Exclusive: Why The Talk's Julie Chen Has No Regrets About Her Cosmetic Surgery

I was raised to believe in myself based on what I could do with my brain, not my looks. That's why initially I was surprised to hear the agent recommend the surgery. I felt naive. After much thought and discussing it with my parents, I made the decision to do it.

I didn’t feel unattractive before I got it done. I wasn’t a beauty queen, but I wasn’t a horror show either. I got the surgery not to look better, but to look more interested and engaged when I’m interviewing someone on TV. The benefit was that I did look better, at least by societal standards.

But what I really learned from it is that confidence and a winning personality are always attractive, and now I’m happier and more comfortable with how I look—for a number of reasons. One, I’m more mature, so I’m more comfortable in my own skin. The only thing I don’t like is the sunspots on my cheeks. I think, "I should have worn that sunscreen when I was younger!" I want smooth, even skin—the same pigmentation throughout. I've also noticed that as I've gotten older, my eyebrows have begun thinning, and I can't say I'm a fan of that.

Oddly enough, when I look at pictures of myself without makeup on, I always think I look better than I thought I did. When I go out without makeup on, I feel confident about it now. I’ll Instagram pictures without makeup, whereas eight years ago, I would never have dreamed of that. But now I actually kind of like the way I look without makeup better.

To this day, I have no regrets about the surgery. I don't live my life with regrets. I stand by my decisions and any bad ones I have made, I learn from them. The surgery doesn't define who I am; it's just a chapter in my life. It didn't change who I am or how I live. I don't look in the mirror and see a different person who I don't recognize. I'm just me—and I feel good about that.

—As told to Jessica Radloff

The seventh season of The Talk just kicked off on CBS. Tune in to see hosts Julie Chen, Aisha Tyler, Sharon Osbourne, Sara Gilbert, and Sheryl Underwood discuss more deeply personal stories.