True story behind viral ‘Jason from Australia’ videos we’ve all seen

A Gold Coast man who “felt ugly” for over 20 years suddenly became a well-known face overnight after his transformation went viral.

For months, videos of a man named Jason Harrigan showing off the results of his dramatic face transformation have been filling the social media feeds of Australians.

The clips, filmed over a period of just seven days, show the 57-year-old Gold Coast man immediately after having a number of cosmetic procedures in Vietnam, and nearly always start with, “Hello, I’m Jason from Australia”.

But in each TikTok video – shared as promotion for the international clinic where Jason underwent a face lift, double blepharoplasty (upper and lower eyelid removal) and a neck lift – Jason appeared alongside a different doctor, seemingly all taking credit for his “insane” new look.

As a result, many viewers expressed genuine concern for the Aussie patient, with the videos clocking up tens of millions of views.

“It was out of control,” the Coles delivery driver told news.com.au. “In a good way, but when you get the trolls coming for you, it can be tough.”

While there were some mean comments, the majority were from worried viewers confused by the never-ending stream of videos.

“Why is Jason making videos with so many different surgeons? This feels shady AF,” claimed one worried woman.

“What is happening here? I just saw him thanking another doctor and his before photos look different in that video,” asked another.

Meanwhile some joked: “Is Jason being held hostage?”

“Jason from Australia has been busy,” mused someone else.

As one asked: “Wait so he’s had surgeries with all of these drs independently or is it a few doctors using the same results as advertising?”

Jason Harrigan went insanely viral after his surgeons shared his dramatic before and after results on TikTok. Picture: Supplied

The 57-year-old from the Gold Coast had travelled to Vietnam for extensive plastic surgery on his face. Picture: Supplied

Jason said the criticism is “water off a duck’s back”, explaining the reason he’d opted to head overseas for the 7-hour operation was because he simply couldn’t afford to do it at home.

“I was quoted at least $59,000, and I just didn’t have that kind of money,” he said.

“But I was really depressed about my appearance, I don’t have a very good self-esteem, and I came across this doctor’s TikTok and I started watching.

“It was like that for months, I did lots of research, and eventually I bit the bullet in August.”

After booking his flights and handing over $4000 to doctors, Jason landed in Hanoi City where he opted to be awake during the extensive procedure.

Immediately after landing, the team of surgeons removed 2.5 inches (almost 6.5.cms) of excess skin off his forehead, removed sagging and puffy skin on his eyelids, and tightened his neck and face.

“I didn’t feel a thing, and I remember the translator telling me the doctor said, ‘your forehead is too big for your face’. OK, wow,” he recalled.

“After, they asked me to do a TikTok, and I said, ‘sure why not, no one is going to see me’.

“The next thing I know, people are sending me screenshots asking if I was in Vietnam, and the videos had millions of views.”

Some of his Coles co-workers were stunned when they saw what Jason was up to on his week off. Picture: Supplied

Jason would pose for photos with a bag over his head. Picture: Supplied

But the videos didn’t stop there. For the next week, Jason would visit the clinic multiple times a day for check ups with his team of doctors, each of whom performed a different procedure on his face.

And every time he went in, the doctors asked for more videos.

“I explained to the doctor that the reason I wanted to get a face lift is because I’d not taken a photo with my family in 20 years,” Jason told news.com.au.

“The last photo I had taken at work, I had a paper bag over my head. I’ve never been comfortable with my looks, I was picked on a lot when I was younger, and so it was always in the back of my head that ‘I’m ugly, I’m ugly, I’m ugly’.”

Jason continued: “This surgery was for me, and the change it has made in my confidence is unbelievable, though I’ll be honest when I first saw my face, I did think, ‘f**k what have I done’, because I was so swollen.”

Some were concerned as the Coles delivery driver appeared in numerous clips with different doctors. Picture: Supplied

After not taking a photo for 20 years, he is thrilled with his new look. Picture: Supplied

Now, three months on, he’s thrilled with his results.

“The other day, I was on FaceTime my mum, and she said ‘God your face looks good,” he said.

“It did look fake at the beginning, but everything has really settled down now.”

Social media is equally as delighted with Jason’s new face.

“From a 40-year-old-dad to a 20-year-old YouTuber,” remarked one.

“It kinda scared me at first, but after the recovery, it looks so much better,” agreed someone else.

“Proof you need to trust the process,” concluded another.

One added: “What the hell? That transformation is wild.”

About 15,000 Australians travel overseas for medical treatment each year, according to Better Health.

But despite the low-cost appeal, experts have long warned of the dangers, with risks including infection, complications from antibiotic-resistant bacteria, and blood clots from flying known as deep vein thrombosis (DVT).

As well as a possible threat to life, patients who encounter complications from medical tourism face significant costs and challenging after-care.

In total, the videos have clocked up almost 80 million views to date, with Jason even getting stopped in Bunnings recently by someone who recognised him.

“I’m quite a shy person, and I’ve honestly never been happier, but I want to stress to anyone who is thinking about having surgery, just make sure you are doing it for you.”

Originally published as True story behind viral ‘Jason from Australia’ videos we’ve all seen