Though many couldn’t see Carrie Underwood’s potential when she was younger, her now-famous face is easily recognizable in old photos. In a yearbook photo from Underwood’s senior days at Checotah High School in Checotah, Oklahoma, the singer still has the same Barbie blonde hair and infectious smile we know today.
The country star has hardly changed, but that hasn’t come without effort. The mom of two is committed to working out and staying fit, telling Women’s Health, “My self-care is my gym time,” and, “Physical fitness makes everything else possible.” She also told the magazine in a video interview that she got secret braces that she wore even while on red carpets, though no one seemed to notice. Underwood explained that she had stopped wearing her retainer after having braces as a teenager, leading to inevitable teeth shifting.
Over the years, and despite a widely-publicized face injury in 2017 (per Redbook), Underwood’s looks haven’t changed much. But in many ways, she’s a totally different person, living a totally different life from her Oklahoma upbringing — and surely her old teachers and classmates have stopped doubting her by now.
