Mei-Yin Lloyd was born in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, and reared in Toronto and Hamilton, Ontario. She first began her career as a booker/agent at a modeling agency, and only began modeling on the insistence of her clients, who were more interested in booking Mei-Yin than her models. At first, Mei-Yin was reluctant to model, but after persistent calls from clients, she stepped in front of the camera and launched her modeling career.