A tattoo artist has helped a woman cover her self-harm scars so she can move forward with her life.
Poppy Segger, 21, who runs Poppy Smallhands Tattoo, designed a stunning piece of floral art to cover over 18-year-old Lydia’s scars, which ran across her thigh.
The end result is nothing short of beautiful and, according to Poppy, it has helped Lydia’s confidence no end.
The tattoo, an arrangement of Lydia’s favourite flowers, took six hours to complete. There was also a two-hour consultation meeting beforehand, according to The Metro.
Lydia explained to Poppy that she had a lot of scars on her thigh, from when she used to self-harm, and together the pair devised a design that would cover it.
Poppy said she was nervous to create the tattoo, as she had never covered so much scarring before, but added that she had a “quiet confidence” in herself to make it work.
She shared the finished result on her Instagram page, where it has received more than 28,000 likes and hundreds of comments.
Poppy wrote in the caption: “On Saturday I started a new chapter for Lydia’s life by helping her conceal and embrace something she felt no longer at war with.
“Cover ups for scarring can sometimes be something hard and maybe even impossible to do emotionally and physically, but after talking through everything with Lydia, we made this piece a possibility for her.”
The tattoo artist thanked Lydia for “trusting” her to create the design for her.
“People like yourself are the reason I chose tattooing as my lifestyle and career, and I wish you every happiness,” she wrote. “What a great person she is. Be kind, always.”
In response to the tattoo, some people commented that they’d like something similar to hide their own scars.
One person wrote: “Beautiful. When I was 18 I tattooed over some very nasty scars on my arm to help with the recovery process of self-harm.
“Eventually I’d like to do the same for my thighs. Turns something remembered with pain into a beautiful new memory, the best kind of tattoo.”
Useful websites and helplines:Mind, open Monday to Friday,9am-6pm on 0300 123 3393 Samaritans offers a listeningservice which is open 24 hours a day, on 116 123 (UK and ROI - this number is FREE to call and will not appear on your phone bill.) Get Connected is a freeadvice service for people under 25. Call 0808 808 4994 or email: help@getconnected.org.uk