Tattoo of genitals on Grantham woman's head raises eyebrows
A Grantham woman has been raising eyebrows after having a risqué tattoo on top of her head featuring male and female genitalia.
Briony Sparrow, of Cambridge Street, went ahead with the daring design, which also shows breasts, to raise awareness of endometriosis, a common but painful condition that affects women.
- Warning: The following images have the potential to cause offence.
The 32-year-old started by shaving all her hair off in July to donate to the Little Princess Trust, a charity that makes real hair wigs for children and young people who have lost their hair due to cancer treatment and other illnesses. She also wanted to raise money for Endometriosis UK and Mind.
Briony then decided to enhance her new shaved look by having a head tattoo, which took more than two hours to complete and was done by Danny Charles at Cross Keys Tattoo Studio, Welby Street, earlier this month.
Briony said: “The idea behind it was really a way for me to externalise the pain that I have been suffering for so many years.”
Since she was 11 years old, Briony, who now works for the Blue Pig and Beerheadz, in Grantham, has suffered with crippling monthly pains, which were sometimes so severe that she could not get out of bed and needed time off school and work.
Briony added: “I must have seen more than 15 gynaecological specialists about the pain and symptoms I was experiencing, which include erratic and agonising periods, fatigue, IBS-like symptoms and pain during sex.”
Despite numerous referrals to various different specialists and a couple of misdiagnoses along the way, the problem persisted until she was finally diagnosed with endometriosis and polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) when she was 27 years old.
Endometriosis is a condition where tissue similar to the lining of the womb starts to grow in other places, such as the ovaries and fallopian tubes. It can affect woman of any age and can have a significant impact on your life.
Briony said: “Over the course of 16 years, I was often told that I was exaggerating about my pain, that it was ‘all in my head’, that it’s normal to get period pain and that I must be overly sensitive or exaggerating.
“The whole process has had a huge impact on my mental health but sadly mine is not a unique case. So many women go through it but now I can say that it’s not in my head it’s on my head and if you think I’m overly sensitive to pain go and get a head tattoo and get back to me.”
Briony, who has lost jobs as a result of the condition, is finally feeling positive about the future after receiving overwhelming support from her family, friends and colleagues.
She added: “I’m finally starting to retake my life back from these horrible health conditions. The support from my bosses and customers at the Blue Pig and the BeerHeadZ has been unbelievable.”
She has already raised £2,400 of her £3,000 target.
She added: “I couldn’t have raised such a massive amount without everyone’s generosity and I’ve honestly never had so many compliments about my appearance as I have since I braved the shave.
“People do think I’m a bit mad but I love my shaved head and my tattoo. It’s given me a huge confidence boost.”
To donate, visit: tinyurl.com/y6b4sdep
