15 People Who Transformed So Strikingly, They Truly Need a New Passport

Some people change to rediscover their happiness and rebuild self-confidence, while others do so because life has pushed them to start over. A painful divorce, a serious medical procedure, or a difficult adolescence — each person in our selection had their own reason for transforming. Yet the outcome is the same: when you look at their photos, it’s hard to believe they’re the same people.

1. “As my five kids got older (yes, five!), I realized they needed a mom who actually took care of herself — a mom who KNEW herself. So over the last couple years, I finally did the work for ME.”

“I left a marriage, lost the weight, had skin-removal surgery, faced my trauma, started EMDR therapy, and began learning who I really am for the first time. After a lifetime of feeling discouraged and disappointed in myself... I’m can now say I am so proud of myself!”

2. “17 and 23. This is how far self-care can take you.”

3. “On the left, I’m 18, on the right — 25. Sometimes I look in the mirror and it seems like nothing has changed.”

• How do you not see a difference?! You lost a whole person, and you look great. © Phule***z / Reddit

4. “On the left I’m 19, here’s how I’ve changed over 9 years.”

• Save some women for the rest of us please. Thanks. © Successful-Bed-6835 / Reddit

5. “I didn’t want to spend the rest of my life waiting for ’something to suddenly change by itself.’ So I started doing something.”

6. “Even my family doesn’t recognize me these days, it’s nice.”

7. From 13 to 25.

8. Almost cinematic transformation.

9. “11 weeks post-op from DJS and genioplasty. My sleep apnea is gone. I went from ~4 hours of crappy, interrupted, light sleep a night to 7-8 hours of deep restful sleep. I can breathe through my nose.”

“I love the way I look, the surgery changed my face and profile but even made my nose look better and my skin look younger. I feel awesome.”

• You look 15 years younger. © Unknown author / Reddit

10. It’s only been 3 years, but wow!

11. “I owe a lot to contacts, braces, filling in my eyebrows, and my hairline somehow growing forward.”

12. “My teeth straightened themselves!”

13. “Yes, I’m posting this to boost my ego. In the photos, I’m 12 and 21.”

14. “This is a photo of my wife and it’s the best transformation I’ve ever seen. But I’m totally biased.”

Be sure to explore our other article featuring people who changed so drastically, they’re hardly recognizable.