Nafiah Ikram Seeks Normalcy 5 Years After 2021 Acid Attack

1 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Jul 5

At 27, Nafiah Ikram says monthly nail-salon visits have become a ritual to reclaim normalcy and feel “pretty” again five years after acid burned her face.
The March 2021 attack happened as she walked home from work at a CVS Pharmacy, when a hooded stranger threw battery acid at her, leaving permanent facial scars.
Many surgeries have followed, but Ikram says the deeper struggle is accepting her reflection and reconnecting with the happier version of herself she remembers.
The case still shadows her recovery: the attacker’s face haunted her for years, while Nassau County police investigated but found little.

Sources

Beyond surgeries, can new psychological therapies truly help survivors of disfigurement reclaim their identity in a world obsessed with beauty?

Her ex allegedly masterminded the attack. As the case proceeds, what does justice truly mean for a survivor of such intimate betrayal?

Her attacker used battery acid. How can we prevent common chemicals from being turned into devastating weapons of revenge and control?

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