20-year-old with condition which makes her age dramatically undergoes facelift

Since the age of 12, Zara Hartshorn has been mistaken for a woman in her forties due to a disease that she inherited from her mother who despite only being 43, is often mistaken for a pensioner.

Both the mother and daughter, from Rotherham, South Yorkshire, have been told that their elderly appearances are down to a rare condition known as Cutis Laxa – a condition that causes a group of rare connective tissue disorders in which the skin becomes inelastic and hands in loose folds.

Alongside this, the condition can cause serious health problems, affecting the lungs, heart and arteries.

While the health problems terrified Zara, she was more focused on the appearance as it was hugely affecting her self-esteem. And so, in a bid to find self-confidence, Zara underwent a four-hour facelift, which shaved years off of her.

She was ecstatic about her new face, and brimmed with confidence – even inspiring her mother to undergo the same procedure to help her look her real age.

With new-found confidence, all Zara wanted was to lead an ordinary life. She had changed so much inside – even finding the confidence to begin dating, and ultimately falling for her first proper boyfriend.

It would be a happy ending, but sadly there is more to this story. Zara’s world came crashing down when she suffered a miscarriage, and her relationship ended soon after. Since then, Zara still fears meeting new people.

And, to make matters worse, four years since surgery, Zara’s facelift is slowly failing.

She explained: ‘My facelift has dropped, especially when I smile and I don’t like it. It’s horrible, it makes me feel old. But I’m 20, I want to have fun. I want to be 20 and act 20.’

And it’s not just Zara’s physical appearance that is affecting her – as her health is said to be deteriorating. After contacting her doctor, fears were heightened as she was told that her heart could fail at any time due to her condition.

After undergoing a heart scan, Zara’s heart is said to be currently okay – but the scare has forced her to come to terms with the illness and the fact it can affect more than just her looks.

And since accepting this fact, Zara is hoping to put all of her positive energy into raising awareness of the condition and making sure other sufferers know they’re not alone.

Zara said: ‘It is actually a serious illness and I’m disregarding it like it’s not even serious. I’m terrified.’

‘In all honesty, I don’t blame anyone for this illness. As daft as it sounds, everyone’s born the way they are for a reason and there is a reason I am the way I am

‘For me, the future is about trying to help as many people as possible that have got the same condition as me.

‘I would like to inspire and try to help and reach out to those people that are scared to come forward and admit to the world that they have got this illness.’

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