Tina “BipolarBetty” Hodgdon is a cancer survivor, mental health advocate, and social media creator whose story has reached millions of people online. After losing her nose to a rare form of nasal cancer, Tina chose to live openly and authentically while sharing her life to promote resilience, body acceptance, and mental health awareness.

The name BipolarBetty came about while Tina was creating a username for TikTok. The word Betty was inspired by the phrase “Fight Like a Betty”, which is often used in empowerment and advocacy spaces to represent a strong, confident, and stylish woman who faces adversity with courage. Tina’s brother once told her she “fights like a Betty,” and that idea helped shape the name. The word Bipolar was added because Tina lives with Bipolar Disorder and speaks openly about mental health to help reduce stigma.

Tina began sharing her story online in 2018 when she created her TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube accounts. Her original goal was to raise awareness for her extremely rare cancer, use social media as a mental health outlet, and document her life as a kind of digital diary. Over time, her story began reaching millions of people around the world.

Tina shares her story to help others feel less alone. What began as a personal outlet eventually became a platform for advocacy, encouragement, and awareness around cancer survivorship, mental health, visible difference, and resilience.

Tina started TikTok in 2018, the same year she also created her Instagram and YouTube pages.

Yes. Tina shares content across multiple platforms, including:

TikTok: bipolarbetty
Instagram: ttbipolarbetty
YouTube: Search for BipolarBetty

Tina wants people to understand that she is more than what happened to her face. She is a survivor, advocate, wife, creator, and real person living life openly after cancer and trauma. Her message is not about asking for pity — it is about courage, resilience, visibility, and helping other people feel seen.

Tina was diagnosed in May 2014 with Stage 2 Invasive Squamous Cell Carcinoma (SCC) of the nasal cavity. Because of the aggressive nature of the cancer, she underwent a full rhinectomy as part of treatment to save her life.

Nasal cavity cancer is extremely rare. It represents less than 1% of all cancer diagnoses and approximately 3% to 5% of head and neck cancers. For women, the occurrence rate is about 0.24 cases per 100,000 people. Because of its rarity, many people have never heard of this type of cancer before Tina began sharing her story publicly.

A rhinectomy is a surgical procedure where the nose is partially or completely removed. In Tina’s case, doctors performed a total rhinectomy as part of cancer treatment.

Tina has spoken openly about choosing to live visibly and authentically rather than hide behind a prosthetic. That decision is part of her message of resilience, self-acceptance, and living fully as she is.

Yes. Tina can smell, and she often notices strong or unpleasant scents better than light scents. Bad smells are usually easier to detect than soft smells like perfume.

Daily life is different after a full rhinectomy, and Tina has had to adapt to a very different way of breathing and protecting her nasal area. She often talks about these adjustments in her videos and speaking appearances.

Tina has been diagnosed with several health conditions, including Bipolar Disorder, Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD), anemia, and non-epileptic seizures. She talks openly about these conditions to help reduce stigma around mental health and invisible illnesses.

Tina can swim above water but cannot swim underwater. She has to be careful to keep water out of her face-hole because it can be dangerous if water gets into it. Here is a video of Tina swimming.

Yes, public reactions can sometimes be difficult. Tina has spoken about criticism, curiosity, and judgment from others, but she continues to live openly and use those experiences to encourage confidence and resilience in other people.

Tina chooses to live openly because her story is about authenticity, courage, and refusing to let physical difference define her worth. Her visibility is part of her advocacy and her encouragement to others who feel different or unseen.

Living without a nose requires daily adjustments that most people never think about, including breathing, protecting the nasal cavity, and managing environmental exposure. Tina often shares these experiences openly to help others understand both the challenges and the resilience involved in adapting to life after cancer surgery.

In many TikTok and YouTube videos, you can catch a glimpse inside. Tina has also explored the possibility of sharing more detailed photos or videos on a platform that can appropriately host that type of content. If and when that happens, links will be shared on this website and on social media.

Yes. Living without a nose requires daily adjustments and extra awareness around safety, health, breathing, and environmental exposure. Tina often discusses these realities in her content and when speaking publicly.

Changes in weather, air exposure, and environmental conditions can affect daily comfort in ways many people do not think about. Living without a nose requires adaptation and extra caution in everyday life.

Tina talks openly about mental health because she wants people to feel less alone. Her platform is built around honesty, encouragement, and reducing stigma around mental illness and emotional struggle.

Tina uses her story to advocate for cancer awareness, visible difference, mental health awareness, trauma recovery, and radical self-acceptance. Advocacy became a natural part of her platform as more people connected with her life and message.

Tina shares a mix of daily life, humor, real talk, advocacy, cancer survivorship, mental health awareness, and encouragement. Her content is honest, personal, and rooted in lived experience.

Yes. If you have a question that is not listed on this page, you can send a message through the Contact Page. Tina may answer your question directly, address it in a future video, or add it to this page.

Yes. Journalists, reporters, and media outlets should use the Press Page to request interviews, press materials, and media information.

Yes. Tina is available for speaking engagements, podcasts, advocacy events, and appearances. Please use the Contact Page for speaking and business inquiries.

Many people ask Tina about her skin and hair. After cancer treatment and her broader health journey, she became more intentional about the products she uses and the lifestyle choices she makes. She shares more about the things that have helped her on her I Am Positive Living page, where she talks more about personal wellness, positivity, and lifestyle habits.