Beauty advisor is finally able to flash a smile after enduring surgery to correct a severe underbite
‘People thought I was on drugs because I looked like I was GURNING’: Incredible transformation of beauty advisor, 20, who was bullied for years over her severe underbite
- Loulou Rich’s bottom jaw sat 8mm too far forward due to a class 3 underbite
- Too self conscious to smile, she tried to hide her face in photographs
- She finally had surgery last January and is now more confident than ever
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A beauty advisor is finally able to flash a smile after undergoing gruelling surgery to realign her jaw and correct her underbite.
Loulou Rich, 20, was bullied throughout her childhood for her appearance, which was caused by a severe class 3 underbite and resulted in her bottom jaw sitting 8mm (0.3inch) too far forward.
She said: ‘People would ask if I was on drugs because it looked like I was gurning, they would tell me I had a messed up face.’
After spending almost three years in braces, Miss Rich underwent a four-hour operation last January, which saw surgeons cut through and realign her upper and lower jaw.
Seven months on, Miss Rich, from Tunbridge Wells, Kent, is braces free and cannot hide her delight.
Loulou Rich is finally able to flash a smile after undergoing gruelling surgery to realign her jaw and correct her underbite. Before the operation, she tried to hide her face in photographs
She had a severe class 3 underbite, which caused her bottom jaw to sit 8mm too far forward
An X-ray taken before the surgery shows how forward and unaligned her bottom jaw was
WHAT IS AN UNDERBITE?
An underbite occurs when a person’s lower teeth and jaw protrude over their upper teeth.
This is usually inherited from a parent who also has the condition.
Other causes include thumb sucking, babies using dummies and prolonged bottle feeding.
Aside from a sufferer’s appearance, other symptoms can include headaches, poor self-esteem and teeth grinding or breaking.
Braces are the most common treatment but can make wearers, particularly children, feel self conscious.
Specially-made headgears can be effective but are highly noticeable and often uncomfortable.
In extreme cases, surgery to shave off the jaw bone is required as a last resort.
It is unclear how many people suffer from an underbite in the UK or US.
Source: Colgate
Miss Rich was first diagnosed with an underbite during a visit to the dentist at 13 years old.
Despite the severity of her condition, her orthodontist decided to wait until she was 17 and had lost all her baby teeth to fit her with braces.
Once Miss Rich’s jaw stopped growing at the age of 19, the teen was declared ready for surgery.
Surgeons at the Queen Victoria Hospital in East Grinstead, Sussex, split Miss Rich’s jaw apart before moving the bottom one back 4mm (0.15inch) and the top one forward 4mm.
For six weeks after, Miss Rich suffered swelling and bruising on her face and neck but maintains any discomfort was totally worth it.
She said: ‘I had my surgery in January and it is literally the best thing that’s ever happened in my life.
‘Before surgery I was really scared about what I was going to look like. I was worried I would wake up and I would look even worse.
‘It was so much better when I woke up than I ever would have imagined.’
Now confident, Miss Rich describes the surgery as ‘the best thing that ever happened’ to her
Before, Miss Rich claims she was always self conscious of her profile and tried to hide it
Although the surgery was a success, Miss Rich developed swelling and bruising shortly after
Now the swelling has gone down, Miss Rich claims her jaw looks better than she could have ever imagined, adding ‘this is the part of my life I’ve always waited for’
Even after enduring the surgery, Miss Rich still required braces and did not fully appreciate how much her appearance had changed until they were removed.
She said: ‘Looking in a mirror for the first time I nearly cried, I was in shock. I’d forgotten what my own teeth looked like.
‘I was so happy with how my jaw looked, it was amazing. I haven’t stopped smiling since.
‘Being able to smile probably doesn’t seem like a big deal to most people but when you’ve spent your life hiding and battling insecurities, it means so much. This is the part of my life I’ve always waited for.
‘I’m so much more confident now. I’ll chat to absolutely anyone without worrying about what I look like. I finally feel like I can just be myself.’
Miss Rich claims that while most people take being able to flash a smile for granted, when you have ‘spent your life hiding and battling insecurities, it means so much’
Before having the surgery at 19, Miss Rich was forced to wear braces, which her dentist would not fit until she was 17 years old and had lost all of her baby teeth
Post surgery, Miss Rich no longer worries about her appearances and can just be herself
Although the surgery caused swelling, Miss Rich insists any discomfort was totally worth it
Although confident with her new looks, Miss Rich was the victim of bullying at school, with people asking her if her gurning appearance was down to her taking drugs
Speaking of her former appearance, Miss Rich said: ‘For as long as I can remember I have been self-conscious about my profile. It always seemed a bit off, I never liked it.
‘I got braces when I was 17 after all my adult teeth had come through but as my teeth straightened up, they pushed my bottom jaw even further forward. It really stood out.
‘I stopped smiling. I don’t think you’ll find a single photo of me smiling from back then. In every photo I would try to hide my jaw, covering my face with a drink or hiding behind people. It was horrible.
‘I would use makeup and contouring kits to try to make my jaw look more normal.’
Miss Rich’s prominent jaw also caused her to be the victim of bullying when she was younger.
She said: ‘I became really shy and would avoid speaking to people because I thought they would judge me for my braces and my underbite.
‘My underbite didn’t just affect my confidence; because my teeth didn’t meet I also found it impossible to tear food and I had to use my tongue. It was really frustrating.’
After overcoming the bullies and finally having the surgery she desired for so long, Miss Rich is keen to send a message to others battling what she went through.
She said: ‘I want everyone else to know there’s a light at the end of the tunnel. The surgery will literally change your life.
‘And if you’re getting bullied or nasty comments then just remember that you will have the last laugh. You’ll be the one who comes out smiling.’
After being shy for years, Miss Rich believes she has had the last laugh over her bullies
She wants to tell others with underbites that ‘there’s a light at the end of the tunnel’
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