A young Malaysian mom became a viral topic online after showing the dramatic physical changes to her face, including wrinkling and swelling due to her pregnancy, which saw her gain a deceptively aged appearance.

The woman, identified as 28-year-old Farah Faizal, first shared her transformation in late, posting photos that showed her face looking decades older due to inflammation and deep wrinkles. However, her story began to gain traction in August as she chronicled both her physical and emotional alteration.

“I survived 9 months of chaos, cried my eyes out over my face, and now I am a mother of a child. The healing process is ongoing,” she wrote, sharing that her usual skincare routine has failed as her condition worsened during pregnancy.

The case quickly attracted global intrigue, with many curious as to the severity changes making her young mom nearly unrecognisable, given her seemingly severely aged profile. The ordeal also took an emotional toll, for which she credits her husband for his support. “I can’t imagine being with anyone else in this life. My husband is my home, soothes my fears, holds my lips when I panic. He always reminds me how beautiful, strong and worthy of love I am,” she said.

It’s further understood that, while her posts gained intrigue, they also attracted criticism. Some accused her of oversharing or faking the images. In response, Farah announced she would stop posting about her condition, noting that her goal was only to raise awareness. “I don’t owe anyone an explanation. But the truth is, my mental health is affected when some people unintentionally ignore what pregnancy hormones can do to a woman’s body, skin and emotions,” she explained.

Following the successful birth of their child, she later noted that the swelling had begun to recede, with the wrinkles also disappearing.