34-year-old Andrea Baines recreated the effects of endometriosis to highlight the ‘invisible’ pain of the condition.
The makeup artist enlisted the help of Rachel Berwick, a fellow sufferer, to be the model after she was tasked with a project on a makeup course she was learning.
Andrea explained why she wanted to focus on endometriosis and told Kidspot: “It’s traumatic enough for the sufferer to deal with the pain, without feeling like they’re lying about their condition.
“It can be extremely isolating to live with a condition that nobody can see.
“My pain feels like there’s a sharp, hot needle inside me, being scraped against my internal organs, and like my insides are being ripped out.”
It took Andrea an hour to apply the realistic make-up, then photographer Emma Wilson took photos of the shocking results.
Rachel, who revealed her pained facial expressions were real, said the shoot was one of the most ‘meaningful and rewarding’ experience.
Andrea also said that she wanted to highlight how the condition is different from regular period pain and is not simply a part of ‘being a woman.’
Aside from severe pain, endometriosis also causes chronic fatigue, pain during sex, difficulty conceiving.
“I can’t commit to work like I used to. I have severe fatigue and find it so hard to do daily tasks, as well as being a mum,” Andrea shared.
“It also affects my sex life massively, which is a big factor for my depression.
“It’s like fighting a losing battle sometimes.”
One internet user shared: “I’m 46 and have had stage 4 since I was 11…….
a dozen surgical operations, hormone treatments including steroids, at least 4 miscarriages and both ovaries removed along with my uterus still sees me in agony for most days. A divorce because I couldn’t have sex, a lost career in law/criminology and no children either makes me wonder why I go on……the medical specialists have very limited treatments other than painkillers.
This disease kills you without actually being a terminal one.”
Another wrote: “I suffered for many years and it wasn’t until I had an operation to get rid of fibroids that I got rid of the pain.”
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Replaced!