A 27-year-old Japanese online influencer has shared her journey of undergoing more than 20 cosmetic surgeries, spending approximately 24mil yen (RM718,248 or US$170,000) in the process. Airi Hirase attributes her decision to the emotional scars left by childhood abuse, particularly from her mother, who constantly criticised her appearance, stating she resembled her father – a man who had betrayed her mother and left a legacy of debt. Living with her mother in Ibaraki prefecture, Hirase has been fixated on the idea of plastic surgery as a means of escaping her painful past since the age of 15.
She received her first surgical procedure at 19 and has built a substantial following on social media, sharing before-and-after photos that highlight her transformation. She said she has had at least 20 procedures on her face and breasts. With 1.
1 million followers on Instagram and 300,000 on X, she has turned her experiences into content that resonates with many. The influencer said she was bullied for her looks all through her childhood, and her peers called her ugly and said she “looked like a man”. Hirase said she developed an inferiority complex, and was afraid of mirrors, even breaking some when she would lash out.
She revealed that she attempted suicide when she was in secondary school, but was saved by a friend who “sensed something was not right”. Hirase expressed that she resolved to “become beautiful” at the age of 15 and began undertaking part-time jobs – such.