Young woman cruelly dubbed ‘freak-face’ for a DECADE due to severe underbite says she’ll ‘never take for granted being able to show when I’m happy’

She was mocked and taunted throughout her entire teenage life for a severe underbite that meant she couldn’t eat or smile properly.

But now Londoner Stefanie Grant is having the last laugh as she’s able to smile again for the first time since having two rounds of successful surgery.

The 25-year-old blogger was born with a birth defect - known as class III asymmetric malocclusion – that dentists first picked up on it when she was 11.

"I was referred to a hospital where I was eventually diagnosed with the condition and told that I'd need major facial surgery when I was older,” said Stefanie.

"Suddenly I started looking at myself differently, and noticed all these flaws.

"The older I got, and as my face grew, it became more asymmetrical with one side longer than the other.

"It was just awful - sometimes I couldn't speak or eat properly - I was very self-conscious."

She then had to have seven teeth removed at the age of 13 and wear a brace until she was 23.

"At 22, I started to develop severe facial pain - even a strong gust of wind across my face left me in agony,” she said.

"I couldn't eat, sleep or function on a day to day basis, and couldn't concentrate on my studies at university.

"It wasn't until my jaw had stopped growing, and my teeth were in the right position, that I could finally have the operation.

"When I was finally told I could have it I was thrilled, but it was scary at the same time. I knew I would end up looking totally different, and I didn't really know how to prepare myself for that.

"There are also major risks involved that might have left me with facial numbness and possibly would have made my debilitating pain worse - it was terrifying."

Stefanie underwent her first major operation in August 2011, sitting through eight-hour surgery that involved rotating her bottom jaw and moving it back towards her face.

Her top jaw was pushed forward and to the side and then her jaw was held in place with titanium plates and screws.

They were removed in a second operation in December 2012 – and now she’s almost completely recovered.

"Before the first surgery, my natural face just looked a bit sad. People used to tell me to cheer up and that I was miserable - but I wasn't,” she said.

"It was really hard to deal with, especially as a teenager, I felt like people didn't see the real me, they just saw my face.

"I was called a freak and long face, it was awful. The surgery was difficult and it's been painful, but the difference is incredible.

"Being able to smile now, and show people that I'm happy, has been life changing.

"I still suffer from some numbness and pain, but it's a big improvement, and the fact that I'll now be able to eat correctly, is a huge relief."

The full-time blogger admitted that straight after surgery, she hated the look of her face – and it took six months to get used to.

"When I first saw my face I hated it - I was swollen and I just looked like a blown up bowling ball.

"It wasn't until six months later when I looked at myself, when the swelling had gone down, that I suddenly realised how different I looked.

"After years of picking out flaws, it was hard at first to see that my face was how it always should have been.

"I also had to learn how to talk and chew again which was difficult.

"But my face was so symmetrical - it was a big confidence boost. Being able to smile, and show when I'm happy, is something I'll never take for granted."

Stefanie admitted that people listen to her now that she doesn’t have the underbite – because they’re not staring at her chin.

"The biggest thing I notice is how differently people treat me now - which is awful when you think about it,” she said.

"People are much nicer to me, and they listen to me when I speak, rather than just stare at my face. I'm seen as more approachable."

She said the effects of the surgery make her feel like she’s starting to actually live her life again.

"I'm working on my confidence, and I'm slowly starting to feel like I have a new lease of life,” she said.

For more information visit Stefanie's blog at http://steffies-orthognathic-surgery.blogspot.co.uk/

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