At 47, Ah Hua has millions of followers on the social media platform Douyin. People seek her out not for trendy beauty tips, but to witness how a woman whose appearance was destroyed "recreates" herself.

Tragedy struck Ah Hua in Son Dong province after an arranged marriage filled with tears. Fleeing her abusive husband after months of domestic violence, she still couldn't escape his revenge. When he found his wife's new residence, her ex-husband threw concentrated acid at her. The attack completely disfigured Ah Hua's face: her right ear was lost, her nose corroded, one eye permanently damaged, and the other reduced to a deep socket.

"I lived like a ghost, afraid to look in the mirror," Ah Hua recalled those dark days.

Ah Hua, 47, from Son Dong province, draws her own eyes, nose, and eyebrows to feel more confident. Photo: Douyin

The turning point came by chance when she scrolled through social media and saw digital beauty filters that could create large, round eyes and smooth skin. "If technology can do it, why can't I do it with my own hands?" she asked herself.

Without artistic talent, Ah Hua began a difficult journey of practice. She sketched thousands of times on paper, from clumsy pencil strokes until she could form soulful eyes. On her uneven, scarred skin, applying makeup was far more challenging than on normal skin.

"I had to learn to draw from the most basic strokes to save my own face," she confided.

With her daughter's support, Ah Hua gradually mastered contouring and 3D drawing techniques. Each morning, she spends hours in front of the mirror "drawing" her nose bridge, lips, and especially her lost eyes. The makeup cannot erase the scars, but it helps her walk out confidently.

Her resilience not only helped Ah Hua revive herself but also brought her new happiness with her current husband – a kind man who understands her past. But fate seems to continue to challenge her, as her husband was diagnosed with a serious illness.

Instead of collapsing, Ah Hua is now the breadwinner, livestreaming makeup tutorials and selling products to earn money for her husband's treatment. "My face is artificial, but my smile and this zest for life are real," Ah Hua said in a video that garnered millions of views.

Minh Phuong (According to Mirror)