For years Heywood Taylor handled strangers wanting on the birthmark on his left cheek – however now he has ‘taken management’ and given them one thing else to stare at.
The photographer and videographer, from Newcastle, UK, has spent £10,000 ($14,000) protecting himself in tattoos, and gained heaps of confidence.
He mentioned: ‘Initially, the tattoos weren’t one thing that I used to be consciously getting due to my birthmark in any manner however as soon as I began getting my arms and neck tattooed, there was a shift.
‘I used to be very conscious that getting these tattoos had and nonetheless has nice significance in society, and that the best way individuals might take a look at me or decide me would possibly change.
‘Quick ahead to at present and I’ve half my face tattooed, and I can safely say I’ve by no means felt extra comfy with the best way I look.
‘I’ve undoubtedly regained possession of the best way I seem and partly, I’ve taken management again over the stares I get on the street.’
He first observed feedback concerning the birthmark as a baby, with different kids asking if it was an damage.
‘Individuals typically mistook my birthmark for a bruise or a burn,’ mentioned Heywood.
‘I bear in mind individuals staring and infrequently asking me if I used to be okay.
‘A few instances I used to be instructed it was ugly and that I ought to get it eliminated, however on the time I didn’t pay it a lot discover.
‘I don’t bear in mind an excessive amount of anguish concerning having my birthmark although.
‘It wasn’t till my late teenagers and early twenties that I actually started to wrestle with having a birthmark.’
As he received older, he nervous about wanting totally different from his friends and struggled along with his look.
He didn’t normally obtain feedback, however observed individuals staring and and shortly developed social nervousness and agoraphobia.
‘I bear in mind getting very paranoid when in public and uncomfortable, not as a result of individuals would or had ever mentioned something, however merely due to individuals staring,’ he mentioned.
‘I felt awkward as a teen as many individuals do, so the added stares of the birthmark enhanced this awkward nervousness.
‘By my twenties, I developed agoraphobia – significantly of public busy locations.
‘I might by no means be in public alone and if for instance I needed to journey, I might typically really feel very susceptible inside myself.
‘I couldn’t stand individuals taking a look at me after which wanting away awkwardly. It made me really feel horrendous and I suffered from chilly sweats.’
When he was 25, his mom handed away and he grew to become depressed. This mixed along with his nervousness and struggles with alcohol led Heywood to ponder suicide aged 26.
He turned to train to assist and was quickly in higher form. As his confidence grew, so did his need so as to add physique artwork.
Though already having one or two tattoos earlier than this, in his mid-30s Heywood determined to get tattoos on his arms, neck and face and has felt more and more assured about his look ever since. Now he has over 30 tattoos throughout his physique.
‘I discovered myself chubby and depressing, considering the tip so I joined a gymnasium and it saved me at the moment,’ he mentioned.
‘I might progressively regain my self-worth and after a couple of years, I had discovered to imagine in myself once more, and with a very good increase of ego I grew in confidence.
‘It was at this level that I began actually getting tattooed.
‘I had had a couple of tattoos earlier than, however as soon as I used to be getting in higher form and my confidence grew, I really felt extra comfy to begin getting tattooed extra.
‘Because the pores and skin received progressively lined in everlasting ink, I discovered my confidence grew even additional.’
Though the 36-year-old nonetheless receives loads of stares from strangers, he says that by protecting such seen components of his physique in art work, he has managed to ‘take again management.’
Heywood hopes that sharing his story will assist normalise facial variations and make them much less taboo.
He mentioned: ‘Facial distinction consciousness is essential to me as a result of I believe the extra individuals see and study and expertise different tales, the much less taboo individuals with facial variations turn out to be.
‘I’m fairly privileged on this regard that my birthmark is relatively small.
‘Many individuals have a lot higher facial variations than me, and I do know first hand from talking with them that they’ve experiences which might be far darker and tougher to digest.
‘Nonetheless, everybody’s story is legitimate and so I really feel my ten or so years of wrestle with my birthmark continues to be price sharing.’
Heywood now sees his birthmark as key in shaping the individual he has turn out to be.
‘To those that are self-conscious about their birthmark, it might actually suck and the psychological well being implications are actual,’ mentioned Heywood.
‘The one factor that has modified for me with my relationship with my birthmark is that I’m now not anxious about it and that’s as a result of I labored on myself.
‘I like the little purple factor, and I’m grateful for it as a result of it has formed me in much more constructive methods than detrimental.
‘As individuals, we’re all a lot way more than only a face – simply a few of our faces are rather less boring than the norm.’
Observe Heywood’s story on YouTube.
Do you have got a narrative to share?
Get in contact by emailing [email protected].
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