"My iPhone Didn’t Recognize Me After Plastic Surgery in Korea"... Australian Woman's Face Swells Dramatically

Underwent Surgery in Seoul and Shared Her Recovery Journey
Severe Swelling Prevents iPhone Face ID from Working

An Australian influencer has shared her experience of undergoing a facelift surgery in Korea. The story drew particular attention locally, not so much for the outcome of the surgery itself, but because her face became so swollen that the iPhone’s Face ID feature failed to recognize her face.

On August 24 (local time), media outlets such as People in the United States and various Australian platforms reported that Australian influencer Ruby Tuesday Matthews, 33, recently underwent an endoscopic facelift at a plastic surgery clinic in Seoul and shared her surgery and recovery process on her social media.

The procedure Matthews received was an endoscopic facelift, which involves lifting facial tissue using an endoscope. The surgery took about four hours, and afterward, she stayed at a hotel to recover. She documented her recovery with videos and photos for her followers.

Australian influencer Ruby Tuesday Matthews recently underwent an endoscopic facelift procedure at a plastic surgery clinic in Seoul and shared her surgery and recovery process on her social media. Screenshot from Ruby Tuesday Matthews' Instagram

The day after surgery, Matthews reported that her face swelled so dramatically that Face ID could not recognize her. Unable to use her smartphone’s facial recognition feature due to security settings, she ended up visiting an Apple Store in Seoul, still dressed in her pajamas, to reset her device. She explained that at that time she could hardly open her mouth, with severe bruising and swelling on her face, describing, “My face felt blown up like a small balloon, leaving only my eyes visible.”

On the third day after the surgery, the swelling had become even more pronounced. She described being unable to lie down comfortably and having to sleep in an upright position, emphasizing, “I’ve never seen my face this swollen in my life.”

Matthews showed reference photos of her face prior to the procedure and explained that her goal was not to drastically change her appearance. She wished to naturally improve sagging areas and regain a more vibrant look. She also clarified that she did not seek drastic changes to her eye shape, such as the so-called “cat-eye” or “fox-eye” effects.

Some social media users criticized her decision to share details of her cosmetic surgery process online. However, Matthews responded that showing both before-and-after and the full recovery process was more honest than only revealing the results.

She added, “It’s not that my face has completely changed following cosmetic surgery, but that the swelling during recovery made it look dramatically different temporarily.” She emphasized the importance of those considering such procedures fully understanding both the potential results and the recovery process—including the possibility of side effects.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.