Backstreet Boys’ AJ McLean ‘Felt Like’ He Was 30 Again After Getting Lipo

AJ McLean recently underwent liposuction that left him feeling like a new man.

“Genetically in my family, we all have extra skin on our necks, [and] for years, I was insecure,” McLean, 46, said during the Thursday, April 4, episode of Amy Robach and T.J. Holmes’ eponymous podcast. “Because even when I would go back and forth with my weight, I always had a big beard because I was so insecure about [my neck].”

During the Backstreet Boys singer’s turn on Secret Celebrity Drag Race in December 2022, makeup artists introduced him to the concept of “taping” to create a more enhanced jawline.

“When I saw what I looked like with a jawline, I got emotional and I found an amazing doctor and I went and I had lipo and face tightening on that area,” McLean said. “After all the healing was done, mixed with having my freaking six-pack back, which I haven’t seen in a long time, I felt like I was 30 years old. And I just kept going.”

McLean has lost more than 35 pounds, which he partially credited to his sobriety. The singer also overhauled his fitness and diet.

“I’m in the gym six times a week and trying to eat as healthy as I can,” McLean added. “Traveling is hard [during tours] but the fast food is definitely out. I’m trying to give myself one exemption which is when I come home from being on the road from however long … my celebratory [meal] is always McDonald’s.”

Aside from his post-tour McDonald’s meal, McLean tries to eat “very healthy.”

McLean noted that his wellness journey began when he participated on Dancing With the Stars in 2020.

“I’ve been on a real big health kick since I did Dancing With the Stars. Of course, a lot of that was stress,” he added on Thursday. “Trying to keep up with that show was a lot but it was an incredible experience. So, I started on my health journey then. Since then, I’ve lost about 35 pounds — sobriety also helps. I eat very healthy now. I’ve never ate this healthy in my life.”

McLean previously told Us Weekly in October 2020 that he lost nearly “a pound a week” during the ballroom competition.

“I don’t think people understand though how many calories [you burn],” his pro partner, Cheryl Burke, chimed in at the time. “It’s not just you running on a treadmill [while training], so you end up burning way more calories than if you were just running on a treadmill or at the gym.”