While cosmetic enhancement isn’t exactly an everyday affair, it isn’t unheard of either. Every so often, someone opts for a little physical tweak—perhaps refining the nose, enhancing the lips, adjusting the bust, or simply chasing that coveted facial luminosity.
But Jessica Alves, once known to the world as Rodrigo Alves, didn’t just dip a toe into the waters of transformation—she plunged headlong, undergoing an extraordinary cascade of nearly 70 procedures to shape herself into a living Barbie doll.
It’s entirely natural to feel a degree of disconnect with one’s reflection. Dissatisfaction with parts of ourselves can be deeply personal, often shaped by inner insecurities or societal noise. Still, amid the chatter and the mirrors, it’s vital to anchor oneself in this truth: you are inherently remarkable. No scalpel or opinion can alter your innate worth or the luminous potential you carry.
While some seek out plastic surgery to subtly adjust features, Jessica took a seismic leap—choosing to redefine her entire visage, crafting an identity that mirrored her vision rather than the world’s expectations.
Jessica Alves – transition
Jessica Alves’ journey took a pivotal turn in the early months of 2020. In a candid conversation with The Mirror, she stepped into the light of her truth, publicly sharing her identity as a transgender woman.
Born Rodrigo, Jessica declared, “I’m known as Ken, but inside I’ve always felt like Barbie.” At 36 years old, she finally embraced the reflection she long yearned to see. “I finally feel like the real me—glamorous, beautiful, and feminine,” she said, radiating a sense of liberation that had long remained hidden beneath the surface.
From that day, she goes by Roddy and uses “she” and “her” pronouns.
Came out as transgender
Jessica’s metamorphosis continued with the aid of hormone therapy, which gradually sculpted her figure—feminine curves emerging, most notably in her hips. With platinum-blonde extensions cascading down her shoulders, fluttering lashes, and a D-cup silhouette, she fully embraced her identity. By July, she publicly adopted the name Jessica, sealing her transformation with authenticity.
“For years I tried to perform masculinity like a role in a poorly written play,” she confessed. “I sculpted artificial abs, carved faux muscles into my arms—but the truth? I was deceiving myself.” She paused, then added with quiet certainty, “I am a woman. My brain has always been painted in feminine hues. Now, at last, my body reflects my spirit.”
Jessica has not shied away from the public eye. Her boldness brought her to Celebrity Big Brother in 2018, and she even dipped into the world of pop music, releasing a track titled Plastic World with Italian cosmetic surgeon Giacomo Urtis. On Instagram, she commands an audience of over a million, and before the spotlight, she once soared through the skies as a flight attendant.
But where did this journey begin?
Born Rodrigo Alves on July 30th, 1983, in the vibrant city of São Paulo, Brazil, Jessica entered the world as a child of dual heritage—British father, Brazilian mother. Even in early childhood, signs of her true self shimmered beneath the surface. Her grandfather, with quiet acceptance, gifted her dolls and gave her the freedom to explore identity through dress and play—laying the first stones on the path that would lead her to Jessica.
Jessica Alves – childhood
Many would argue that an ideal childhood isn’t one molded by rigid societal expectations, but rather one that allows a child to follow their own compass—choosing authenticity over conformity.
For Jessica Alves, this notion wasn’t just a quiet wish—it was the seed of a lifelong transformation. Her early fascination with dolls wasn’t a fleeting whim; it was an expression of identity, a gentle rebellion against the boxed-in roles the world tried to hand her. From this tender beginning, her love for dolls evolved into something much greater—a visual declaration to the world of who she truly was, and a refusal to live by anyone’s script but her own.
“Growing up, I was distinctly feminine—I’d play with dolls, slip into my mother’s dresses and teeter around in her high heels,” Jessica recalled, tracing her early expressions of identity. But those years weren’t without anguish. During her teenage chapter, she developed a deep discomfort with her reflection.
“I love to laugh, but even that betrayed me—my nose would widen, and it haunted me,” she admitted. “My relatives often mused aloud, questioning which unfortunate ancestor had passed down such an ‘unsightly’ feature. That cruel commentary became the catalyst. My nose was the first thing I had to change.”
Jessica’s journey took her from Brazil to Britain, where she enrolled at the esteemed London School of Economics. Yet in 2004, academic ambition was joined by a different pursuit—her first cosmetic surgery. It marked the beginning of what would become an all-consuming quest for reinvention.
“I was never fully content after any single procedure,” she confessed, her voice lined with both resolve and restlessness. “And truthfully, that sense of dissatisfaction still lingers.”
Jessica Alves – surgeries
Now, two decades into her transformation, Jessica Alves has undergone more than a hundred cosmetic procedures—each one chiseling her closer to a vision few dare to pursue.
Her surgical résumé reads like something from science fiction: multiple rhinoplasties, Botox and dermal fillers, pectoral implants, jaw and leg liposuction, arm fillers, calf sculpting, a faux six-pack, a hair transplant, and even the removal of four ribs. She’s also had a dramatic “cat-eye” lift, pushing the boundaries of facial architecture. All told, her metamorphosis has cost over half a million dollars.
Eventually, her transformation became so profound that former classmates could no longer identify her. It became clear that she was grappling with morphodysphoria—a psychological condition where one’s perception of their own body is deeply distorted, often resulting in extreme body dissatisfaction.
Originally, as Rodrigo, she set her sights on embodying a male version of the Ken doll. But that goal evolved—now, she pursues the ultra-feminized, sculpted image of a living Barbie.
Yet this relentless quest for perfection has not come without consequence. In April 2016, Jessica faced a terrifying complication. She was hospitalized after developing necrosis—a condition where skin tissue begins to die. A gaping hole started to form in her nose as her septum loosened. Simultaneously, she struggled to breathe.
While in Málaga, Spain, she was rushed to a hospital, where she received antibiotics through an IV drip every eight hours, according to reports from the Daily Mail. The dream she had long chased had momentarily collided with danger—and survival became the only goal.
Dangerous infection
Doctors issued a dire warning—Jessica’s infection could devour the tissue in her nose and creep further, turning her face gangrenous. The danger was no longer cosmetic—it was medical, and potentially disfiguring.
“I can’t breathe through my nose, and I feel absolutely dreadful. It’s collapsed,” Jessica revealed. “I’ve been given a consultation in London in six weeks, and I’m hoping surgery can happen as soon as possible afterward.”
That wouldn’t be her only brush with pain.
Roughly two years ago, Jessica underwent a chemical peel in Spain—a treatment where a lotion infused with acid is applied to the skin, designed to shed damaged layers and reveal a fresh, renewed complexion. But the reality proved harsher than the promise.
“It was pretty painful,” she admitted. “My face turned red and felt like it was on fire. Here in Marbella, the sun is intense—I couldn’t step outside without serious protection for days.”
Though Jessica weathered these traumatic episodes, the trials didn’t end there. In 2019, after her 11th rhinoplasty, her nose began to deteriorate once again. The latest surgery had been intended to correct damage caused by an earlier botched Botox treatment—but instead, it further destabilized the structure. What was meant to be restorative turned out to be yet another chapter in her ongoing struggle for physical harmony.
From Rodrigo to Jessica Alves
“At first, I was genuinely pleased with the outcome,” Jessica confided to the Daily Mail. “But now, the structure is collapsing again, and to be honest—I’m frightened. Another surgery awaits, and each one feels more perilous than the last. I fear there’ll come a day when no surgeon will be able to save my nose.”
Over time, Jessica Alves has become globally recognized for her ever-evolving appearance. Reactions to her transformation are varied—some express awe, others judgment—but ultimately, what matters most is Jessica’s sense of self-fulfillment and peace in her own skin.
As she’s often shared, she always felt an inherent femininity coursing through her identity. But it wasn’t until a photo shoot last year that the clarity finally came. It was the moment she decided to fully embrace her truth.
“Within a month, I was diagnosed with gender dysmorphic disorder,” she told the New York Post in January. “That opened the door for me to begin hormone therapy and the full transition.”
She added, “Before, people stared because I looked androgynous—awkward, even, in a man’s body. Now, I hope their gaze comes from a different place… because they see me for what I truly am—a beautiful woman.”
Not done yet
Jessica had reached the point of no return. She underwent several surgeries—her Adam’s apple and six-pack were removed, and she enhanced her body with breast implants and injections in her knees, hips, and feet. The cost of these procedures amounted to around $35,000.
Alongside these changes, Jessica also pursued face feminization surgery and began hormone therapy to align her physical form with her inner identity.
In July, speaking candidly on the British show This Morning, she shared that while she had come far, there were still a few final steps ahead.
“I still need two or three surgeries to complete my transition. After that, I swear, I’m done with plastic surgery for good,” she said. “There’s only so much one can endure. Every time I undergo a procedure, it’s terrifying, but it’s a necessary part of becoming who I truly am. I must go through it.”
At 41 years old, Jessica’s final surgeries will involve a penile inversion and the removal of her testicles—the final pieces of her complete transition.
“I adore everything about this life now,” she said, reflecting on her transformation. “From the trips to the salon for my hair, nails, and eyelashes, to shopping for dresses, high heels, and sexy lingerie—I love it all. It’s everything I’ve ever wanted. I feel complete.”
Now living in London, Jessica has embraced every aspect of her new identity, confident and unapologetic in her pursuit of happiness.
New nose job
Jessica’s had nose jobs done in Brazil, Colombia, Iran, America and in Istanbul. She’s had trouble breathing through her nose and a couple of weeks ago, she had to have an additional nose surgery.
Jessica Alves faced numerous obstacles along her journey, with several doctors initially refusing to perform the surgery due to uncertainty about how to address her concerns. Eventually, she found a skilled surgeon in Istanbul who used cartilage from her ear to rebuild her nose. This breakthrough procedure allowed her to breathe normally once again.
Through her Instagram, Jessica shares intimate snapshots of her ongoing transition and daily life, giving followers a glimpse into her personal journey.
Despite the challenges she’s faced, it’s clear that Jessica is genuinely happy with her transformation. And at the end of the day, her happiness is what truly matters most.
Covered in bandages after FIFTH face lift
By 2024, Jessica Alves shows no signs of slowing down in her pursuit of physical perfection.
In October, the 41-year-old TV personality was seen leaving a Turkish hospital swathed in bandages after undergoing her fifth facelift, as reported by The Daily Mail. Alves revealed that the dissolving of her previous dermal fillers had left her with nearly four inches of loose skin on her face. To address this, she opted for a “ponytail facelift”—a minimally invasive procedure that uses staples placed along the hairline to tighten the skin around her face and neck.
Photographed in a wheelchair and draped in a headscarf, she was assisted into a waiting car following the procedure. The images quickly went viral, with many expressing surprise at the starkness of the scene.
“If I pinched myself, three or four inches of skin would come off in my hand. It was so elastic, like rubber. So the doctor was able to remove five inches of my skin,” the 41-year-old shared, offering an insight into the dramatic changes she continues to make in her ongoing transformation.