‘Viral fox eye surgery left me with horns’

Jessie Carr, 21, spent $2000 on a viral cosmetic surgery trend she’d seen on TikTok. The results were shocking.

When Jessie Carr, a 21-year-old gym receptionist from Sydney, underwent a fox eye thread lift, she thought she was going to end up looking like Bella Hadid.

“When I was looking at photos on various surgeon’s pages, [a before and after image of Bella Hadid] was one of the main images they used to advertise the fox eye threads,” Carr explains in a TikTok video that has since amassed over 20,000 likes.

“I believed that this was the same procedure that Bella Hadid had.”

Model Bella Hadid as a teenager in 2010. Picture: Ethan Miller/Getty Images.

Bella Hadid on March 3 in Paris, France. She denies having any work done apart from a nose job. Picture: Vittorio Zunino Celotto/Getty Images.

The procedure uses surgical stitches or ‘threads’ that pull the brow area taut, resulting in an upward-slanting look to the eyes.

While the procedure is credited with giving the likes of Kendall Jenner and Bella Hadid their reinvented eye shape, it must be noted the trend has been deemed by many to be offensive cultural appropriation of Asian facial features, and widely criticised.

Regardless of the controversy surrounding the procedure, the hashtag #foxeyethreads has over 36 million views on TikTok, and, according to beauty brand Tanologist, searches for “fox eye makeup” have grown by 319 per cent.

Jessie Carr before having ‘fox eye’ surgery. Picture: Jam Press.

The 21-year-old was tempted after seeing pictures of model Bella Hadid. Picture: Jam Press.

But for Jessie Carr, the procedure was the beginning of a nightmare she refers to as her “biggest regret”.

“It was only $2000, so I thought ‘why not?’” explains the part-time model.

She was left with extreme swelling, permanent scarring and protruding ‘horn-like’ puckered skin around the site of the procedure.

Jessie Carr after having the ‘fox eye’ procedure. Picture: Jam Press.

She was left with visible ‘horns’ at the side of her head. Picture: Jam Press.

She had to book in for surgery to have the ‘horns’ removed. Picture: Jam Press.

Jessie had just wanted more attractive eyes. Picture: Jam Press.

Dr Naveen Somia, Immediate Past President of the Australian Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons, (ASAPS) is concerned about the rising numbers of young women and girls getting information about cosmetic procedures from TikTok.

“It’s natural to look at images of perfect faces and perfect noses and perfect eyes and think – ‘My God, I’m not even close,’” he explains, “but the saddest part is, this is now starting at age 10 or 11. If you have a bunch of 12-year-old girls, in year 7 or year 8, you will be shocked at the depth of knowledge they have about cosmetic surgery based on what is being fed to them on social media platforms such as TikTok.”

He believes that ethically, there should be more being done to restrict this kind of content online.

“Tell me, why is it OK for a 12-year-old to follow a plastic surgeon’s Instagram account?” he asks exasperatedly.

Jessie Carr after the surgery to remove the horns. Her head swelled and she was left in 'nine out of 10’ pain. Picture: Jam Press.

She says her head swelled to the size of ‘two golf balls’. Picture: Jam Press.

Dr Somia says his practice has a strict code of ethics when it comes to performing surgery on patients, and that it is essential to be realistic with people about what can and cannot be achieved.

“If you look at any Instagram post about brows studios or eyelash extensions – all the images are of beautiful eyelids, of course. And the more eyelids you start seeing, the more focus comes on to your eyelids.”

He says he is often presented with images from social media, with clients being led to believe they can achieve similar looks with minimal intervention.

“What they don’t realise is they’re just seeing before-and-after photos on Instagram, not knowing what else went into the consultative process with regards to treating that patient.

“In some cases, what they’re asking for is inappropriate because sometimes marketing Instagram accounts will say, ‘Look, I have managed to fix this with a little bit of filler’ and the patients think it is really possible.

“But what they don’t tell you is ‘actually, I fixed this with surgery … and a little bit of filler. [Some accounts] downplay the risks of the surgery just to get a good Instagram picture.”

For Jessie, who is still dealing with the results of her botched fox eye threads, sharing her story is a community service for women or girls who might be considering having the procedure done.

“Take my experience as a sign not to do it,” she captioned a TikTok video, showcasing her swollen forehead.

Bek Day is a freelance writer.