A woman is unrecognisable thanks to a massive 'glow up' involving 11 tattoos and seven piercings - going from a 'Karen' to 'Megan Fox' after getting divorced. Marissa Pool, 29, became deeply unhappy and "lost herself" when she became convinced she had to look a certain way to be a good wife and mum.
But when she divorced from her husband, in a mutual split, she wanted to be more true to herself. An alternative music lover, she started to embrace the style of clothes, hair and make up she'd admired but never dared to try herself.
She swapped her "Karen cut" for long, dark locks, and ditched her frumpy cover-ups for a grungy black figure-hugging get-ups. The mum-of-two, who has been told she looks like Megan Fox, then started to get inked and now has nine tattoos - including the logo of her favourite band 'Bring Me The Horizon' on her chest. She also now has her septum, upper-lip, nostril, tongue and belly button pierced and the transformation has knocked years off her.
The patient care technician said: "My mental health was at an all-time low. I got wrapped up playing a role of what was expected of me as a wife and mother and wasn't prioritising how I looked or any aspect of my life.
"I met my ex when I was just 17. When you get older you change into a different person and your values and beliefs change.
"I lost myself for a while like a lot of women do. Now I feel like I can be myself, I'm so much happier and more confident
"People tell me I look like Megan Fox all the time and it’s honestly so flattering. I’m not sure I see it myself, but I’ve always admired her and it’s very humbling."
Marissa and her ex-husband split in January 2022 after marrying in March 2016 and having kids, aged two and six.
She added: "It was mutual. We were two different people and our children deserved better. We couldn't be together."
Marissa then started her transformation journey and "changed from the inside out".
She said: "I was finally able to be myself. I decided if I can feel good about the outside I can feel good on the inside too because I can be real and honest with people and not hide myself out of fear.
"It was definitely a process - it didn’t happen overnight. First I changed my wardrobe as I had always liked the alternative music scene since I was 12, I just thought I couldn't dress like that after becoming a wife and mother.
"I was constantly bleaching and dying my hair, so eventually it all broke off. In 2017 I had the choice between shaving it all off or getting a Karen cut.
"The grow-out journey took years. I couldn't leave my hair alone. I'm really happy with my hair now. It's now natural down to my shoulders and I have extensions and have dyed it black."
Now Marissa, from Williamsport, Pennsylvania, USA, is happier than ever and advises other mums to take at least 10 minutes to themselves every day to do something that makes them feel good.
"I now spend half an hour every day getting ready and doing my make up," she said. "When you feel good about yourself, only then can you be the best version of yourself. I feel like a completely different person, I'm confident, I feel good and I feel like me."
