AZ Martinez Shares Her Advice on Getting Cosmetic Enhancements

“'Yung mom ko and 'yung kuya ko, ang ganda ng ilong nila,” AZ shared to Karen. She would often wonder, “Bakit hindi ko nakuha 'yung ilong niyo?” Even though she grew up having a close bond with her mom and her brother, she would often have difficulty looking at them without a feeling of frustration.

Unsolicited input from other people certainly did not help, either. “Magkakambal daw si mommy 'tsaka si kuya. Ako, saan daw?” The insecurity formed at a young age, seemingly rooted in a desire for a sense of belonging. AZ unhesitantly revealed, “For my 18th birthday, I got it done.” She added that the process is not as simple and easy as it seems, disclosing that her first nose job became infected and that she went for another procedure to fix it last year.

When Karen asked AZ if she was happy with her decision, she answered right away, seemingly straightforward. “I wish I [had] thought about it more,” she said. “Looking back [at my old photos], nasasabi ko, ‘parang it wasn’t that bad naman!’” and that adding contour was probably enough to solve her insecurity in hindsight. These thoughts aside, she is happy overall.

AZ imparted words of advice for those for whom her story resonates. “Think about it talaga” if having a cosmetic enhancement has been crossing your mind. She frankly shared, “May times na napapa-isip ako na sana hindi na lang. Ang gastos din.” However, once you’ve reached a firm decision, there’s no need to let anything or anyone stop you! “Whatever makes you happy, whatever makes you confident, go for it.”

For AZ, what matters is making a choice that’s really what you want for yourself. “One of my regrets also is hindi ko masyadong minahal sarili ko, kaya I jumped into impulsive decisions.” AZ highlighted, “Learn to love yourself also without those [things]. That’s one thing na I should have done.”