11 People Who Regret Getting Cosmetic Work Done Are Opening Up About Where It All Went Wrong

In this day and age, the topic of cosmetic procedures has taken on bigger heights in our society than I'm sure most people ever imagined. Whether people are praising them or opening up about their regrets, removals, and reversals, the conversation clearly isn't going anywhere.

So, I asked members of the BuzzFeed Community, "If you've ever had a cosmetic procedure and regretted it, what was your experience like, and how did it go wrong?" Here's what they had to say:

Note: Not all submissions are from the BuzzFeed Community, some have come from this Reddit thread.

1."When I was seven, I crashed my bike and broke my nose, but it wasn't reset properly. Between that and genetics, I had a prominent nose with a bump. For all of high school, my mom would say, 'You know, we would be happy to pay for your nose to be fixed,' which affected me. I don't think I would have cared otherwise. At 20, I relented and had one done."

2."I had an upper blepharoplasty. The doctor cut too much skin on my right upper eyelid, which made it very asymmetrical. I also can't close the other eye fully. The overall end result wasn't also up to the results that I wanted (like the shape and aesthetic). The procedure went too long, and so I ended up scarring. It has been five years since then, and it's not normal to have noticeable scars."

"He also removed too much fat, which made my eyes look hollower. I used to have a healthy eye-smile with just the right amount of fat, but now it makes me look older than my age. I regret getting this procedure done, and I'm scared to get a revision as I might end up with worse results. I'm also scared of not being able to close both of my eyes if I do so."

—u/Background_Poetry796

3."When cool sculpting was in its early stages, I signed up to be in a clinical trial to try it out. They only did it on one side of my body and did some other treatment (I want to say some kind of UV treatment) on the other side so they could compare the results and confirm if cool sculpting worked. The consent form I signed said they would do cool sculpting on the opposite side at the end of the trial if the UV treatment didn’t work, so I figured the risk was low and agreed to have my love handles treated."

4."They give you a list of all the things that might go wrong, and after a full facelift, I had them all. One ear was stretched down and sewn onto my neck; it had to be cut loose later. My eyelids wrinkled, I had a large hematoma on my scalp, but worst of all, my smile is gone. I look awful when I try to smile. I Haven’t had a decent picture taken in a dozen years."

—Anonymous

5."I got Aqua Lipo which was supposed to be gentler than traditional liposuction. I had it done on my stomach, arm area, thighs, and back. This was about 10 years ago, and my arms still have permanent nerve issues. Anything touches the area that was worked on and it feels raw and tender, nearly a decade later. I was desperate for a quick fix because I was getting married, but I should have done my research."

6."I got top surgery because I'm female-to-male. I was on the waiting list for a good surgeon, but it was a two-year wait, and the gender dysphoria was getting worse, so I found another surgeon with a shorter wait time. That was a mistake. I was almost eligible for keyhole incisions (tiny incisions around the nipple) instead of a double-incision (large scars down the center of the chest underneath the pectoral ridge), and I really didn't want giant scars.

"For me to get the keyhole incisions and pick up the extra skin, my surgeon suggested pectoral implants. Huge mistake number two. He made very different incisions than we discussed, so I still ended up with huge scars and now implants, which frequently hurt, look terrible, AND don't even help with the loose skin. I got the worst of every option. Plus, I need to have the implants removed now by better surgeons, leading to, you guessed it, more scars. I'm pursuing legal action for medical assault, which is not what my post-op recovery needed. Get a good surgeon, especially if you're pursuing gender-affirming care. I don't regret getting top surgery, but I definitely regret getting it the fast way."

—Anonymous

7."I had lip fillers once, just a very small amount. I went to a plastic surgeon, got the injection, and that night my lip tripled in size from swelling. I rang the office first thing. They had me come in and told me that I had herpes, and that was the issue. Except...I don’t have herpes."

8."I had a breast augmentation in 1982, then had the implants removed in 1994. That's when things went wrong. I lost most of the breast tissue and the nipple on my right breast. I paid £5000 for breast reconstruction and a lift in 2021, and I absolutely hate how my breasts look now. They are just two large sacs of saggy tissue on my chest that don’t even resemble breasts anymore."

"My right breast still has no nipple, and most of the areola is now lost. I regret the day I ever tampered with my body. I have spent almost thirty years regretting my previous choices. I have spent a total of almost £20000 on my breasts, only to be left ashamed to undress in front of anyone."

—Anonymous

9."My double jaw surgery has both positives and negatives. It helped me with facial balance (I used to have a very short face) but it absolutely decimated my jawline. I had a really great L shape jaw before and the way they separated my bottom jaw and reattached it has made my jawline weak and zig-zaggy. I asked my jaw surgeon about it and he excitedly tried to push me into getting jawline implants, which seems unbelievable to me. I’m considering getting filler to try to get it back."

10."I had a fat transfer from my thighs to fill in the hollow parts under my eyes. Immediately after the procedure, there was barely a difference and after a week it looked the same as before. I even told the doctor that I don’t retain fat well, but he still recommended it. Over $4000 down the drain"

—u/rashslingingslasher

And finally, this person shared how important it is to do all of your research:

11."After three kids and two surgeries in less than four months (gallbladder and appendix removals), I had to have another surgery to repair a massive hernia. So, I opted to also have a breast augmentation at the same time so I could come out with 'something to make me feel better.' I was never into boobs and was very ambivalent about mine, but I figured they could use perking up. As soon as I came out of surgery, I hated them. They felt alien, intrusive, and too big. Everyone thought they looked great, but there wasn't a single day that went by that I didn't loathe the feeling of them, and they were constantly on my mind in a bad way."

Note: Submissions have been edited for length and/or clarity.

Did any of this resonate with you? If you've ever had cosmetic surgery and regret it, feel free to share your story in the comments.