‘My 11-year battle for the right nostril – how fillers and a 1cm gap led me to Turkey’
EXCLUSIVE: Annie Mae Dawes suffered with severe breathing issues since birth and spent her childhood feeling insecure about her nose – after years of frustration, she took matters into her own hands
Annie Mae Dawes has battled severe breathing issues since birth. But that didn’t stop her from taking TikTok by storm with her raw and honest journey to self-confidence.
The 23-year-old Londoner, who has racked up over 1.7 million likes on some of her videos, spent years feeling insecure about her nose—something that had troubled her since she was just 11 years old.
But Annie wasn’t just dealing with self-doubt—her nose also caused real health struggles.
Determined to carve out a career in the beauty industry, she started working as a makeup artist at just 14, taking clients on weekends and even working weddings.
Fast forward to today, and she’s worked at some of the UK’s biggest events, including Capital’s Summertime Ball, Jingle Bell Ball, the National Television Awards, and London Fashion Week.
Through it all, Annie has been open about every step of her transformation, inspiring countless followers along the way.
“I’ve struggled with severe breathing issues my whole life, and my nose became something I fixated on,” Annie admits.
“By the time I turned 23, I finally decided it was time to address it properly with a septorhinoplasty.”
The journey to her decision wasn’t straightforward. Annie had tried quick fixes like fillers, hoping they’d improve her nose’s appearance. Instead, they made her nose look bigger and gave it a strange shape.
“Fillers were such a disappointment,” she recalls.
“They weren’t solving anything; they were just masking the problem.”
What followed was an 11-year search for the right surgeon.
“I consulted countless ENT specialists and surgeons both in the UK and Turkey,” Annie shares.
“It wasn’t just about the aesthetics—I needed someone who could fix my breathing too. Finding a surgeon who could do both was crucial.”
Her breathing issues, as she later discovered, stemmed from her airways being 60% blocked by a deviated septum, combined with an untreated nasal fracture.
“What made it so frustrating was how long it took to get answers,” Annie says.
“I’ve been seeing doctors for my nose since I was a little girl, but no one could figure out what was wrong. Me and my mum pushed and pushed, but we kept hitting dead ends.”
Annie is quick to acknowledge the importance of the NHS, saying, “I’m incredibly grateful we have access to free healthcare in the UK. The NHS has been amazing for other health issues, but when it came to my nose, I just got unlucky.”
Unfortunately, many of her consultations ended the same way—with her being prescribed the same ineffective steroid sprays repeatedly.
“I must have been given about 10 prescriptions for the same spray,” she says. “I’d use it for the full duration, go back to the doctor, tell them it hadn’t helped, and they’d just say, ‘Give it another go.’ It was maddening.”
Annie later learned that overusing those sprays weakened her nose.
“Another spray I used became an addiction without me even realising it. It worked by reducing swelling, but the moment I stopped using it, my nose would swell worse than before. I used it daily for years—way beyond the recommended seven days.”
This misuse caused serious damage, including a 1cm hole in her septum.
“When my surgeon saw my nose during the consultation, he literally gasped,” Annie remembers.
“It looked like I’d been using illegal substances, even though I’d never touched drugs in my life. It was horrifying to think something over-the-counter could cause that.”
After years of frustration, Annie decided to take matters into her own hands and look abroad for a solution. Her research led her to Turkey, a country renowned for its rhinoplasty expertise.
“Turkey has some of the most experienced surgeons in the world, and rhinoplasty is something they’re incredibly skilled at,” she explains.
“That said, I did extensive research to ensure I found the right surgeon for me.”
“Doing thorough research on your surgeon is absolutely essential,” Annie shared.
“It’s your face, your confidence, and your future—you have to make sure you’re in the best hands.”
Speaking about her surgeon, Dr Mehmet Erdil, Annie was full of praise.
“His style was exactly what I wanted—natural and not too upturned. His Instagram had so many before-and-afters, especially of noses similar to mine. And his reviews weren’t just good; they were glowing, detailed paragraphs from happy patients.”
“He’s so knowledgeable and humble. I felt completely at ease after my consultation. He’s not willing to take risks that could cause issues later, which gave me so much confidence in him.”
Annie acknowledges the challenges of travelling abroad for surgery.
“There are pros and cons. It’s definitely cheaper, and the surgeons are highly skilled, but the downside is that if something goes wrong, you might have to travel back for revisions.”
Her surgery, which cost £3,555, included everything from removing her nose hump to fixing her deviated septum.
“They used a rasp and Piezo device to remove the hump, performed osteotomies, and harvested cartilage from my nose for spreader grafts to improve breathing and proportion,” she explains.
“They also refined the tip with stitches and added a strut graft to lift and strengthen it.”
Annie’s total expenses, including flights, accommodation, and insurance, came to £4,288.
“I flew with Wizz Air for £52 round-trip and stayed in an Airbnb for nine nights, which cost £340. I booked insurance through Medical Travel Shield, which covers elective surgery abroad, just in case anything went wrong.”
Annie is now thrilled with the results.
“It’s been nearly a year, and the outside looks nice, but the real win is the inside—I can finally breathe properly for the first time in my life,” she says with a smile.
“I pinch myself every day,” she says.
“I can finally look in the mirror and feel confident. It’s been a long journey, but it’s so worth it.”
