Photo: YouTube / Make Love Not Scars
Reshma survived an acid attack and today makes bold beauty tutorials for more awareness
It starts like a normal beauty video - but the end makes us speechless. For the protagonist is a survivor of an acid attack and is now addressing the public with an important message.
The video from YouTuberin Reshma starts like any other beauty tutorial . How To Apply Perfect Lipstick: Peel the lips with a toothbrush to remove dead skin, apply balm to moisturize the lips, give the lips the perfect shape with Lipliner. But something is different: Reshma speaks in a high voice, her skin is marked by an acid attack, which is unfortunately not uncommon in India. The reason: Acid is as easy to buy in India as a lipstick, says Reshma.
Reshma's face was doused with sulfuric acid in 2014 by her brother-in-law. The then 18-year-old lost her left eye, her right is partially scarred and repeatedly inflamed. She suffers from severe burns and is currently awaiting surgery to restore the muscles around her mouth.
In her petition Make Love Not Scars she calls for a strong regulation of the free accessibility of acid. These figures make it clear that the time is running out: according to the BBC, there are about 1, 000 acid attacks per year in India, with about 90 percent of the victims being women. The usual motives of the acts? Revenge, jealousy or rejection.
Although India has raised the sanction rate for acid abuse, it is still incredibly easy to purchase the dangerous liquid in one of India's many junk shops. "To make it clear to everyone, anyone can buy acid as a soprano here for no more than 100 Indian rupees (1.35 Euro) or less for a liter, " says a letter on the Make Love Not Scars website .
Anyone who wants to help stop this horrible practice and ban the free sale of acid in India can sign Reshma's petition here.
