Lovely Charlize Theron tried to cover up a small bandage across her throat on Friday.

The actress probably figured her short Stella McCartney design would do the job nicely atVariety‘s fifth annual Power of Women event in Beverly Hills.

But at one point, the neckline of the white dress dropped down a bit to show she had recent surgery, reports People.com.

Turns out the actress, 38, who is mom to 22-month-old son Jackson, had “a small procedure” on her neck to correct vertebrae she had broken years ago, according to the site, USA Today informs.