An Adelaide woman who travelled to Turkey to get cheap cosmetic surgery has revealed her deep disappointment at her sagging skin less than a year later.
Jojo McGinniss, 45, underwent a deep plane facelift, neck lift, temple lift and facial fat transfer in Istanbul in February, hoping to achieve a fresher, more youthful appearance.
Ms McGinniss had spent five years saving for the procedures, which cost her around $15,000, and initially praised her results, sharing her recovery with thousands of followers on social media.
But in an emotional update, Ms McGinniss told Daily Mail she had become increasingly concerned about loose skin around her neck and lower face.
And when she reached out to her surgeon in the hope he could put her mind at ease, she claims his response left her feeling even more let down.
'I've always been a supporter of my surgeon because I've been happy with my results up until the last month,' she said.
'It's been quite disappointing. He's actually not talking to me now and has referred me to his assistant.
'What was particularly difficult was the suggestion that I look at other options when I had already paid thousands of dollars for major cosmetic surgery.
'There's also the practical reality that I live in Australia. Returning to Turkey isn't like driving back to a surgeon's clinic for an appointment.
'There are international flights, accommodation, time away from work and all of the associated costs.'
Ms McGinniss said that she first began noticing the loose skin while still in Turkey but wanted to trust the healing process.
Jojo McGinniss underwent a deep plane facelift, neck lift, temple lift and facial fat transfer in Istanbul in February. Pictured before her surgery
Jojo McGinniss was hoping to achieve a fresher, more youthful appearance. She is pictured shortly after her full recovery from the procedures
Ms McGinniss recently shared a photograph of loose skin on her neck less than year after the facelift, and spoke of her disappointment
'At that stage I was very early in recovery and obviously there was a lot of swelling, so I kept telling myself I needed to give it time,' she said.
'For quite a while I was genuinely happy with my results and I spoke very positively about my surgeon publicly.
'But as the months went on and the swelling completely settled, I started noticing things that concerned me more and more, particularly around my neck and lower face.
'Initially I absolutely questioned myself. I wondered whether I was being too critical or expecting too much.
'You spend so much time being told that healing takes time that you keep thinking, "Maybe I just need to wait."'
Ms McGinniss said she felt a responsibility to speak out because some of her followers were influenced by her results.
'One of the biggest things going through my mind was my Instagram page,' she said.
'I had documented this entire journey and had spoken so highly of my surgeon because, at the time, that genuinely reflected how I felt.
Ms McGinniss (above shortly after her facelift in Turkey) said she felt a responsibility to speak out because some of her followers were influenced by her results
Earlier this year, she hit back at critics who claimed her facelift had actually made her look older
'So when my feelings about my result changed, I felt almost embarrassed. I kept thinking, "What am I going to tell everyone?"
'I felt like a fraud, even though I hadn't deliberately misled anybody. I had simply shared my experience as it unfolded.
'I also worried about people who may have chosen a surgeon or considered surgery partly because they had watched my journey.'
While her comments section was filled with hundreds of people praising her bravery for speaking out, not everyone was as kind.
'What goes up must come down. Surgery is never the solution of self worth. Very sad,' wrote one person.
'Is this ragebait? Or a skit? Cause seriously you look great,' another commented.
'First world problems, go out in nature and focus on something other than yourself,' added a third.
But Ms McGinniss said such criticism comes with the territory.
'Everyone is entitled to their opinion, and I knew when I put myself online that people were going to have one,' she said.
'A photograph or a short video also doesn't necessarily show everything that you see when you're moving your face or looking at yourself from different angles.
While her comments section was filled with hundreds of people praising her bravery for speaking out, not everyone was as kind. Pictured before surgery
'Ultimately I'm the person living in my body and looking at the result every day.
'I'm not expecting perfection. Cosmetic surgery can't give anyone perfection.
'But I do think I'm entitled to raise concerns about a result I paid a significant amount of money for without automatically being labelled difficult, ungrateful or overly critical.'
The update marks a dramatic change of heart for Ms McGinniss, who had previously championed her Turkish surgeon despite backlash from online trolls.
Earlier this year, she hit back at critics who claimed her facelift had actually made her look older, with some suggesting she should 'sue her surgeon' or had 'wasted her money'.
At the time, she insisted she was delighted with her new appearance and had no regrets about travelling overseas for surgery.
'People say I look years older - or that I look exactly the same, but I have thick skin. It's water off a duck's back to me,' she said at the time.
'I don't think I look older, and I don't know why people put others down like that, just sat behind a keyboard.'
She also defended the money she had spent on the procedures, which she claimed were around $80,000 cheaper than what she was quoted in Australia.
'Some have said it's a waste of money, but all I wanted was to look and feel snatched, and if I went back in time, I'd do the same thing again.
'It's a lot of money for quite subtle changes, but they're exactly the changes I wanted.
'Whatever happens next, I'm going to continue being honest about it publicly.
'I shared the positive parts of this journey when I was happy, so I think it's equally important that I'm honest when things aren't going the way I hoped.'
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