A burns survivor claims she struggled to look in the mirror after a cruel ex-boyfriend branded her undateable because she was 'deformed' - but now medical tattooing has given her the confidence to date again. Liara Cartier, of Burnley, Lancashire, said that when she was around the age of eight, a lantern exploded and she suffered 40 percent full-thickness second- and third-degree burns to her chest, neck, face and parts of her legs.
The 31-year-old's tragic freak accident has affected every aspect of her life from her physical appearance down to mental trauma, as she experienced post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The banking advisor claims that she's even been told by one ex that he 'couldn't date a deformed person like her', with such cutting comments triggering body dysmorphia.
But the former chemistry student began having medical tattooing done privately last month to incorporate pigment into the white areas of her burnt skin, and the results so far have been 'life-changing'. The former model said that the experimental treatment has given her a 'ray of hope' that's boosted her confidence, pulled her out of depression and made her able to look at her own reflection again.
Liara said that hopefully in the next month or so, she may return to the dating scene. Images captured reveal the former artist before the treatment with some white pigmented areas around her chest as well as after, where they appear darker and less visible.
Liara said: "I went through the trauma of an abusive relationship that made me aware of my burns, how bad they were and that I was 'worthless' and so on. It severely impacted my self-confidence and my ability to look at myself. I started suffering from body dysmorphia.
"It made me feel extremely depressed. I stopped eating, doing my hobbies, sleeping and used to self-harm basically. He said 'I can't date a deformed person like you' and kept on convincing me that I was 'deformed', 'not like other females' and so on, so that's where it [body dysmorphia] really took birth. I'm miles from that being an issue as thanks to this treatment and self-perseverance, I'm in a better position."
Liara's accident happened in 2000 when she was at her grandfather's home in Dhaka, Bangladesh's capital. She said they used to have power cuts quite frequently so the maids would use old-fashioned kerosene lanterns.
Liara said: "I don't remember anything before the fire. The maid was filling the kerosene lantern with fuel and me not being such a wise kid, I went over to mess around with the matches that were just by it.
"I lit a match and for some reason unknown, it's still a mystery to me to this day, with a lit match I touched the kerosene from the gallon and there was an explosion. The maid, by accident, threw the gallon or kerosene at me when she got startled, so I was doused in kerosene.
"I was rushed to hospital and was unconscious for five days because I sustained 40 percent full-thickness second- or third-degree burns across my chest, neck, face and bits of my legs. It was a very gruesome journey. For around six months I wasn't even allowed out of the room because of the very hot climate, so I didn't see anything beyond four windows or walls for quite a few months."
The 31-year-old said that she was given basic treatment to treat her burns and that it took around two years for her to be without any pressure garments. She moved to England two years after her accident.
Last month, she started looking into medical tattooing as a more permanent solution to help with the white patches on her neck, left shoulder and underside of her arm. Liara said: "The tattooist has been a Godsend. For me, it's life-changing, even though it's still a little on the experimental side because there's a chance that it could fail, but already the white burns are not as obvious as they used to be and I feel like I'm blending in.
"It was like a ray of hope that I'd finally maybe be able to blend in more. More and more each day, I'm feeling like I fit in. I'm slowly building my confidence and feel that I'm becoming what I wanted to be.
"Having the tattooing has pulled me out of severe depression and nowadays I feel more tolerant to look in the mirror and even if it gets really bad I remind myself to just hold tight and be patient, as it's a worki in progress. I'm particularly self-conscious of the area of my neck because people could point me out from miles and say 'oh, you look different', whereas now because it's not as obvious, I get less attention.
"I'm not there with dating yet, I'm coming around to it. At the moment I'm working on myself, my boundaries and standards, I don't want to settle for anything less than I deserve. Hopefully, in the next month or so, I might be into the dating scene."
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She's since had two sessions, which last around three hours depending on her pain tolerance, and her third will be next month. Liara is also keen to encourage others to think before they randomly approach burns survivors asking them 'what happened'.
Liara said: "People ask me things frequently. It's always awkward when someone approaches you and asks what happened and you just stand there and go 'I really don't want to go through this again'. My friend and I were working to try and promote a 'don't ask' message because my psychologist said that when you ask someone what happened, it pushes them back to that traumatic incident.
"Sometimes you forget that you're different but as soon as someone asks, you suddenly go right back to when you get burnt. Generally, I'd encourage burns survivors to seek out treatment and not stick with the whole 'you should accept your body how it is'. You should pursue any treatment, and anything in general, that will help you be comfortable in your own body."
