Teen Suffers Severe Burns After Lice Shampoo Catches Fire, Inspiring a Remarkable Recovery Journey

A teenager suffered third-degree burns to her face and torso after the lice shampoo she had applied to her hair caught fire.

Aleema Ali, now 16, is from Bradford, England, and is currently enrolled in college as a full-time A-level student. But four years ago, a devastating incident permanently changed her life.

When Aleema returned home from boarding school in December 2016, she discovered she had head lice.

She decided to treat her hair with a medicated product called “Full Marks Solution” to get rid of the lice.

Because she needed to leave the treatment on for a set period of time, Aleema continued with normal activities and helped her mother take the trash bins outside.

While her mother prepared dinner, Aleema went into the kitchen to get a garbage bag—unaware that the solution in her hair was highly flammable.

Within moments, the top of Aleema’s head was engulfed in flames as her hair suddenly caught fire.

Aleema, who had just turned 12 at the time, was rushed into an ambulance and reached the hospital about 10 minutes after the incident.

After being taken to the hospital’s critical care unit, she was placed in a coma for two months.

Recalling the terrifying ordeal, Aleema said: “I got back from boarding school in December 2016, I had head lice, and I begged my mom to pull them out for me that same night, she placed the medicine into my hair, and then she walked to the kitchen to cook supper. I was terrified.”

Aleema suffered burns to her face, head, arms, chest, thighs, stomach, back, and hands, including severe burns across her entire back.

“I walked into the kitchen to go to the trash can, and as I was passing by the medicine cabinet, my hair caught fire since the medication was quite flammable.

“I immediately went into a state of panic and shock, and the only thing that went through my mind was, ‘I’m going to die.’”

She also described waking after the coma: “Because I had been in a coma for the previous two months, there was no instant response. They gradually increased the total length of time that I was awake.”

Despite the trauma and ongoing challenges, Aleema says she is grateful and believes the accident taught her to love herself from the inside out, helping her become more confident.

“In a way, I am now glad that this occurred,” she said. “Because of that, I’ve evolved into a more wholesome person. My level of self-love and confidence has increased dramatically as of late.

“It’s made a significant improvement in the quality of my life. I used to be lot weaker, less courageous, and less self-assured than I am now.”

Aleema suffered third-degree burns over 55% of her body, including her face, head, arms, chest, thighs, stomach, back, and hands, with injuries extending across her full back.

She says her life was turned upside down by the injuries, but she also believes they made her stronger than before.

She also had seven fingers amputated and can now move only two of the remaining digits.

After the injury, Aleema faced a long and demanding recovery over several years. This included skin graft operations, specialized clothing, and ongoing medication to help her adapt to daily life.

“My recovery was extremely difficult and it is still ongoing,” the 16-year-old said. “My daily routine includes the use of nebulizers, humidifiers, pressure garments, splits, lotions, and a variety of medications, among other things.

“In the past, I’ve undergone hundreds of surgeries, and I anticipate undergoing many more in the years to come.”

She added that staff across the National Health Service were supportive at facilities including Birmingham Children’s Hospital, Sheffield Children’s Hospital, and Pinderfields.

“Within, everything is absolutely normal,” she said. “In addition to that, I was informed that my hair would never come back, yet nevertheless it has. I am able to continue leading an entirely typical life. I am able to drive and carry out other typical tasks.”

Since then, Aleema has created a TikTok account under the handle @aleemaxali, where she shares makeup tips with an audience of more than 216.4K followers.

One of her makeup tutorial videos has reached 15.8 million views, contributing to millions of views across her content.

Aleema has also launched a GoFundMe page to raise money for skin graft surgery on her lips and nose.

The report also referenced other real-life stories, including one woman who survived the Beirut bomb, and another account describing how a woman accumulated more than $35,000 in expenses while pregnant.