For most people, losing six stone would feel like a victory lap.
But for 45-year-old nurse LeAnn Hawks, the celebration came with an unexpected emotional crash.
After three years on the weight-loss drug Mounjaro, she found herself staring at a version of her face she didn’t recognise.
The dramatic change left her feeling shy, withdrawn, and frustrated—nothing like the lively, outgoing woman she had always been.
Around the same time, perimenopause hit, amplifying the emotional blow.
“I didn’t even want to go out,” she admitted. “I hated how I looked, and it really messed with my confidence.”
A Late-Night Scroll That Changed Everything
One ordinary evening on TikTok, everything shifted.
LeAnn came across a woman raving about her facelift by Dr. Espino in Tijuana, Mexico.
Curious, she dove into researching his work, watched every transformation she could find, and slowly found herself warming up to the idea.
After a year of debating, hesitating, and nearly backing out more than once, she finally decided to trust her gut—and booked the surgery.
The Big Leap: Multiple Procedures in One Go
When July rolled around, LeAnn boarded a flight from Arizona to Mexico for a full facial overhaul: a deep-plane facelift and neck lift, upper and lower eyelid surgery, a brow lift, and fat transfer to her lips and cheeks.
For $15,500, she received the procedures, an overnight hospital stay, and ten days in a hotel with nurses checking in twice daily.
And according to her, the team’s care blew her away.
The results would eventually turn back the clock by decades—but the very first reveal was anything but glamorous.
The Bandage Reveal That Nearly Broke Her
When the bandages finally came off, LeAnn was not prepared.
The swelling, the bruising, the sheer shock—she described the moment as “the most horrific thing I’ve ever seen.”
Her husband, Tony, who had expected nothing more than a small incision or two, took one look and said she resembled someone who had just come out of a bar fight.
The physical pain was tough, but the emotional spiral was tougher.
“I cried so much that first week,” she said. “I kept asking myself, ‘What have I done?’”
Sharing the Scary Part, Not Just the Pretty Results
Instead of shutting down, LeAnn chose to document every raw moment on TikTok under @leannhawks.
One clip—filmed just a day after surgery—went viral with more than 18 million views.
Her goal wasn’t to shock people, but to show what recovery actually looks like, beyond the polished before-and-after pictures that usually circulate online.
A Bump in Recovery: The Chin Wound Scare
Ten days after surgery, a new fear kicked in—her chin incision reopened and began draining.
With her medical background, she knew how to care for wounds, but it still sent her into panic mode.
“I didn’t want a scar,” she said. “I was so scared.”
One of her ear incisions also healed slower than the other, but eventually everything came together with careful home care.
The Hardest Part: The Physical and Mental Toll
Even once the wounds closed, recovery wasn’t smooth.
The swelling was distressing, the tightness uncomfortable, and the strict rule of sleeping on her back for weeks was torture for a lifelong side-sleeper.
She took five weeks off work—a decision she later called “the best choice I made.”
Three Months Later, the Glow Finally Kicks In
Now, three months after the procedure, LeAnn says she feels “red-carpet ready.”
The swelling has calmed, the puffiness is gone, and she finally sees the refreshed version of herself she hoped for.
“When I go out, people can’t even tell I had anything done,” she said. “I feel normal again—and I feel beautiful.”
A New Outlook and a New Routine
The surgery didn’t just change her face—it changed how she shows up in her daily life.
Now she puts in a little extra effort with her hair and makeup, and she’s genuinely excited to go out with friends again.
The confidence she lost during her weight-loss journey has found its way back, one day at a time.
Facing Judgement—and Choosing Her Own Happiness Anyway
Of course, not everyone approves. Strangers online sometimes question why she didn’t “age gracefully.”
But LeAnn isn’t bothered enough to change her mind.
“Life is short,” she said simply. “If I want my neck snatched, I’m going to do it.
If someone else doesn’t want to, great—that works for them. But this is what I wanted.”
What Comes Next for LeAnn?
Now that she’s healed and feeling like herself again, LeAnn says she’s focused on enjoying life—getting dressed up, going out, reconnecting with friends, and embracing the confidence she worked so hard to reclaim.
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