TV personality Lee Ji-hye got real about her latest cosmetic tweak, revealing she underwent a lip lift (philtrum reduction) and declaring she’s “officially done” with plastic surgery.
On the Nov. 20 upload of her YouTube channel, she told producers, “After a lot of thought, I decided to go public. I actually had a lip lift.” She shared that a long philtrum had been a lasting insecurity that seemed to grow with age, and even when she tried thread lifting, she kept hearing recommendations to consider the surgery―so she finally took the plunge.
But as a host and MC, Lee also admitted to some immediate post-op hurdles. “Right after surgery my pronunciation got sharper and my face looked different. Because I host for a living, I couldn’t stand the idea of inconveniencing others,” she said. “We even did a new taping, and I felt so sorry to the writer because of my diction. Pretending nothing changed isn’t my style, so I chose to be upfront.”
She even canceled a scheduled shoot for that reason. “‘Going out there and acting like nothing happened’ wasn’t acceptable to me, so I canceled,” she noted. “It’s been about two weeks since the surgery. For someone who talks for a living, two weeks isn’t enough. Maybe in a month it will be better.” She added that her daughters were shocked and told her, “Mom, you look ugly,” which jolted her. “It made me realize my choices can affect my kids.”
Lee concluded, “I’ve realized I really shouldn’t do any more plastic surgery”―drawing a firm line on future procedures.
She also weighed whether to post the video at all, but decided transparency was the way forward. “I hesitated so many times before uploading, but it’s something I have to get through anyway,” she said. “I’m still uneasy because I’m in the middle of it, but I’m trying to believe time will make it better―and I’m choosing courage,” she added, asking for support.
Meanwhile, Lee remains busy across TV, radio, and YouTube, earning steady support for her candid, down-to-earth charm.
(SBS Entertainment News | Kang Kyung-youn)