A popular influencer recently shared stories of how she was stopped at various airport security checkpoints after receiving cosmetic surgery. Ashley Stobart, who currently has almost 100k followers on Instagram, revealed that on multiple occasions, security agents were sure that she was a different person, or at least when they tried to compare her with her passport photos.
An additional security scrutiny takes place when the official is unsure about the makeup or hair color. Of course, when someone goes under the knife, it becomes pretty difficult for the agent to recognize them. While getting a lip filler or blepharoplasty could give you a full makeover, it could surely lead to some trouble before you catch your flight.
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UK influencer Stobart’s story further reveals what happens when you get stopped at security checkpoints just because of being “unrecognizable.” As reported by The New York Post, in a recent episode of the Nip & Tuck podcast, Ashley says that she was stopped by an official who insisted that she was not the same woman as the one in her passport photo, as they looked different.
“I got stopped, and they were, like, ‘This is not you; have you got like credit cards on you and stuff?’ she said. However, she is not the only woman who had to face this at the airport. Oftentimes, women who go under the knife and come out with a successful result face problems while going through security checkpoints. Having to prove that you are the same person as in your passport every time could be a massive hassle that no one wants.
The Post also featured the story of Janaína Prazeres. She is also an influencer who has had over 20 procedures done, and it cost about $1 million. Prazeres revealed that she also had to face additional scrutiny while she was traveling. In a shocking turn of events, she was stopped by officials who attempted to block her from entering the United States because her appearance had undergone a dramatic makeover and couldn’t be recognized.
The model said, “I always knew this could happen at some point because my appearance has changed a lot over the years.”
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Gessica Kayane, another model, also had to deal with a similar situation. Kayane also got a few cosmetic procedures done, including a lip filler, nose job, breast lift and augmentation, and fat removal from her face. She also looked vastly different from her passport photo while traveling home to Brazil. According to the post, she nearly missed her flight due to a delay in additional scrutiny.
Experts say that facial recognition software works better when the passport photos match the existing faces, making the job a lot easier for the officials. This is why professionals advise that you should update your passport photo to make travel a lot easier. According to the U.S. Department of State, updating a passport could take up to four weeks, which can be reduced to three weeks via expedited services.
