Jessi Ngatikaura gets real about ‘identity crisis’ from facial surgery

Jessi Ngatikaura is opening up about the emotional and physical challenges she faced while recovering from recent facial surgery.

The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives star, 33, shared a candid update in a “get ready with me” video posted on January 14. In the post, she offered details about the procedure and its aftermath weeks after first revealing she had undergone surgery in December. 

The latest video showed Ngatikaura explaining that she underwent both upper and lower blepharoplasty, along with facial fat grafting. She emphasised that her appearance is still not final, noting that significant swelling remains more than three weeks post-surgery.

“I don’t think there’s any facial surgery where you look ‘done’ in three weeks,” she said, stressing that healing takes time.

Ngatikaura admitted that the recovery process has been mentally difficult, describing it as unsettling to look in the mirror and not recognise herself. She said the experience triggered what felt like an “identity crisis,” despite having prepared herself for the changes ahead of time.

She also explained that the decision to have surgery was driven by practical concerns, including eyelid creasing while applying makeup and facial hollowness after weight loss and dissolving previous fillers. 

One of the most challenging parts of recovery, she added, was being required to wear protective goggles continuously for two days, which left her temporarily unable to see.

Although she described early recovery images as “terrifying,” Ngatikaura said she is considering sharing them to help others understand what to expect. She added that it can take five to six weeks to begin feeling normal again, with full results taking even longer.