Zac Efron unrecognizable: cosmetic surgery or another reason?

In 2006, a very young Zac Efron stepped into the shoes of Troy Bolton in the popular Disney show 'High School Musical'. He was just 18 years old and possessed everything to succeed: acting and singing talent, looks, and likeability.

If there's one thing that strikes Zac Efron at first glance, it's his physique: spectacular blue eyes and an interesting hairstyle that, over time, has evolved.

And it was not only his hairdo that changed over time. Zac Efron went from a frail teenager to one of the most muscular actors in Hollywood!

In the film adaptation of the television series ' Baywatch', the young actor stood without shame next to tough guys like Dwayne Johnson ('The Rock') and David Hasselhoff.

His workouts, strict diet, and body worship have earned Zac Efron some criticism. But that was nothing compared to what people have been saying about his face.

It is undeniable that Zac Efron's face is no longer the same as it was in 2008. His cheekbones, forehead, and chin look different.

Some say he has the appearance of an anime villain, even though he hasn't lost any of his personality.

Compared to the boy in this photo, present-day Zac Efron's face has a more square shape. It caused fans and media to circulate rumors: Did Zac Efron get cosmetic surgery?

In 2022 the actor told 'Men's Health', that he had indeed undergone surgery... However, it's not the kind of surgery we had imagined!

Zac Efron told the magazine that he was the victim of a serious domestic accident. He was walking around the house in socks and slipped. In his fall, he hit his face hard on the edge of a fountain and lost consciousness.

It was not the only injury he had had in the previous one and a half years. The actor also suffered a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament, a dislocated shoulder, a broken wrist, and a back injury.

Yet, it was the blow he received in the face that undoubtedly marked him the most. As he told 'Men's Health,' his chin bone was "hanging off his face."

After undergoing surgery, Zac Efron recalls having to undergo a long and complicated facial physiotherapy program to recover from his injury. He had to work hard on it every day.

However, in April 2021, the actor was in Australia promoting Bill Nye's 'Earth Day Musical' and he forgot to do his physiotherapy exercises. Apparently, this break in his routine had grave consequences for his face.

The masseter muscles, the ligaments responsible for chewing, developed in an unexpected way. They became very big and the actor's face changed dramatically.

Why did these muscles become bigger? Zac Efron explains that all facial muscles work together, like a symphony. So when the other ligaments were not entirely healthy and the actor stopped his physiotherapy, the masseter had to grow to compensate.

Zac Efron didn't realize that there was a debate about his jawline until his own mother called him to ask the big question: "Zac, son, did you get a jaw job? Or some other operation in your face?"

Whatever people say, Zac Efron continues his life as usual. He says: "If I valued what other people thought of me to the extent that they may think I do, I definitely wouldn’t be able to do this work."