Teen Girl Severely Burned After Lice Treatment Ignites—Now She’s Inspiring Millions

A tragic accident turned Aleema Ali’s life upside down—but she’s rewriting her story with strength and purpose.

In December 2016, then-12-year-old Aleema returned home to Bradford, England, from boarding school with head lice. She applied Full Marks Solution, a medicated shampoo unaware it was highly flammable. Later, near a heat source—possibly in the kitchen—her hair suddenly burst into flames. The fire left Aleema with third-degree burns across 55% of her body and cost her seven fingers.

She was placed in a coma for two months and has since undergone dozens of surgeries. Her injuries affected her face, chest, arms, and back. But instead of retreating, Aleema chose to rise.

Now 16, Aleema shares her journey through her TikTok account @aleemaxali, offering makeup tutorials and raw insights into her recovery. One of her videos has garnered over 15.8 million views, earning her more than 216K followers.

“Everything I went through made me stronger,” she says. Aleema also launched a GoFundMe to raise support for ongoing reconstructive surgery—continuing to inspire resilience, self-love, and awareness with every post.

“Beauty isn’t about what you see—it’s about what you overcome.”