Model who lost her entire upper lip in horrific Pitbull attack opens up about ‘learning to accept herself’ as she shares her harrowing journey – which involved dozens of surgeries and having to TATTOO her new skin to look like a lip

A model who lost her entire upper lip in a horrific Pitbull attack has opened up about 'learning to accept herself' after undergoing dozens of operations.

California native Brooklinn Khoury, 23, shared her journey to self-love and acceptance during her performance Good morning America in which she confessed the ups and downs of her physical and emotional healing process.

The model and avid skateboarder praised her supportive friends and family for helping her “realize that there is so much more to beauty than what meets the eye.”

She claimed that instead of self-deprecation, the key is “learning to love yourself,” no matter what you look like, and genuinely realizing that “imperfections are what make someone someone.”

Brooklinn was attacked by a dog on November 2, 2020, while at her cousin's home in Arizona.

Despite having met the Pitbull “many times” before, the dog launched its entire body at her face after she made a sudden movement to turn around to look at her cousin.

The dog hung on all fours by her upper lip and began to pull [her] head like a chew toy.”

He went back and celebrated with his body and when he finally let go, Brooklinn recalled seeing “something thrown around and hitting the wall and falling down.”

She remembered feeling, 'Wow, [that was] the biggest relief.'

Brooklinn was not immediately aware that her upper lip had been torn off until she went to the bathroom and looked in the mirror and saw that she looked like a “skeleton.”

After the incident, she used tape to “hide her face,” as she confessed that she “wasn't really ready to go out and get a lot of weird looks.”

She confessed that during that time, she was “not super in love” with what she saw in the mirror.

Brooklinn searched for a doctor for more than a year before finally finding someone who was a good fit.

The doctor took a piece of skin from her wrist and transplanted it onto her upper lip in a procedure that cost her a whopping $400,000.

She described the process as 'debulking, shaping and creating.'

Her doctor described the surgeries as an “art project” as he “shaped and moved” the piece around her face to “sculpt the skin.”

Brooklinn admitted that the surgery helped her “eating process” and her “communication.”

Not only did she begin to heal physically, but also emotionally, thanks to the support in her life from her loved ones.

The response she received after candidly sharing her journey online has “helped so much” as she discovered she's “not the only one going through something similar.”

Brooklinn now believes the internet is “beautiful in that way” because it connects people even in their struggles, despite also experiencing “a very bad side of social media.”

She said some negative people “sit behind screens and say whatever they want and make fun of others.”

Brooklinn believes she has been able to shake off the negative comments thanks to the support of her loved ones.

She confessed that her family and friends “needed to be in her life for a reason,” to help her on her journey of self-love.

When it comes to gaining self-confidence, she shared, “It's very important that anyone who watches my story or sees my videos can look at yourself in the mirror and like what you see, because the person is you that you see. which you ultimately need for yourself.'

Good Morning America posted a teaser of her full interview on its Instagram page and received more than 17,300 views and hundreds of comments.

One person wrote: 'I can't imagine anyone saying anything negative about her appearance. If they do, they have no human compassion at all! She is a beautiful and inspiring young lady.”

A second person wrote: 'She is absolutely beautiful! I'm glad she found something that helped her healing. The surgical process must have been tough, but she handled it incredibly.”

Another person commented: 'She is always a beautiful, resilient and caring person. She is [the] most worthy human being in the world.'

“She's just had THE most amazing attitude and optimism throughout this whole thing. She is truly beautiful inside and out,” a fourth person added.

“A woman characterized by exceptional courage and inspiration embodies true beauty in its true essence,” one person added.

Another wrote: 'Strength and resilience look extremely beautiful on her.'

'Great person and a great journey. Such an impressive young woman,” another commenter added.

One commenter added: 'What an incredible attitude. Her parents must be proud of her strength and positivity.”

“What a beautiful soul inside and out,” another commenter wrote.

Now that she has recovered from the tiring operations, the next step will be to tattoo her upper lip with the color 'red vermilion' so that it 'matches' the shade of her lower lip.