Katie Piper has opened up and revealed the ‘only thing’ that helped her confidence following her traumatic acid attack.
The star, 40, who now hosts her own weekend breakfast show, was the victim of a horrific acid attack in 2008 that left her with severe facial burns.
Speaking to Women’s Health UK she explained that during those years where her face was constantly changing through surgeries, her hair was the only thing she could control.
She revealed that her hair became her ‘armour’ and her ‘crown’ during her recovery.
Speaking to the publication, Katie explained: ‘My face was changing after I was burnt, and the only thing I had control of was my hair, and it became my crown.
Katie Piper has opened up and revealed the ‘only thing’ that helped her confidence following her traumatic acid attack
‘My hair was the only way I could communicate and express to the world how I was feeling…My hair is my armour, my hair is my strength, my hair is my way of communicating with the public.
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‘I found this whole new community in a world that I hadn’t felt a part of for a long time, in the beauty world.
‘I don’t want to sound superficial, but my hair is connected to my confidence – and it’s not in a frivolous or vanity way – but a good hair day gives me that sass to feel more assertive, more in control, to feel sexy, to feel pretty, and that’s okay.’
Katie was attacked in March 2008 by an obsessive ex, who had arranged for another man to throw sulphuric acid at her in a London street.
Both men were later jailed for life.
The TV host was lucky to have survived, but there was an agonising road to recovery ahead to rebuild her face and her life – her injuries have required more than 400 operations since that day.
Katie, who was only 24 at the time, was an aspiring presenter but following the attack was encouraged by her parents to move back home to Hampshire.
Refusing to give up on her dream, the mother-of-two pushed for greater diversity in the TV industry.
Speaking to Women’s Health UK she explained that during those years where her face was constantly changing, her hair was the only thing she could control to boost her confidence
Speaking to publication, she said: ‘My face was changing after I was burnt, and the only thing I had control of was my hair, and it became my crown
She went on to create two further personal documentaries with Channel 4, wrote her autobiography, a series of self-development books, as well as newspaper and magazine columns, plus set up the Katie Piper Foundation, which provides support for burns survivors.
For the first two years following the attack, Katie had to wear a clear plastic mask on her face she added that she didn’t want the mask to stop her from ‘going to work’ and she wanted to get off ‘disability benefits’.
She needed 400 operations after being left with severe burns.
Katie has been married to carpenter and builder Richie Sutton, 40, since 2015 and they share two daughters Belle, 10, and six-year-old Penelope.
The full interview can be read now on the Women’s Health website.
Katie was attacked in March 2008 by an obsessive ex, who had arranged for another man to throw sulphuric acid at her in a London street. Both men were later jailed for life
Katie was just 24 in March 2008 when the harrowing attack happened. She needed 400 operations after being left with severe burns (pictured in October 2009)
Daniel Lynch (left), 47, was jailed for life with a minimum of 16 years in 2009 for organising the horrific attack, which was carried out by Stefan Sylvestre (right)