28-Year-Old Influencer Sparks Debate After Getting Face Lift

We've made multi-millionaires out of individuals who surgically alter their appearances. We've ensured that these countenances are constantly in our social media feeds, TV shows, and advertisements.

And young people growing up seeing these faces, largely associated with famous and wealthy people, become a symbol of aspirational beauty.

So much so that more and more young people are going under the knife. And London-based TikTok user Antonia Higham (@antoniahigham) is one of them. Recently, she posted that she was undergoing a facelift at just 28 years old and that she would be documenting her recovery process from the procedure after the fact.

She begins her video seated and speaking into the camera. "I'm 28 years old, and I'm getting a facelift tomorrow in Istanbul. I'm so excited. And I know what you're probably thinking. You're probably thinking oh my gosh, she is too young. She is a lunatic. But this is something that I've wanted forever. Even since I was like 18," she admitted to the camera.

Antonia continued, stating that she's been wanting to have a youthful look since the day she was old enough to buy cigarettes. "I wish as my younger self, I could have these videos of someone going through this experience. Which I never did. But I just want that youthful, lifted, fresh look."

The TikToker continued to delve into her self-consciousness with her body: "And with my lips, to be honest, that is something I am quite insecure about. And I always laugh about this. Because people always used to joke and say that I had lips like a Simpson. And I think it really stuck with me."

She went on to highlight how she was spending her evening in the hotel room prior to going under the knife: "It sounds so stupid now, but it is something that really sticks with you. I'm just getting this lip lifted. The filter shortened just to give that youthful look, because I want to. I'm gonna get on this room service, order some baklava, and celebrate and prepare for surgery at 6 a.m. tomorrow."

At the end of her clip, she mentioned how she was going to post about her recovery process from the surgery and what that looks like on a day-to-day basis.

In several follow-up videos, she recorded herself with post-surgery tape on her face, which was swollen and red, especially around her eyes.

In yet another video she showed what her face looked like seven days after the procedure. The redness in her eyes went down considerably, as did the swelling on other areas of her mug. Some users pointed out, however, that near her hairline, there were folds of skin near her temples.

Antonia called the day "the best ... by far," as she started to feel like herself again. Antonia recorded herself heading to the hospital to have her bandages removed. "I think I've changed from an alien now to maybe the lion from The Wizard of Oz," she said, commenting on her own post-facelift appearance.

She added that the doctor instructed her how to remove her stitches by herself, as she needs to be the one to remove them once she's back home. As for the strange skin accumulation situated near her hairline, the doctor addressed that as well.

"He said the folds will go at the top of my head between six to eight weeks. I'm so swollen here. I was actually really scared at this point. They quickly mummified me back up before I burst. And then for the evening I wanted to go shopping. I was up for it today," she told her viewers before adding that she wanted to treat herself to a spree.

According to University Hospitals, more and more "younger people are opting into cosmetic procedures." The 2026 article says that "people in their 20s and 30s [are] seeking procedures previous generations reserved for middle age or later."

Doctors interviewed in the piece stated that "social media has normalized cosmetic procedures by showcasing real recovery timelines on TikTok and Instagram," which has contributed to folks becoming more interested in these surgeries.

Furthermore, the same doctor, a cosmetic surgeon, remarked that many of his patients mentioned that seeing themselves on Zoom calls frequently throughout the day has made them consider their appearance more frequently.