A WOMAN in her 40s spent £10k and flew 19 hours in economy for a facelift in Turkey – but trolls said she “looks years older”.
Jojo McGinniss, 45, began to notice small changes to her face and neck after hitting her 40s.
After spending around five years saving up over £10k, she booked a face lift, neck lift, 360 lipo and facial fat transferCredit: SWNS
In the days that followed, Jojo’s face was swollen and bruised, and she had to wear compression bandages all overCredit: SWNS
But despite forking out a fortune, trolls reckon the Aussie council admin worker ‘looks older’Credit: SWNS
The council admin worker, from Alberton, Adelaide, Australia, began researching procedures at different clinics, first in Australia and eventually one in because it worked out cheaper and seemed to be better quality.
After spending around five years saving up over £10k, she booked a deep plane , neck lift, temple lift, 360 and facial fat transfer.
She flew to Istanbul, Turkey ahead of the procedure on February 17, when she went under the knife for over EIGHT hours for one mammoth surgery.
In the days that followed, Jojo’s face was swollen and bruised, and she had to wear compression bandages all over.
She needed daily lymphatic massages, as well as having body drains in her stomach, back and neck.
A month on from the procedure, her swelling has mostly gone down – revealing Jojo’s new ‘more snatched’ appearance – only to be told by trolls that she looks “older” and should “sue the surgeon”.
But Jojo, who documents her journey @jojomcginniss, is thrilled with her new look and smoother neck – and says the high cost and extensive travelling was all worth it.
Jojo, who was accompanied to Turkey with partner Dave Pettman, 53, said: “I didn’t want a drastic change, I just wanted to look more refreshed and snatched.
“My biggest concern was my neck, and I knew it was the right decision for me, even though people told me I’m still young.
“I’m still swollen but I’ve bounced back well and I’m really happy with it.
“People say I look years older – or that I look exactly the same, but I have thick skin. It’s water off a duck’s back to me.”
Jojo began seriously considering a surgery aged 42, and finally booked the procedure aged 45 after years of research and online consultations.
She previously had a and an upper blepharoplasty to fix her hooded eyes, but both of those procedures had been in Australia.
This time, she opted to go to Turkey after finding a clinic and a surgeon online that she liked.
In total, the surgery cost £8,233 along with a further £2,231 for the flights for Jojo and David.
She said: “I still wanted to be me, that was my goal. I just wanted to look refreshed.
“Dave was fearful at first that I’d not look like myself any more.
“And beforehand, people told me ‘you’re beautiful as you are’, or say I’m still young and didn’t need it.”
After going under the knife, Jojo woke up bruised and bandaged, with drains in her from the liposuction.
The days that followed saw her have daily lymphatic massages to help with drainage, and regular changes to her bandages as her wounds on her face healed, as well as wearing a compression band on her face.
She said: “When I first saw myself after the surgery, all swollen, I was like ‘what the f**k?’
“But I knew it would only be temporary.”
Back in Australia, she still needs twice-weekly lymphatic massages to her body and face to avoid lumps forming.
The scars around the edges of her face from the face lift have healed to be near-invisible, with most of the swelling now subsided.
She said: “I’m so happy, and I still look like me.
“I just look and feel refreshed.
“People assume when you have a surgery like this, that you want to change a lot, but I didn’t.
“I chose to share my journey because I know how overwhelming it can feel when you’re considering something like this, and I wanted others to feel less alone and more informed.”
Jojo said cruel trolls’ comments haven’t got her down at all – despite some saying she looks older.
She said: “I don’t think I look older, and I don’t know why people put others down like that, just sat behind a keyboard.
“Some have said it’s a waste of money, but all I wanted was to look and feel snatched, and if I went back in time, I’d do the same thing again.
“It’s a lot of money for quite subtle changes, but they’re exactly the changes I wanted.”
The 45-year-old’s stomach before jetting off to TurkeyCredit: SWNS
Jojo during her surgery where she also got a 360 lipCredit: SWNS What are the risks of getting surgery abroad?
IT'S important to do your research if you're thinking about having cosmetic surgery abroad.
It can cost less than in the UK, but you need to weigh up potential savings against the potential risks.
Safety standards in different countries may not be as high.
No surgery is risk-free. Complications can happen after surgery in the UK or abroad.
If you have complications after an operation in the UK, the surgeon is responsible for providing follow-up treatment.
Overseas clinics may not provide follow-up treatment, or they may not provide it to the same standard as in the UK.
Also, they may not have a healthcare professional in the UK you can visit if you have any problems.
Source: NHS
Eze Chidiebere Paul
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