A teenager who suffered third-degree burns on her face and body after her lice shampoo caught fire on her head has said she is glad the accident happened because it’s made her a ‘better person’.
Student Aleema Ali, 16, from Bradford, was just 12-years-old when the medicated shampoo she’d applied to her hair caught fire and engulfed her entire head in flames.
She was left with burns on over half of her body, lost seven of her fingers and over the years has had to undergo hundreds of procedures to help her adapt.
But despite her horrifying injuries, Aleema says her ‘confidence and self-love’ are at an all-time high – and she has since amassed a loyal fan base online where she shares make-up tutorials.
‘In a way,’ says Aleema, ‘I am now glad this happened. It’s made me into a better person. My self-love and confidence have risen rapidly.’
In December 2016, Aleema returned home from boarding school to discover she had caught head lice, and applied Full Marks Solution, a medicated shampoo to kill the lice in her hair.
‘I went to the kitchen to get to the bin and whilst I was walking past, my hair caught fire as the medicine was extremely flammable,’ she recalled.
Aleema admitted she ‘thought she would die’ when her entire head went up in flames.
I panicked and went to a state of shock, said Aleema. ‘The only thing I could think was, “I’m going to die”.’
Aleema was rushed to hospital and arrived around 10 minutes after the incident, where she was immediately taken to intensive care.
‘I was in a coma for two months so there was no immediate reaction,’ she explained. ‘They slowly built up the amount of time I was awake.’
Aleema suffered third-degree burns on 55 per cent of her body including her face, head, arms, chest, thighs, stomach, back and hands. She lost seven fingers and is currently unable to move two of her remaining fingers.
The teen endured a long and painful recovery process over the years, with skin graft surgeries, specialised garments and medication to help her adapt to normal day-to-day living after her accident.
‘Internally, I am completely fine. I was also told my hair wouldn’t grow back but miraculously it has. I can still lead a completely normal life. I can drive and do everyday activities.’
Even with all the challenges, Aleema is grateful to be alive and said the accident has made her love herself from within and she’s now a more confident person.
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