- Author and former model Katie Piper shared a never-before-seen photo of her face after her acid attack.
- She showed her red, blistered face to raise awareness of the trauma and anxiety she experienced.
- Katie encouraged followers to care for their mental health and talk openly about trauma.
Author, British model, and former Strictly Come Dancing star Katie Piper has been open with fans and followers during her recovery from a severe acid attack more than 10 years ago. In an Instagram post, she is sharing new raw images and opening up about her anxiety on World Mental Health Day.
In the post, Katie shared a photo from 2008, immediately after the acid attack planned by her ex-boyfriend. The image, which Instagram marked as sensitive content, shows her blistered face with layers of skin stripped away.
The sulphuric acid caused severe burns on her face and neck, and Katie lost her sight in one eye, per BBC. She was hospitalized and put in an induced coma for nearly two weeks. In the years since, she has undergone multiple surgeries to reconstruct her face and restore vision.
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In her caption, Katie explained more of her journey since the photo was taken: “I remember when I didn’t want to look at anyone. I remember when I didn’t want anyone to look at me. I remember when I was scared of people, scared of men. I remember when I was scared of the world. I remember when opening up to people and talking about my trauma and psychological damage just wasn’t possibly.”
She continued in the post: “Today on Mental Health Day my first meeting of the day is with my therapist. I still go, it still helps and I’m able to talk.”
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Katie also uses her workouts as therapy sessions. “If I’m feeling down or depressed, working up a sweat will make me feel like I can really do this – that, in fact, I can do anything,” she previously told Women’s Health UK. “It’s like a therapy for me.”
Katie wrapped up her post with four small words of big encouragement: “Hold On Pain Ends.”
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