Celebrity News

Acid burn victim Katie Piper: ‘My scars no longer upset me’

Katie Piper scars

Former British model Katie Piper reveals how far she has come since she had sulphuric acid thrown on her face by a man hired by her ex-boyfriend.

“When I look in the mirror, my scars no longer upset me,” inspiring survivor has said. “They just remind me I am stronger than the person who tried to hurt me.”

“We all have scars, whether they are on the skin or the soul. Remember only those who survive wear scars. Next time you look in the mirror, repeat to yourself I’m proud to be a survivor.”

Shortly after the incident, Katie, now 31, confessed: “In the aftermath, I was horrified by my own reflection, barely recognising the image of myself in the mirror. I would play back memories of all the relationships I’d ever had, trying to ingrain in my mind what it felt like to hold hands, to kiss.”

“I was sure I’d never be attractive to anyone again, never be intimate. Never be loved.”

Seven years on, and Katie is happily engaged to her long term partner James, with whom she has a little girl named Belle.

“People used to say to me, ‘It’s a love like no other’, and now I understand that,” Katie told HELLO! In an exclusive interview following the birth of her child in March last year. “She’s so precious and

I just feel so incredibly blessed to have her. She’s our world.”

“To meet and fall in love with James,” she added. “A man I knew I wanted to have a baby with and who makes me so happy, and now to have Belle – it’s just amazing. Most of all I want her to be happy. I thought I knew, after all that happened to me, what happiness meant, but having Belle has shown me what true fulfilment is.”

The beauty Queen was only 24 when her ex-boyfriend, Danny Lynch hired someone to carry out the attack. As a result, she underwent more than 100 recovery operations.

Katie’s journey is remarkable – see how far this inspirational woman has come on her way to recovery.

Katie’s burns were horrific and her story shocked the UK when it broke. However over the past six years Katie has bravely lived her life in the spotlight in a bid to be an advocate for other victims of crime.

Early on in her treatment Katie had to wear a face mask to hold her features into place. Photo: Instagram.

Katie Piper in 2010 – two years and multiple surgeries after her attack.

Katie with Simon Cowell at the The Katie Piper Foundation launch in July 2010.

Ultimate Editor’s Choice award winner Katie Piper poses in the press room at Cosmopolitan’s Ultimate Women Of The Year in 2010.

A brunette Katie Piper at a press appearance in 2012. In spite of all of the challenges Katie never lost her girlish sense of glamour.

Confident, chic and stylish, Katie Piper attends the UK premiere of ‘Flight’ at the the Empire Leicester Square in 2013.

Experimenting with style – Katie Piper attends the Inspiration Awards for Women in London in 2013.

Katie was radiant when she was pregnant with her first child in February 2014.

Katie Piper at Christmas with her daughter, Belle Elizabeth born in March 2014. PHOTO: Instagram.

Katie shares a snap on social media as she gets ready for an event on December 19.

Related stories