EYE DON'T EVEN KNOW HER

Reality Star Reveals Unusual Side Effect of Eyelid Surgery

The reality star’s cosmetic procedure left her unrecognizable.

Katie Ginella’s latest transformation has left even her own phone doing a double take.

The 42-year-old former Real Housewives of Orange County alum shared her recovery from upper- and lower-eyelid surgery on Instagram last week, revealing that swelling had left her iPhone’s Face ID unable to recognize her.

“I’m in bed recovering the morning after surgery,” Ginella said in a TikTok video showing the swelling and stitches around her eyes.

Her son Bandon had questions of his own, holding up his fingers to test her vision.

“Bandon, I’m not blind,” she recalled telling him.

Ginella underwent an upper and lower blepharoplasty, a procedure that removes excess eyelid skin and can also remove or reposition muscle and fat to create a more refreshed appearance.

According to the Mayo Clinic, patients can experience temporary swelling, bruising, and discomfort, with bruising and swelling generally subsiding over 10 to 14 days.

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Ginella has been documenting the less glamorous side of recovery, including wearing an ice-pack mask. The Mayo Clinic recommends applying ice packs after surgery to manage swelling.

By her third day post-op, the reality star had devised an unconventional beauty hack.

Ginella, who said she washes her hair every day, explained that she had an in-person meeting but could not yet get her eyes wet.

Her solution? Tape a large Ziploc bag across her forehead to shield her healing eyelids from the shower.

“It’s unhinged, I know. Just go with it,” she joked as she prepared the makeshift barrier.

After showering, she lifted the dripping bag to reveal a completely dry face.

“New hack,” she declared.

In another update from the school pickup line, the former golf reporter said she had barely needed pain medication.

“I took one the night of my surgery, just in case I like woke up in pain or something,” she said. “But I haven’t taken one since then.”

Her strangest post-surgery surprise was waking up covered in French fries.

Ginella said she and her husband, Matt, had stopped at a Raising Cane’s drive-through, where she apparently requested multiple orders of fries—though she had no memory of it.

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Despite the bruising, she was thrilled with her results.

“I’m actually so happy with the results already that I cannot wait for like one week post-op,” she said.

But before the procedure, Ginella had faced criticism over her decision to change her eyelids.

On an Oct. 31 episode of her podcast, Bravo’s Most Wanted, she said commenters accused her of wanting to look white.

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“This is my choice and this is something that I’ve wanted to do for a very long time,” she said.

Ginella, who is Korean American and was adopted, acknowledged that she once wished she looked different.

“When I was younger and adopted and very insecure about being the only Asian in my town, yes, I wanted blonde hair and blue eyes,” she said. “I wanted to fit in. But right now, I love that I don’t. And I love that I’m different.”

“I’m not trying to be white,” she added. “I love, truly love being Korean.”

She said the surgery was simply “a choice that I made to do something to enhance my eyes. That’s it.”

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Tamilore OshikanluContributor

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