Tarek El Moussa is keeping it honest when it comes to aging and cosmetic work.
While reflecting on his 43rd birthday—which is Aug. 21—the Flipping El Moussas star opened up about getting a little help to maintain a more youthful appearance in an Instagram post shared on Tuesday, Aug. 28.
“OMG I still can’t believe I’m 43!!! Huge shoutout to whoever created Botox! 🤣🤣🤣” he began in the caption before recounting his celebratory birthday weekend in Tampa, FL, which he shared with his wife, Heather El Moussa. “The trip was the perfect blend of business and pleasure – exactly what we needed! From sunny adventures to unforgettable moments, it was a birthday to remember.”
He then concluded the post by thanking his followers for “all the amazing birthday wishes,” adding, “I appreciate all of you ❤️”
In February 2024, Tarek—who shares kids Taylor, 13, and Brayden, 9, with ex Christina Hall, as well as 18-month-old son Tristan with Heather—took a deep dive into his past challenges, including steroid addiction, in his tell-all memoir, Flip Your Life.
In the book, he opens up about experiencing a series of painful episodes back to back, including being diagnosed with thyroid cancer in 2013, followed by a testicular cancer diagnosis shortly after.
“I got back surgery, and I went from 230 pounds to 168 pounds. So, I had the cancer, and then I got the second cancer. And then four months after I recovered from the second cancer, I hurt my back. I lost 60 pounds. I was on Vicodin every day, my hormones are off, I’m on pain meds and narcotics and I’m filming and working. It’s wild. It was a horrifying experience,” he shared with Dr. Drew Pinsky on the Dr. Drew podcast in 2018.
Thanks to several surgeries and radioactive iodine therapy, the HGTV star was able to beat both cancers. Earlier this year, Tarek shared that he’s been in the gym “almost every day” since starting his wellness journey.
“I was an overweight, chain-smoking alcoholic, who was always stressed!” he recalled in a May Instagram post. “It doesn’t matter how tired you are or how beat up you are or how drained you are. We can all come back to feeling like we are in the best shape of our life!”