Australian Drag queen Tomi Grainger trolled for getting a facelift at 28 years old

An Australian drag performer must face a barrage of cruel comments as they share their recovery from facelift surgery at age 28.

Tomi Grainger, from Sydney, who goes by she/their pronouns, has documented their pre- and post-surgery journey on TikTok, with many viewers wondering why they would have such an ‘unnecessary’ procedure so young.

But Tomi has hit back at the trolls by saying the facelift was done to remove loose skin that resulted from a bout of anorexia and extreme weight loss in their teens and early twenties.

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They told FEMAIL that in the midst of their eating disorder, they went from 70kg to just 40kg very quickly, resulting in a lot of long-term damage to their bodies and the skin of their faces around their mouths.

Tomi started getting facial fillers in their early twenties as a short-term fix, until their injector suggested seeing a plastic surgeon.

“It never really bothered me until I noticed heavy cracks around my mouth a few hours after wearing makeup,” they told FEMAIL.

“I’m a drag queen, so my looks mean a lot to me. You often let yourself be photographed, you see yourself in videos, and I started to fixate on it.’

Tomi said they tried filler, “microcurrent” gadgets that use tiny electrical currents to tone facial muscles and “pretty much everything,” before finally deciding to take the plunge and get a facelift.

“Since I had a history of anorexia, I had reduced my skin collagen and made it much more elastic than an ordinary 28-year-old man. The operation was the only solution,” said the queer activist.

“Yes, there was a physical reason for having this procedure and, of course, a psychological component. It wasn’t something I decided to do overnight. This was a few years of considering all my other options. I have no regrets.’

They said they were awake throughout the procedure and admitted it was not a “pleasant experience.”

“You have a local anesthetic and this numbs the area, but honestly you can feel pretty much everything,” they recalled.

“I could hear the clipping of my skin and the smell of my flesh as it was sealed against bleeding.”

Already a popular TikToker, Tomi shared the details of their surgery and recovery with their fans, resulting in a spate of nasty comments.

‘What’s wrong with these doctors?!!!! Unbelievable!!!,’ said one person.

‘Why? People are going too far these days,” another asked.

“If this helped anything to decline it, so thank you,” a third joked.

However, Tomi is not worried and the decision to have a facelift was the right one for them.

They have yet to see the full results of the surgery as their face is still somewhat sore, swollen and still recovering.

“Even if I had the surgery with no medical history, it shouldn’t matter. As an educated and informed adult under the guidance of a knowledgeable medical professional, we should feel empowered to make the decision that feels right to us,” they said.

“I’m sure there are many more people who would have plastic surgery to improve their lives if they weren’t afraid of what others would say in response.”

They said their family thought they were “crazy” at first, but they have recovered and support their decision.

Tomi said they are “proud” that they have taken the steps to be happier in their own skin and “repair the damage” they caused when they were younger.

“It’s so easy to look at and judge someone without empathy. In fact, we do this for our own self-validation and to mask insecurities that are wedged deep into our own subconscious,” they said.

“We need to respect and celebrate everyone’s journey to creating the person they want to be.”