A woman who claims to have undergone more than 20 cosmetic procedures to transform her prominent teeth and wide nose has revealed she has no regrets.
Airi Hirase from Ibaraki, Japan, spent tens of thousands of dollars over eight years in an attempt to improve her appearance and “improve my life.”
Inspired to change her appearance after being bullied as a child, the 27-year-old says she has undergone facial surgery and also breast enhancements.
She claimed other children made fun of her for her buck teeth and wide nose and was even criticised by her own mother, who thought the influencer resembled her absent father who had left the family in debt.
Doctors have long warned Britons considering multiple procedures to radically change their appearance to think twice.
Airi Hirase from Ibaraki, Japan, spent tens of thousands of dollars over eight years in an attempt to improve her figure and “improve my life.”
Inspired to change her appearance after being bullied as a child, the 27-year-old says she has undergone facial surgery and breast enhancements.
While some procedures can be combined, complications can include deep vein thrombosis, pneumonia, or fatal blood clots.
Ms Hirase, who underwent her first procedure at 19, said her teenage years left her feeling suicidal and dreaming of having enough money to transform her appearance.
Her dramatic makeover has earned her more than a million followers on Instagram.
She has also appeared on local television shows and magazines.
Ms Hirase said: ‘For eight years, from the age of 16, I worked as a transporter and security guard, working without sleep, being harassed, being pushed off a ladder, working in the middle of summer without being allowed to drink water and holding back the urge to vomit.
Her dramatic makeover has earned her more than a million followers on Instagram.
‘But I worked every day, living in a one-bedroom apartment with rent of 23,000 yen (£120) and eating simple meals before eventually saving 10 million yen (£52,000).
‘Thanks to this experience I can overcome anything.
“I suffered a lot but I always remained focused and determined to improve my life.”
She claimed that it has already happened 26 million yen (£135,000) on facial surgery and breast enhancements, but has not disclosed which treatments.
Speaking to local media, she admitted she still occasionally struggles with her self-confidence, but feels she has “a new identity.”
Ms Hirase said: ‘I will never act like my mother. I will give my children lots of love and attention. Now that my outward appearance is different, I feel like I can finally forget my past and move on.
‘I know people say beauty is skin deep, but my appearance was always a reminder of the pain I had suffered in the past.
‘Now it is no longer a memory of those times, I feel like I can think about my future.
‘I have a new identity.’
For decades, doctors have warned Britons against opting to undergo multiple procedures at once or total body checks.
She claimed other children made fun of her for her buck teeth and wide nose and was even criticised by her own mother, who thought the influencer resembled her absent father who had left the family in debt.
Ms Hirase, who underwent her first procedure at 19, said her teenage years left her feeling suicidal and dreaming of having enough money to transform her appearance.
According to Adam Searle, consultant plastic surgeon and former president of the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (BAAPS), “there is a real danger associated with having too many procedures at once.”
He added: ‘This includes an increased risk of infection and longer time under anaesthesia.
‘Fortunately, while people may enjoy the voyeurism of total transformations on television, most don’t want that for themselves.
‘It takes great skill on the part of surgeons to achieve subtle touch-ups that look natural.’
Doctors have also warned Britons considering travelling abroad for cheap breast enlargements, buttock lifts and other procedures to think twice.
Standards are noticeably more lax than on the NHS and campaigners say aftercare can be non-existent.
She claimed she has already spent 26 million yen (£135,000) on facial surgery and breast enhancements, but has not disclosed which treatments.
Speaking to local media, she admitted she still occasionally struggles with her self-confidence, but felt she had “a new identity”.
An audit by BAAPS last year also found that 324 Britons needed medical treatment or corrective surgery after undergoing cosmetic surgery abroad, with Turkey accounting for the largest proportion.
The figure has risen by 94 per cent in three years, the organisation said, as increasing numbers of Britons seek to become more like their celebrity idols.
BAAPS estimates that the average cost to the health service of treating an affected Briton abroad is around £15,000, bringing the total bill since 2018 to around £4.8m.
This bill represents the cost of resources such as drugs and dressings, as well as the time surgeons and other NHS staff must spend on such cases.
While the £15,000 figure is an average, surgeons have previously told this website that the most serious cases can cost the taxpayer more than £100,000.