Australian influencer Kim Hartnett has told how her nose collapsed after a severe infection following a rhinoplasty in Turkey, leaving her needing three surgeries
An influencer wants to warn others as she had to have three surgeries at a cost of approximately £39,000 after her nose collapsed following a devastating infection linked to a botched rhinoplasty in Turkey.
Kim Hartnett revealed how she became fixated on “fixing” her looks after becoming deeply immersed in the world of social media and appearing on a television programme.
The salon owner travelled abroad for her initial nose job, believing she simply needed to make her nose “slightly smaller”. However, within weeks, the 30-year-old woman knew something had gone terribly wrong.
Kim ultimately required three separate operations across several countries after enduring severe complications – including a serious infection that caused her nose to collapse entirely. The mother-of-two says she is now speaking out to caution others against trying to “chase perfection” through cosmetic procedures.
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A post detailing her ordeal has since racked up more than 1,300 likes across social media platforms. Kim, who runs a luxury hair extension salon and education brand, said: “I was constantly looking at myself thinking, ‘What can I improve? What can I fix?’ Looking back now, it makes me really sad because I can see so clearly that I was beautiful the way I was. There genuinely wasn’t anything wrong with my nose.”
Kim admitted she made the decision to go under the knife far too lightly after a mate suggested jetting abroad together for procedures. Kim, originally from Australia, said: “A girlfriend of mine mentioned she was going to Turkey to get hers done and asked if I wanted to come.
“I kind of just thought, ‘Oh well, if I don’t do it now, I probably never will.’ I treated it like it was such a casual thing when in reality it was major surgery.”
The initial operation set her back roughly £6,100, climbing to approximately £8,600 once flights and accommodation were factored in. However, merely a fortnight following the procedure, Kim sensed something wasn’t right.
She said: “The surgeon kept telling me it was ‘just swelling’ and that I needed to wait a full year. Deep down I knew this wasn’t normal.”
Kim subsequently underwent a second operation after her nose suffered damage from the initial procedure. She commended the surgeon and described the results as initially appearing “amazing”.
Yet roughly a week afterwards, she became gravely unwell and contracted a serious infection. Kim said: “My nose started collapsing and the scar tissue began contracting into the skin, creating large dents and deformities.”
The entrepreneur revealed the ordeal left her retreating from social media and shunning public appearances. She said: “After the second surgery and the infection, I really stopped wanting to socialise and pretty much disappeared from social media completely.
“I didn’t want to be posting myself or really being seen at all.” Kim described the uncertainty over whether her nose could ever be fixed as mentally draining.
She added: “After the infection, nobody knew when my nose would even be healthy enough to operate on again, so it felt really uncertain for a long time.”
Her third operation ultimately took place in Europe, costing approximately £18,000, climbing to around £20,500 once travel expenses were factored in.
Taking into account all three surgeries, flights, accommodation and medical bills, Kim estimates her total expenditure came to roughly £39,000.
After refunds, she says she is still approximately £29,000 out of pocket. Kim says she is thankful her nose has now been successfully repaired, but confessed she wishes she had never had it altered in the first place.
She said: “If I could go back and have my original nose back, absolutely I would. I genuinely prefer how my natural nose looked. But after everything that happened and after three major surgeries, my nose was never going to come out ‘perfect’ again.”
Kim says she is not opposed to cosmetic surgery but hopes others will consider carefully before making lasting changes to their appearance.
She added: “I do think when it comes to tweaking really minor things or chasing perfection, people need to take a step back a little bit and really think about whether they actually need it. Looking back now, there was absolutely nothing wrong with my nose.”
