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Before my marriage officially ended, I embarked on a transformative journey, kickstarting my ‘post-divorce’ makeover. I was certain my husband and I weren’t destined to last, and I envisioned a brighter future for myself—one where sagging jowls and a ‘mum tum’ had no place. To prepare for this new chapter, I opted for a full tummy tuck and a thread lift to redefine my jawline.
This cosmetic transformation was an integral part of my strategy to rediscover both love and my true self.
Following our separation, I continued my journey with an eyelid lift and stomach liposuction. I also keep up with regular Botox and filler treatments, and I’m considering a partial facelift in the future. The total cost of my procedures has reached £30,000, but I see it as the best investment of my life. At 54, I can confidently say I look like I’m in my late 40s!
Reflecting on my current high confidence, with younger men showing interest, it’s astonishing to remember the days I felt trapped in a lackluster marriage, burdened by feelings of inadequacy.
While my ex-husband is a good and hardworking person, and we share three incredible children, I spiraled into depression a few years into our marriage. I felt misunderstood and disconnected from him. Much of my unhappiness was rooted in dissatisfaction with my appearance—my loose stomach and the wrinkles that seemed to define me.
Concerned friends tried reassuring me that I looked fine. Then I heard that a former schoolfriend had asked: ‘Is Fay pregnant again?’ My youngest was three years old and I was definitely not having another baby. It was the brutal kick I needed to sort myself out.
My plastic surgery strategy was part of my exit plan to find myself again, says Fay Hanson
Since having the procedures, friends and even my ex-husband say I look incredible
I travelled from my home in Lancashire to London for a full tummy tuck at the Harley Street Skin Clinic (harleystreetskinclinic.com) – my first procedure. It felt wonderful having a flat stomach for the first time in years. Months after that, I had the thread lift.
Though I looked younger and better, I was still unhappy. My husband and I had fallen into a loveless routine – we would eat in silence, then spend the rest of the night watching TV in separate rooms. It was grim, and I made the decision to leave, buoyed up by the hope that the right man for me was waiting on the other side of my marriage.
Finally, in 2020, my husband and I split by mutual consent and sold the family home. I had dreamt of being free for years, but this stressful time took its toll on me. I looked tired, frumpy and older than my age (I was 49). I was thoroughly fed-up – I didn’t believe I would ever meet a new partner looking the way I did.
That’s when my motivation intensified and my post-divorce makeover kicked up a gear. I was desperate to reinvent myself and get stuck into the dating world.
I started having fillers in three areas – lips, chin and under the eye – every nine months and Botox in my forehead every three months. The thing about injectables is that once you start it’s hard to stop; and I never want to go back to looking like my old self. I’ve had to sacrifice holidays abroad in order to afford my new regime, but it’s worth it to me because my forehead is smooth, my lips plumper and my confidence boosted.
Which is why I was keen to get my baggy, heavy eyes done too – there are a lot of glamorous-looking divorced women out there and it’s hard to compete.
After saving up for the eyelid lift, I had the procedure done in July 2024. It was very easy, lasting only 15 minutes, and I wasn’t nervous at all. There were a few days of bruising and redness, before the scars that sit in the crease of the eyelids vanished.
Since having this procedure, friends and even my ex-husband say I look incredible. I used to hide behind false eyelashes and heavy eyeliner, but now I’m fresh-faced, younger looking and so much happier. I feel cute! I even get double takes and a lot of attention from far younger men.
In the summer of 2024, sitting in a bar with some of my friends, I met the gaze of a handsome man. I honestly thought he was looking at someone behind me. But when I looked up again, there he was.
It was only later that I discovered he had told his friends, ‘I have to meet her. She’s gorgeous.’
In fact, we did meet and I dated that good-looking 41-year-old for a few months. We’re not together any more, but that’s fine because ten years ago this would have been a fantasy in my wildest dreams.
Now, aged 54, I’m the most confident I’ve ever been. This spring, I’m having my half-facelift which will perhaps help me find love again. And, what’s more, have some fun along the way.
As told to Alice Smellie