Kim Hartnett shares three-year struggle after multiple failed nose surgeries

Australian influencer Kim Hartnett has shared a detailed account of her three-year struggle following multiple nose surgeries, warning followers about the serious risks associated with elective cosmetic procedures.

In an Instagram post originally shared on March 28, Hartnett opened up about undergoing three separate rhinoplasty operations, describing the experience as “one of the hardest journeys” of her life.

The post included a series of images documenting her recovery and complications across each procedure.

“I get DMs every week asking about my nose. So here’s the full story,” she wrote. “I’m sharing this in the hope it helps someone think twice and make an informed decision.”

Hartnett said her first surgery left her with severe complications, including a collapsed nostril and difficulty breathing.

She also claimed the results included asymmetry and significant structural damage.

“The surgeon I chose is well-known across social media, yet I was left in a devastating condition,” she wrote, adding that a partial refund was later offered under a non-disclosure agreement.

Following a revision surgery, Hartnett said surgeons discovered extensive internal damage, describing the nose as “essentially just a mass of scar tissue.”

While the procedure initially restored her ability to breathe, she later developed a serious infection that further complicated her recovery.

“I contacted my surgeon immediately and was put on antibiotics, but unfortunately, it was already too late,” she wrote, noting that the infection ultimately reversed many of the surgical results and led to further structural collapse.

She then underwent months of treatment and injections in an effort to stabilise her condition before pursuing a final reconstructive surgery nearly nine months later.

Hartnett traveled to Turkey for her third procedure, where she was treated by a specialist in complex revision cases. The surgery involved reconstructing her nose using rib cartilage and additional tissue grafts.

“I went into this surgery with realistic expectations,” she said. “I wasn’t chasing perfection. I just wanted something stable, functional, and natural. He exceeded every single one of those expectations.”

Now several months after her final surgery, Hartnett says she finally feels like herself again, though she reflects on the emotional and physical toll of the experience.

“If I could go back and never have that first surgery, I would,” she wrote. “But I can’t.”

She concluded her post with a warning to others considering cosmetic procedures, stressing that the risks are often underestimated.

“The risks of surgery are very real. You never think it will happen to you,” she wrote. “But it did. And it cost me three years of my life that I’ll never get back.”