Lucy Miller kept getting asked what was wrong with her, making her feel self-concious
A single mother who struggled with insecurity every time she saw her reflection says she looks “10 years younger” after undergoing transformative surgery abroad. Lucy Miller was once deeply self-conscious about the bags under her eyes, and frequently faced questions about whether she was “tired” or had “been crying,” leaving her feeling perpetually aware of her appearance.
At 42, she spent £3,000 on various treatments, from high-end creams and rollers to salmon DNA injections. Yet none delivered the results she hoped for.
Frustrated by her constantly fatigued appearance, Lucy decided to take matters into her own hands. She decided to dip into her savings to seek a more drastic solution.
READ MORE: Red alert as cases of illness caught by UK holidaymakers soarREAD MORE: New car tax rules from April 2025 – who can avoid paying and how to check
She ultimately opted for a quick 30-minute procedure that appeared to take years off her face. “My eyes made me feel very self-conscious,” shared the personal trainer and fitness model from London with NeedToKnow.
“I bought all the concealers and eye creams, and the roller you put in the freezer. I planned my sleep and beauty around days out and events.
“If I had an event, I would go to bed early, thinking it would make a difference. But it only made it worse – I was adding to the heaviness of my eyes.
“I remember looking at my reflection in the mirror and thinking: ‘What’s wrong with my eyes?’ They were puffy and I looked like I hadn’t slept for a week.
“People would constantly ask if I was tired or if I’d been crying. It was the one thing I couldn’t control.
“As a single mum, dipping into my savings to have surgery brought a huge sense of guilt – but it didn’t feel like a cosmetic need to me. This is something that impacted my confidence almost every day.
READ MORE: Blue Badge disabled parking full list of everyone who automatically qualifiesREAD MORE: ‘I’m a nurse – this diet causes strokes but here’s how to avoid them’
“Everyone tells me I look so much younger now. I’ve de-aged myself by 10 years.”
Lucy arranged an appointment with a specialist in Brussels to have the “fat pockets” around her eyes removed. This procedure is known as lower lid blepharoplasty, a type of eyelid surgery used to tighten the skin and soft tissues for a more youthful appearance.
The London resident took the Eurostar to the Belgian capital and paid £2,000 for the private procedure. She also paid out an additional £550 for a Eurostar ticket and overnight hotel stay.
She said leaving her children – daughter Lacie, 11, and son Elliott, eight – was particularly challenging. She said: “I went on a Tuesday morning, visited some markets and took in the sights, and then had the surgery first thing Wednesday morning.
“It took just half an hour – I was back on the Eurostar home that afternoon. As a single mum, I didn’t have much time to recover and rest.
“It was hard. I wish I could have stayed a bit longer but my kids needed their mum.
READ MORE: Three PIP conditions set to ‘keep their payments’ in new DWP points systemREAD MORE: Easy diet change at 70 ‘adds 6 years to life’ and ‘lowers dementia risk’
“When he saw my eyes after surgery, Elliott ran and locked himself in his bedroom. He couldn’t face being around me.
“My daughter was a diamond and didn’t leave my side. I had to take them to school in the middle of winter with sunglasses on and my head down.”
The recovery process was challenging. Although she faced weeks of swelling and stitches, Lucy firmly believes it was all “worth it.” The mother of two underwent the procedure in December last year and has now fully healed.
READ MORE: Driving law changes could see major new roadside checks for ‘tired’ issueREAD MORE: Village where one in 10 people live to 100 all have one thing in common
As a result, Lucy claims to have experienced a significant boost in confidence, saying: “I’m a lot more confident.”
With two children to care for, Lucy appreciates the time-saving aspect of her newfound confidence, explaining: “I have two children, so if I can walk out of the house and not feel like I need makeup or look tired, it saves me a lot more time.”
She added that the treatment has left her face feeling revitalised, stating: “My face feels a lot fresher.”