Latest news with #scars
The Sun
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Sun
I interviewed Love Island's Sophie Lee weeks after her ‘face fell off' – she's overcome ‘constant' pain & a month in ICU
LOVE Islanders are notorious for scrubbing their social media in the days leading up to the Villa, leaving only the most polished snaps up on their feeds. But open Sophie Lee 's page even today and the photos pinned to the top, from 2019 and 2020, show her with huge swollen scars protruding from her face. 10 10 Personally I'm not surprised. As someone who interviewed Sophie twice right in the thick of her struggles, I know she's different from some of the ultra-superficial women who grace our screens in their bikinis. When I first spoke to Manchester-based Sophie, she was 23, and it was days before Christmas 2018. Fabulous was one of the first publications to share her story with the world. Airy and bright during our chat, you'd have no idea what she was going through without visual proof. Her attitude was amazing, especially for someone so young. A professional fire dancer, Sophie was permanently scarred when an air-con unit blew flames back into her face in a freak accident in April 2018. After her face went up in flames, she spent a month in intensive care, and emerged from the trauma with a whole new attitude on life. In her own words, the accident made Sophie 'toughen up and grow a thicker skin'. She told me: 'I just have to accept myself for me. I think sometimes people stare because they don't know how to ask. It's not intentionally rude, I think they're just curious and don't know what to say. "I never mind if people ask about my scars, then I can educate more people about what happened.' Love Island weight loss plans, makeovers and even non-surgical tweakments are now common-place among the contestants, all religiously documented on social media as the competitive TV show enters its 10th year. All Stars' Gabby Allen even flogged her pre-villa fitness plan when she emerged as the show's most recent winner. Sophie, who had a five-figure following as an influencer well before Love Island came knocking, wasn't immune to body confidence concerns before her accident. She told me: 'In school I went through that phase of 'oh, I'm massive, I'm this and that,' because I think you naturally do when you're that age. 'Everyone's judging each other, you're growing boobs, you're like 'oh, I don't know what this is'. I think everyone kind of has body issues going through high school. 'All my friends had big boobs or had legs, and I've always been a bit up and down on the scale of my weight. 'Especially with the industry I was in (of dance and performing), I was always scrutinised for how you look. "But with this accident it's crazy. Because the one time I feel like I should be most body conscious, I'm probably the happiest I've ever been." 10 Despite early signs her facial scars were healing well, Sophie later developed dramatic keloids on her chin. Keloids are benign tumours which grow in areas of trauma and are more common in people with olive or black skin, or in Sophie's case having Chinese heritage. She said: "Dancing's all about getting dressed up, glitz and glam, I've always loved that. Don't get me wrong, I'm not myself and I know I'll never be myself again. "That's something I have to accept and it has been hard to accept that - but also without this scar I would be dead. That's the way I look at it, I don't look at it as a burden.' We spoke for a second time in June 2019, just weeks after Sophie had ground-breaking cryo surgery. Never one to shy away from the gruesome details, or hide behind edited pics, Sophie's PR pitched the story to me with an email entitled 'My face came off in my hands.' Explaining the NHS-funded op at the time, Sophie said: "The scar started to die and then my face basically fell off. Liquid nitrogen was pumped in to kill it. "At first it went massive, like it had been pumped up with water. It tripled in size, it was horrendous. 'In hospital I just felt like a giant slug, I couldn't move or do anything. "Then it just started leaking liquid nitrogen. Over the space of two months, it was starting to dry out and peel away. "It was horrendous, the skin was dying and it was on my face. I couldn't really move my neck, it was just so painful. The scar started to die and then my face basically fell off. At first it went massive, like it had been pumped up with water. It tripled in size, it was horrendous Sophie Lee "When it actually detached I couldn't feel anything, because it had already died. "But at the start it was really raw, fresh skin. Showering was unbearable. "For a good month I couldn't really do anything. I had to change the dressings at least twice a day - they were soaking wet all the time. "I couldn't leave the house because I had to take so many dressings and pads with me." 10 She now keeps her dead skin in the freezer, in a small Tupperware box, explaining it's "next to the peas, no big deal". Sophie, who's been celibate for eight months, had the treatment in March 2019, as her tumours threatened to engulf her face. She told me: "Keloid scarring is a form of benign tumour, it was going to carry on growing and slowly overtake my face. "It was very painful and becoming a big burden. I had started to lose movement on my neck, because it was growing so rapidly. "The scars got so big you couldn't see my neck, it came down to my chin. "Because of my ethnicity, being Chinese, it was really angry and violent. "The longer I left it, the bigger the keloids would have gotten. I was in so much pain and it was starting to alter my expressions on my face." Sophie always wanted to turn what had happened to her into a positive, raising awareness of injuries even in her early 20s. She said: 'I've got a younger sister who's 16 years old, that was the age when I was comparing myself a lot. 'And I just want her to know that, your big sister can still do it and represent girls, I want her to feel proud of me. 'She looks up to a lot of my friends, looks up to me and I want to be that good example for her. 'It's important to mould the next generation, not the current generation. I want to put them in a good mindset.' Despite Sophie's sunny disposition, she was clearly hugely affected by what had happened to her, which may be why it's taken her six years to say yes to Love Island (I'd be stunned if they hadn't approached her for previous years). She told me in 2019: "I try not to think negatively, but I am in pain and you do think 'when is this going to be over?' I'm constantly suffering. "Even now I can't go outside when it's sunny without having to cover up my whole face, because it's fresh skin and I'll get burnt really fast. 'I wear a black mask to protect it. It's healed underneath but just to be safe. "I don't want to risk getting burnt, it's not worth it. I'm still healing. "But I am in the best hands and it's important to talk about the good and the bad, because that means I can help others in this situation. "I'm a normal person, I have feelings, I'm not just living this amazing life. I do have my down days, and it's OK to feel like that." As Sophie jets off to sunny Mallorca to enter the villa on Monday, where temperatures are reaching 32C, the lack of black mask will be a stark reminder of how far she has come.
Daily Mail
18-05-2025
- Health
- Daily Mail
Princess Eugenie opens up about her 'sense of shame' when she first saw her scoliosis scar - but reveals the 'amazing' family member who helped her think it was 'a cool thing'
Princess Eugenie revealed how she 'trained her brain' to think her spinal surgery back scar was 'cool'. The royal mother-of-two, 34, also opened up about how her mother Sarah Ferguson raised her to be proud of her scar after she went underwent surgery for scoliosis at the age of 12. In 2002, Queen Elizabeth's granddaughter had rods inserted into her spine after she was diagnosed with scoliosis (curvature of the spine), and told that she would need corrective surgery. After eight hours of surgery she spent three days in intensive care, a week on a spinal ward and six days in a wheelchair before she was able to walk again. Speaking to The Telegraph, Eugenie revealed she had a 'sense of shame' when she couldn't wash or dress herself and was shown her scar, which runs down her neck and spine. However, she claimed her mother Duchess of York removed all the stigma about the scar and helped her see it in a positive light. She said: 'She was amazing. She'd ask me if she could show it to people, then she'd turn me around and say, "my daughter is superhuman, you've got to check out her scar". 'All of sudden it was a badge of honour – a cool thing I had. It trained my brain that it's ok, scars are cool. 'It became a positive memory, a part of me, that I could do something with in the future. I could help heal other people.' After a tumultuous few months after surgery the young Princess had to be turned gently in bed and wear a brace. Eugenie, who has since became a patron of Horatio's Garden in 2019, which helps nurture the wellbeing of people after spinal injury in beautiful gardens in NHS spinal injury centres, often speaks about the stigma surrounding scoliosis. Last year she posted a sweet tribute to her mother on Instagram, where she has spent the week making further posts to raise awareness of the condition. Sharing a photo of herself as a toddler being led out of a car by Fergie, Eugenie wrote: 'My mum caught my scoliosis early and I was lucky enough to get the help I needed at 12 years old. 'I thank her so much for that and also thank her for the confidence to be proud of my scar. 'She removed all the stigma around having scoliosis for me by confidently showing people what I'd been through and it took all the fear and anxiety out of being different at such a young age. 'I am forever grateful and wish everyone to be proud of their scars.' Scoliosis is a sideways curvature of the spine which can cause uneven shoulders. Many people who suffer from the condition struggle to find clothes that fit due to the body shape it creates. Although treatment is not always necessary for the condition, some people who develop scoliosis can be required to wear a back brace to stop the curve worsening as they get older. In cases where surgery is required, patients may undergo a spinal fusion operation; a procedure that can last up to seven hours. Writing for the RNOH Charity, she said: ;In 2002, when I was 12 years old, I was diagnosed with scoliosis (curvature of the spine), and told that I would need corrective surgery. 'This was, of course, a scary prospect for a 12-year-old; I can still vividly remember how nervous I felt in the days and weeks before the operation. The Princess continued: 'During my operation, which took eight hours, my surgeons inserted eight-inch titanium rods into each side of my spine and one-and-a-half inch screws at the top of my neck. 'After three days in intensive care, I spent a week on a ward and six days in a wheelchair, but I was walking again after that.' Eugenie wore her surgery scars with pride during her nuptials to Jack on 12 October 2018 in a stunning backless wedding dress. The doctor who performed her surgery was even in attendance at the ceremony, invited by Eugenie. In 2020, Eugenie posted a photo of herself on her wedding day, in which her scar, which runs down her spine, is visible thanks to her low-back bridal gown. She shared the snap in honour of International Scoliosis Awareness Day and encouraged other people to share photos of their scars with her in return. Eugenie wrote: 'Let's be proud of our scars! I'd love to repost any of your images on my stories so please tag me and I will share. 'To all of you who have just received the diagnosis, to those wearing braces, to those recovering from an operation and for those who have lived with a scar for years - My thoughts are with you on Scoliosis Awareness Day. 'Thank you to the doctors, nurses, physiotherapists and researchers at Scoliosis Support & Research.' After seeing the post, her mother Fergie posted a heart emoji in response. In 2020 Eugenie has shared a photograph of her back scar from the life-changing spinal surgery to mark International Scoliosis Awareness Day. She posted the image to her personal Instagram account late last night to mark the event. Her 1.1million followers were quick to praise her 'inspirational' snap after she encouraged them to be 'proud and share their scars' with the world. 'Today is International Scoliosis Awareness Day,' Eugenie explained. 'I just wanted to share my scar and encourage anyone out there who's gone through something similar to share theirs with me. 'Let's be proud of our scars! I'd love to repost any of your images on my stories so please tag me and I will share. #internationalscoliosisawarenessday.' Royal fans praised the princess for her candid photograph, with one writing: 'You're a great spokesperson! What a beautiful soul you are.' A second said: 'Such an inspiration! Went through the same surgery when I was 11 (now 30!) never been ashamed of my scars, they tell an interesting story!' Another penned: 'I have had this surgery in October 2019 and you truly help me to not be ashamed of my scar and to proudly show it as it is a part of me now.' A fourth added: 'You are seriously the coolest princess,' while a fifth wrote: 'I remember your wedding dress - you were proud to show your scar.' What is scoliosis? Scoliosis is the abnormal curvature of the spine in an S-shape. Signs include a visible curve in the spine, one shoulder or hip being more prominent than the other, clothes not hanging properly and back pain. Pain usually only affects adults with the condition. In most cases, the cause of the scoliosis is not known but it can be caused by cerebral palsy and muscular dystrophy. In the UK, scoliosis affects three to four children could of every 1,000. It is also thought that as many as 70 per cent of over 65s have some degree of scoliosis. It is more common in women than in men. Most children with the condition do not require treatment as it is mild and corrects itself as the child grows. However, in severe cases the child may need to wear a back brace until they stop growing. Occasionally, a child needs surgery to straighten their spine. In adults, it is usually too late to treat the condition with a back brace or surgery so treatment revolves around reducing pain.
