Model Spent 160,000 USD On Plastic Surgeries For An Unrecognizable Makeover
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Airi Hirase is a 27-year-old Japanese influencer and model, boasting millions of followers on Instagram and X (former Twitter). Like any other social media personality, Hirase’s online content includes posts showing off her physical beauty and glamorous lifestyle, but what sets her apart from the rest is her candid acknowledgment of her past.
Hirase has shared her journey of undergoing more than 20 cosmetic surgeries to completely transform her face, which ended up costing her a whopping 24 million JPY (approximately 170,000 USD). But this decision was not easy for her, neither emotionally nor financially.
Growing up in the Ibaraki prefecture, Hirase was obsessed with the idea of plastic surgery since she was 15. The reason behind this fixation was her difficult childhood, particularly due to her mother’s criticism of her appearance. Hirase recalled that her mother would speak about her appearance constantly, saying she resembled her father, a man who had betrayed her and left her drowning in debt.
Hirase was also bullied throughout her childhood for her looks by her peers, causing her to develop a severe inferiority complex. Things got so bad that she became afraid of mirrors. But the real rock bottom for the model came when she attempted suicide in secondary school. She was fortunately saved by a friend.
With such emotional scars at a young age, Hirase became determined at 15 to “become beautiful” and started taking up part-time jobs when she turned 16. She left her mother’s home and started living in a low-rent accommodation. During her busiest days, Hirase said she juggled two part-time jobs and survived on four hours of sleep.
Though she got her first surgical procedure when she was 19, it wasn’t until later that she went under more extensive surgeries that rendered her practically unrecognizable. After back-breaking labor for eight years, she was able to save up to 10 million JPY (around 70,000 USD) and used it for more intense surgical procedures. She planned to pursue additional surgeries as her income increased in the future.
Hirase admitted that she has had at least 20 procedures done to her face and her breasts, adding that she felt the change was necessary for her to survive. The surgical transformation did end up working out in her favor. She not only amassed a huge following online but has also appeared on numerous TV shows and in fashion magazines.
Unlike many other popular personalities, Airi Hirase has been honest about her plastic surgeries since the beginning. In fact, it was her before and after photos and the story of her journey so far that shot her into the spotlight.
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Despite her new appearance, Hirase still struggles with self-confidence. But if she is certain about one thing, it is her ability to treat her future children with love, regardless of whether they end up looking like her pre-surgery self. “I will never act like my mother. I will give my children a lot of love and care,” she said in a previous interview.
Over the years, many netizens have connected to Hirase’s struggles and have turned into her ardent supporters. Currently, she has nearly 1.1 million followers on Instagram and over 300,000 on X. She is also the CEO of a beauty-related company.
