A singleton who swore off dating after bullies branded her 'horse face' due to her extreme overbite finally feels confident again after jaw surgery left her 'looking like Kate Beckinsale'. Olivia Boardman underwent an arduous six-hour operation that saw her top and bottom jaw broken and brought forward and also underwent a genioplasty to change the position of her chin.
The 29-year-old was desperate to have the surgery after being tormented through school and university by cruel bullies for her protruding jaw and larger teeth, crushing her confidence. The film and TV trailer maker reached breaking point when she was left struggling to walk and talk due to the overbite impacting her airways.
Olivia, who is originally from Manchester, made the life-changing decision earlier this year to undergo £25,000 double jaw surgery, half of which was covered by her medical insurance. Weeks since the operation in September, Olivia said she has been given a new lease of life - praising both the health and cosmetic benefits of the surgery.
Since documenting her journey on social media, stunned users have been wowed by her transformation - even comparing Olivia's new profile to that of stunning actress Kate Beckinsale. Even though Olivia won't see the full results of her operation until six months to a year after going under the knife, she already feels over the moon with her altered appearance.
![Olivia Boardman facing sideward with a swollen face](https://i2-prod.walesonline.co.uk/incoming/article28188763.ece/ALTERNATES/s615b/0_KNM_HORSE_FACE_TO_KATE_BECKINSALE_10.jpg)
Olivia, from Wembley, London, said: "Already so far I'm so happy. It was so strange to see myself, I was so happy and relieved. I can't stop looking at my side profile.
"One person said I looked like Kate Beckinsale online, it's ridiculous. Someone even called me a supermodel, which I don't think I am by any means, it's just a dream.
"My breathing is insane now. I feel so much more awake and refreshed, it feels effortless to breathe. I've still got a lot of healing to do but I can already tell my confidence has gone up a lot, I'm so happy with it."
Olivia first became self-conscious of her jaw at school when bullies would insult her appearance on a daily basis. The cruel comments continued until her twenties when Olivia began seriously considering double jaw surgery.
Olivia said: "It was something that was a constant thing for me every day. I got picked on at school, it was something I was very aware of. It probably started when I was 10 or 11. They used to call me horse face and that typical sort of stuff.
"It got really bad at one point. I was bullied all the way through high school, all the way through college, even at university. I'd always get the same insults - horse face, beaver.
"I was so aware of my face looking so different from everyone else's. My nose hadn't formed correctly because of my jaw and my eyes didn't sit correctly.
"I just didn't want to date. I'd go out with pretty nice people and I'd always get dumped. That always made me feel insecure, it made me question 'what's wrong with me?'. It had such a big impact on my confidence.
"When I was younger, I was told I'd need double jaw surgery when I was older. The way my jaws were growing was too much of an overbite and my airways on the x-rays were showing quite small.
"As I got older, it was getting worse so I tried again with my dentist but I gave up again and thought I'd live with it. I got to 27 and 28 and it started to become difficult to eat, difficult to speak and my anxiety was through the roof. I knew something wasn't right."
![Olivia Boardman stood in front of a Ferris wheel wearing an orange puffer jacket](https://i2-prod.walesonline.co.uk/incoming/article28188777.ece/ALTERNATES/s615b/0_KNM_HORSE_FACE_TO_KATE_BECKINSALE_1.jpg)
In January last year, Olivia hit her breaking point as her health began deteriorating due to her overbite. She was told the overbite was causing sleep apnea resulting in lower oxygen levels reaching her brain - causing confusion and exhaustion.
This prompted Olivia to undergo private double jaw surgery on September 27th costing £25,000 - half of which was covered under her medical insurance.
Olivia said: "It got to the point where it was unbearable, it hurt to talk. I felt so ridiculously tired. I couldn't get my words out and my jaw was aching. It had such an impact on my day to day life.
"The sleep apnea caused me so much anxiety that I couldn't even walk across the street because I had barely any oxygen getting to my brain. I was so fed up, the world felt like a blur to me.
"The operation wasn't just for aesthetics, it was for my health. I was so scared I wouldn't like my face even more after the operation. You get so used to seeing yourself."
After a two-day stint in hospital, four weeks off work and a month-long liquid diet, Olivia finally has the jaw of her dreams but admits she still has a lot more healing to go before seeing the full results.
Olivia said: "I have this new burst of energy, which is something nobody really prepares you for. I've been given a new lease of life."