 "Tech millionaire's 'baby face' experiment goes wrong, face 'blows up'")
Bryan Johnson, the millionaire tech entrepreneur leading the longevity movement, is no stranger to pushing the boundaries of human ageing. Known for his audacious goal of extending the human lifespan to 150 years, Johnson's latest experiment took an unexpected and dramatic turn, sparking widespread attention.
On November 14, Johnson revealed the aftermath of a cosmetic procedure dubbed "Project Baby Face" on Instagram. In a striking close-up, his face appeared swollen and inflamed–the result of injecting fat from a "donor" into his face in an effort to restore youthful fullness lost during his rigorous health regimen.
"I got really lean and lost a lot of fat—especially in my face. My biomarkers were improving, but I looked gaunt," he explained in the post. "People thought I was on the brink of death."
The experiment aimed to counteract the effects of his stringent 1,950-calorie daily diet, which had left him with a sunken appearance despite its positive impact on his biomarkers. However, within 30 minutes of the injections, Johnson experienced a severe allergic reaction.
"Immediately following the injections, my face began to blow up," Johnson wrote. "And then it got worse, and worse, and worse until I couldn't even see."
Despite the alarming reaction, Johnson kept a pre-arranged meeting with a Bloomberg reporter, warning beforehand that his appearance might be unrecognisable. Seven days later, his face returned to normal, and Johnson announced his team was already planning the next phase of "Project Baby Face."
This is not the first time Johnson’s anti-ageing pursuits have courted controversy. His Project Blueprint includes unconventional and highly scrutinised methods such as blood transfusions from his teenage son—a procedure referred to as "young blood" therapy, which is not approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA)—alongside strict diets, Blueprint-branded supplements, and gene therapy injections.
Setbacks like the recent allergic reaction have not deterred Johnson from his mission. He remains resolute in blending cutting-edge science with experimentation in his quest to redefine ageing and unlock the secrets to a longer, healthier life.