Abbie Quinnen can’t expose her skin to the sun for TWO YEARS & is forced to wear a compression vest after freak accident
DANCER Abbie Quinnen’s world was turned upside down when a YouTube trick went horribly wrong, leaving her with third degree burns.
Abbie had been filming a “life hack” video with partner AJ for their one million Instagram followers showing how to cut a glass bottle in half to be used as a vase.
The risky trick involves dipping a rope in a flammable chemical, wrapping it around the bottle and lighting a flame to it.
The couple’s attempt sparked a fireball which engulfed Abbie who was leaning over a worktop. The bottle blew up and her hair and clothing caught alight.
Following the accident Abbie has since made 20 hospital visits, needed three skin grafts and she has been forced to wear a compression vest for two years.
And with doctors encouraging her to stay out of the sun she has forced her into a wardrobe of high-necked tops and hats, proving devastating for the dancer who admits much of her focus has been on her looks and enviable figure.
“Since I was little, people used to always say what a pretty girl I was. As a dancer, so much is about how you look, and so for my face and body to be so badly burnt, that was really hard to deal with,” she says.
“My wardrobe was full of crop tops, little vests, dresses and bikinis, and now I have to wear a compression vest for two more years. I can’t expose my skin to the sun.
“The laser treatment to reduce redness is painful and it makes your skin go black for a few days before it starts to take effect. So I have to think about dressing differently, buying lots of roll-neck tops.
As a dancer, so much is about how you look, and so for my face and body to be so badly burnt, that was really hard to deal with
Abbie Quinnen
“The first thing AJ bought me was a Burberry bucket hat to cover my face from the sun. That was so sweet but it also made me cry.”
Abbie adds: “I can’t dress to show off my figure now; I have to dress to hide and protect myself. I don’t go out without high-factor suncream in foundation and lots of make-up to cover the redness over my face.
“I have to drink lots of water and eat lots of protein to help my skin recover. AJ cooks me a version of Nando’s chicken with halloumi cheese, which I eat three or four times a week.
“And I drink water all the time because burnt skin is basically completely dehydrated. The doctors are so pleased with the way my skin is healing.”
Abbie says she does not blame AJ at all for the accident and has nothing but praise for the quick reactions of AJ and Curtis, who took her immediately to hospital when they realised an ambulance would take too long due to overstretched paramedics during Covid.
“AJ, Curtis and his whole family have been amazing,” she says. “They’ve all done everything they can to help both me and AJ.”
Together with AJ, she is now urging the public against trying the wine bottle hack — also viewed by 7.7 million people on YouTube.
Read the full story in tomorrow's Fabulous Magazine
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