Bristol Palin reveals plan to fix facial paralysis after more than one year with mystery condition

Bristol Palin is considering plastic surgery to remedy her facial paralysis, more than one year after developing the mystery condition.

The 35-year-old daughter of politician Sarah Palin took to Instagram on Monday to update her followers in a brief video.

'I’m going to have a consultation today with a plastic surgeon in Austin,' she revealed via Instagram Stories.

'I’ve read that she specializes in facial paralysis type stuff so we’ll see what she says.'

She pointed out her right eye in particular, explaining, 'When I smile or when I’m expressive, it closes. I don’t really care about my crooked mouth, but my eye… [it's] so embarrassing to me. I feel like I should wear an eyepatch or something.'

Palin added, 'It looks crazy, and I just feel like I can’t even smile because it just closes.'

Taking a hopeful outlook, she said, 'So we’ll see. Maybe there’s some options. Maybe she can help with this eye or just the overall symmetry.'

A few hours later the media personality told her followers in a follow-up clip that her 'appointment went well' and said she would share an update soon. 

Palin has previously turned to acupuncture in an effort to balance her face.

She shared an update in January, saying, 'If anyone's wondering, today's day 323 of my face being paralyzed.'

'Not looking great,' she said before removing her tortoiseshell aviator sunglasses to give viewers a clear look at her visage.

She then raised an eyebrow, demonstrating the asymmetry of her face as one side didn't budge and explained there was not 'a whole lot of movement.'

Pointing to the right side of her face, she said, 'This eye... I will eventually get Botox in it. It just gets so small when I smile or when I'm expressive at all.' 

She reasoned that the state of her face 'could be worse, could be better,' but 'at least I've got cute sunglasses.'

Palin previously gave fans an update on Thanksgiving, simply noting that she 'still' had a 'crooked face.'

The Dancing With The Stars alum initially revealed her frozen face condition in January 2025.

And in mid July she posted photos of her lopsided mug and took questions from curious online fans. 

She said to one social media follower, 'I woke up and it was paralyzed, completely out of the blue - no warning, wasn't sick, didn't get the v@x, no recent Botox... just paralyzed.' 

Another person asked how she was handling the situation on an emotional level, to which Palin replied, 'I feel like I’m handling it well. I can’t look at pictures of myself right now.'

She estimated her face was 'probably like 70% back to normal' at the time.

In January 2025 the star said her doctor believed she has a case of Bell's palsy — which is temporary paralysis or weakness of the facial muscles — as the tests she'd undergone had turned up 'nothing.'