Whether she's a bright blonde as she was on her 2022 wedding day, or she's sporting dark glossy hair like she did for her and Brooklyn Beckham's vow renewal last August, actress Nicola Peltz always looks beautiful.
Her husband is her biggest fan, frequently commenting adoring praise on her photos, and reposting them to his own account, showing his pride in his wife. The duo shared matching 'happy New Year' posts to celebrate the start of 2026, and Nicola appeared to have undergone a physical transformation – of the dental kind.
Nicola's transformation
While the actress has always had a beautiful, white smile, Nicola's teeth appear larger and straighter than before, suggesting she has had work done on her smile to enhance it.
© InstagramThe 30-year-old, who celebrates her birthday in January, now sports full buccal corridors, which means that when she smiles, at least eight teeth are on show. This look is sported by the likes of fellow actresses Julia Roberts and Margot Robbie – both known for their megawatt smiles, and full buccal corridors are believed to create the most appealing and youthful smile.
To achieve the look, Nicola could have opted for veneers or composite bonding - enhancements that create a uniform smile - done in a natural way, stopping them from looking false. We have reached out for dental confirmation.
© InstagramThough it might have seemed unnecessary to alter her smile when she was gorgeous as she was, neuroscientist Dr. Tara Swart explained that changing something about ourselves can truly make us happier – meaning Nicola's new teeth could be helping her feel positive during the drama with her in-laws.
Changing our appearance
When we change something about ourselves and like it, our brain releases a cocktail of happy chemicals, Dr. Tara told us, explaining that overhauling her own hair with extensions cheered her up.
© Instagram"I could feel dopamine, serotonin and oxytocin flooding into my brain when my new hair was unveiled," Dr. Tara said. "Dopamine is the reward hormone and it was created because I was getting something that I wanted (longer hair), so that was an immediate hit of happiness, and it definitely had an impact on my mood."
We don't need to undergo a dramatic transformation to generate happy hormones, though, Dr. Tara reassures. "Even if you just wear a new lipstick, when you look in the mirror, you see something that is a version of yourself that you really like. In response to liking what you see and feeling happy about it, the chemicals produced are dopamine, serotonin and oxytocin – creating a warm fuzzy feeling."
Here's hoping Nicola's fresh smile is easing any familial woes she is feeling.
Do the work on the inside, too
Dr. Tara does note that we must work on what's bothering us internally, to. "People often want to change themselves due to a lack of confidence, but when they make the exterior change they are disappointed when they don't feel different inside," Dr. Tara explains. "External changes don't solve the problem that was on the inside."
© Instagram"If you make a change on the outside, but still feel the same on the inside, it's called cognitive dissonance. This is because what's happening on the outside doesn't mirror what's happening on the inside and vice versa."
For example, you could look glossy and gorgeous on the outside but still feel a lack of happiness. "If you want to make the change for confidence reasons, you need to really think about how it's going to improve your confidence and work on that too."
