It’s no secret that social media stars have become a huge target for online trolls. Case in point: a 36-year-old mother whose viral transformation videos have garnered millions of TikTok likes and countless critical comments.
Alicia Hebner, who goes by Princess Glitterhead on social media, made headlines earlier this year for her series of glow-up videos centered on her snap-in dentures. The mother-of-four was widely praised for speaking so honestly about her makeover journey and the steps she took to improve her self-esteem. She even started a TikTok challenge in which she invited other users to post videos of themselves with and without their dentures—a trend that aimed to break the stigma surrounding prosthetic teeth.
“During my pregnancy, my teeth rapidly began to decay — from the inside out. Both of my eye teeth broke off at the gum line a week or so apart from each other,” Alicia told BuzzFeed News back in April. “I remember laying in my yard feeling like my life was over. I would never be respected. I would never be pretty. My husband might leave me. He married me with perfect teeth and within a year I was already missing teeth.”
Unsurprisingly, some TikTok users have criticized the New Yorker for pulling off such drastic physical transformations. As pointed out by Page Six, one user claimed Alicia’s makeovers “should be illegal,” another called them “witchcraft,” and others slammed them as “false advertisement.” But Alicia, who has documented her grooming routine on TikTok and YouTube, wasn’t about to let the hate go unchecked.
“I’m a happily married mom of 15 years with four kids and I wear makeup for ME,” she commented on a TikTok video celebrating her 1 million follower count. “I’m also a makeup artist with the same right as everyone else to wear it.”
But make no mistake, not all the comments were negative. In fact, the vast majority praised Alicia for her bravery and inspirational videos.
“You just made me cry,” one user wrote. “I am about to get dentures at 30 years old. I got for my impressions this Thursday. I thought for sure that I was done for.”
“It’s not over until pigs fly,” Alicia responded. “It’s hard but so worth it — you just have to never give up until you’re happy & it’s something to be proud of. No shame.”
