A mum left so traumatised after being set upon by two women as a schoolgirl that she picked holes in her skin has overcome her anxiety to become a beauty queen.
Former dermatillomania sufferer Karlette Palmer, 24, from Surrey is now in the running to become Miss Great Britain after being crowned Miss Greater London in April.
The young mum, who lives with her fiancé Tiago Andrade, 25, and their 10-month-old son Alijah in Surrey, wants to celebrate her newfound confidence after years of suffering crippling anxiety.
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Karlette Palmer, 24, years of suffering crippling anxiety after being attacked as a teenager but is now in the running to become Miss Great Britain after being crowned Miss Greater London in April
Karlette says her newfound confidence has come from accepting what she’s been through instead of trying to escape it
Karlette had her cheekbone and ribs fractured in a brutal attack in April 2007, when she was just 14, and for years still saw her bruised and swollen face every time she looked in the mirror.
Hair extension technician Karlette said: ‘I was almost 15 at the time and walking home from school alone when a car pulled up and two girls got out.
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‘They jumped out the car and started hitting me in the face and then the body. They whacked my head off a brick wall fracturing my cheekbone.
‘They broke my ribs and after I was covered in stamp marks from where they’d been kicking me. And they ripped out my hair. They really messed me up.’
The injuries Karlette suffered after being attacked included broken ribs, a fractured cheekbone and bruising to her face. Her attackers also pulled her hair out
The mother of one with her fiancé Tiago Andrade, 25, and their son Alijah
One of Karlette’s attackers Stacey Dobbs, 30, of Thornton Close, Horley, Surrey, was found guilty of common assault at Guildford Crown Court on 10 March 2008.
Dobbs was given a two-year conditional discharge and order to pay compensation of £200 to the victim while her accomplice was given a caution.
Karlette said her life was turned upside down by the brutal assault, which left her so crippled by anxiety caused her to start compulsively picking her skin.
Karlette said her life was turned upside down by the brutal assault, which left her so crippled by anxiety caused her to start compulsively picking her skin
Karlette has holes all over her legs and face where she’d dug into the skin with her nail and then picked off the scab. She still bears the scars of her self harming
While suffering from dermatillomania as a teenager, Karlette did not realise what she was doing was a form of self harm
The young mum said in the aftermath she also suffered panic attacks, had extreme nightmares and it affected her relationships with friends and family.
The obsessive skin picking – a condition called dermatillomania – may have acted as a temporary ‘release’ for Karlette but it also fuelled her anxiety and even further lowered her self-confidence.
Karlette said: ‘It affected me massively. I felt small and very alone. I felt like I had to constantly put on a front because I was scared but I didn’t want anyone to see that I wasn’t okay.
‘I had to change my route home because I couldn’t walk past where it happened without freezing or breaking down in tears. I was traumatised.
Now Karlette feels more body confident, but she used to cover herself in heavy make-up, long sleeves and long socks to hide the marks of her self harming
The brunette beauty admits that her anxiety put a strain on her relationship with her family, especially her mother
The beauty queen has newfound confidence after years of fearing people were staring at her
‘I used to have these panic attacks and the most extreme nightmares every other night.
‘I developed this really anxious behaviour when I was out because I felt like everyone was looking at me and could see that something was wrong with me.
‘But at home I was completely different – I was so angry. It really put a strain on my relationship with my family, especially my mum.
‘I started digging holes in my face, legs and arms because it was like a release. It was soothing and relaxing. I didn’t even realise I was doing it at first let alone that it was a form of self-harm.
The beauty queen’s new mantra is that you should always have something to live for and that you should always value yourself
The Miss Great Britain hopeful now counsels other people with anxiety through her YouTube Channel
‘It became a downward spiral. My anxiety had always meant I thought people were staring at me but when my dermatillomania got worse I knew they were.
‘Of course they were – I had holes all over my legs and face where I’d dug a hole with my nail and then picked off the scab. I still have round brown scars everywhere.
‘I started to cover myself in really heavy make-up, long sleeves and long socks to hide what I was doing.
‘I went to dance school and passed everything with distinctions but never had the confidence to pursue it because I didn’t think I was worthy. My whole life was put on hold.’
Shortly after having therapy to deal with her issues, Karlette met her fiance Tiago
Tiago’s proposal to Karlette was captured on camera
During a counselling session with TV therapists Nik and Eva Speakman in 2014, Karlette was faced with the shocking realisation that six years on from her attack she was still seeing her bruised and swollen face when she looked in the mirror.
The revelation allowed Karlette to rediscover her self-confidence and launch her campaign to become Miss Great Britain.
Karlette now has her own YouTube channel where she shares her story and tries to help others accept the traumas in their lives and cope with anxiety.
Karlette said: ‘The Speakmans got me to close my eyes and relive the attack and tell them how it made me feel.
The happy couple celebrating their engagement with their baby son Alijah
Life has never been better for Karlette as she’s engaged and in the running to become Miss Great Britain
‘Then they got me to describe myself. I spoke about marks on my face and one eye being lower than the other.
‘When they asked me to open my eyes they held up what looked like a mirror and I thought I saw my reflection in it but it was actually a frame with a picture in it of what I looked like after the attack.
‘I was seeing that every day when I looked in the mirror. It was like a form of body dysmorphia. Realising that was absolutely amazing.
Karlette on a volunteering trip to Africa after regaining her confidence
The young mother, pictured during her pregnancy, says life has never been better since having her son Alijah
‘Getting back my confidence has completely changed my life. I never used to be able to have relationships because I was too scared to let people in but so soon after meeting the Speakmans I met Tiago.
‘I’m engaged, I’ve got a beautiful baby boy and now I’m in the running to become Miss Great Britain. It’s incredible.
‘I learnt how to cope by taking each day at a time and setting myself realistic goals. People need to know not to push themselves.
‘But the most important thing is accepting what you’ve been through instead of trying to escape it. I would not be who I am today if I hadn’t been through what I have.
‘It has made me so much better at dealing with other things and a better mum to Alijah.
‘I’ve learnt to never loose who you are, to always live for something, and to always remember that you are worth it. I hope my son grows up knowing that too.’