew my teeth. What are you saying?”
Growing Up
Growing up in the Bronx, Cardi felt like “every single girl was built like a brick house except for her.” Naturally slim, she didn’t have much up top or in the back, which led to boys teasing her about her body. These comments made her feel unattractive and underdeveloped. It wasn’t just her body that got criticized. The Trini and Dominican rapper shared with Interview magazine that many Dominicans have “soft, pretty, curly hair,” but since she didn’t know how to care for her hair, it often looked dry and brittle from dyeing. People would tell her it was “too crunchy,” and boys would ask, “If you’re Dominican, why is your hair so nappy?” These experiences really affected her self-esteem.
When she started dancing in strip clubs, she saved up enough money to make changes that would silence her critics. At 18, she got breast enhancements, which made her happy for a while. Eventually, she turned her attention to enhancing her backside.
The Procedure
At 20, she started working at an urban strip club where many of the dancers had curvy figures. She noticed she wasn’t making as much money as the other women with bigger behinds. “I had amazing tattoos, could do crazy pole tricks, but I was missing the curves. In my culture, they celebrate women with thick thighs and curvy figures. It was tough to walk around with a flat butt. Some people are happy with it, and that’s great, but that just wasn’t me when I was young. So, I did what I had to do.”
Things got worse when her boyfriend at the time cheated on her with a woman who had a fuller figure. Eventually, Cardi decided that getting a more shapely figure would boost her confidence and help her earn more money. She didn’t have enough body fat for a fat transfer, so she paid a woman in Queens named Donna Francis $800 for illegal silicone injections in her butt and thighs. Cardi recalled feeling extremely nauseous and having difficulty breathing during the procedure. She told GQ Magazine, “They don’t numb you or anything. It was the craziest pain ever. I felt like I was going to pass out, I felt dizzy, and it leaked for like five days.” Cardi was fortunate to make it out of there alive.
The Hidden Dangers of Black Market Injections
Those of you who watched the K. Michelle video know that Donna spent a year behind bars after one of her patients died in the basement from illegal injections. And Donna isn’t the only one putting lives at risk with illegal procedures. In South Florida, Oneal Ron Morris was convicted of injecting patients with a mix of cement, mineral oil, and Fix-A-Flat. She even sealed the injections with super glue and cotton balls. Oneal served a year in prison, but upon release, she resumed her dangerous activities. This led to the death of a 31-year-old woman named Shatarka Nuby. Oneal pleaded guilty to manslaughter and is now serving a 10-year sentence. These are just a few of the many stories that have made headlines. Despite the well-known risks and complications, people still turn to black market injections, often drawn by the initial results.
Cardi B opened up to Interview Magazine about feeling super confident with her new figure. After leaving “Love and Hip Hop” following Season Seven, her music career took off, keeping her busy with performances and collaborations worldwide. In 2018, she had her daughter, Kulture, and mentioned during an Instagram Live session that she was considering liposuction to get rid of post-baby love handles. Celebrities face immense pressure to quickly bounce back after childbirth, creating unrealistic and unsafe expectations for women. A doctor advised Cardi, through the New York Post, to give herself time, saying, “It takes nine months to make a baby. Practice gratitude for what your body has done.” But Cardi felt the pressure to get back in shape quickly, citing her busy schedule and the need to look stage-ready for her career.
Back on Stage
In 2019, Cardi B decided to enhance her appearance with a breast augmentation and later liposuction. Despite doctors advising her to take a few weeks off to heal, Cardi hit the stage shortly after, performing at major events like Rolling Loud in Miami and a Fashion Nova party. During a May 2019 concert in Memphis, she candidly told the audience she should have canceled her performance because moving around could disrupt her recovery. Nonetheless, she put on an incredible show. Just two weeks later, she had to cancel her Memorial Day Weekend performance in Maryland. Sources revealed that her doctors insisted she rest to reduce the swelling from her surgeries. Cardi even posted a picture of her swollen feet, mentioning that her stomach was even more swollen and caused a burning sensation whenever it swelled up.
No More Surgery
The next month, Cardi tweeted that she was working out to avoid future surgeries. However, she still wasn’t satisfied with her nose and decided to try non-invasive nose fillers she saw on Instagram in 2019. Unfortunately, the fillers made her nose look longer and wider, causing her to panic. Luckily, at an event at Kris Jenner’s house, Kim Kardashian recommended some doctors, and Cardi finally underwent a rhinoplasty in 2020.
In June 2021, Cardi B announced that she and her husband Offset were expecting their second child. As her due date approached, she went on Instagram Live, saying, “I’m ready to give birth, I’m ready, I’m ready. And I’m ready to get some surgery too. Y’all know I love me some surgery. I hate that I gotta sit down and wait like six months to get surgery. I want some surgery, oh my gosh.” They welcomed their son Wave in September 2021. A month later, Cardi was spotted at Paris Fashion Week, and her followers noticed she looked a bit different. Many speculated she had more work done on her lower half, but Cardi assured everyone she hadn’t and was being patient with her body this time.
After a three-year break from surgeries, Cardi was itching to get more work done. In a June 2022 Instagram story, she complained about the extra loose skin on her stomach and mentioned wanting a tummy tuck. Fans weren’t happy, especially since she barely had any noticeable rolls. One fan even wrote, “Somebody please stop Cardi B from getting any more surgery.” Cardi later told Jason Lee she would do whatever she wanted with her body because she liked looking perfect. Two months later, she had another procedure, but not the tummy tuck she initially wanted. After gaining 20 pounds during her second pregnancy, her butt naturally got bigger. Her enhanced curves, combined with previous illegal injections, made her figure stand out even more, so she had 95 percent of those illegal injections removed. As of January 2023, Cardi says she’s done with plastic surgery because she thinks she looks great now.