A bald Britney is flanked by minders at an LA tattoo parlour Britney's new style

She was spotted by fans and paparazzi in a Los Angeles tattoo parlour minus her trademark mane of blonde hair.

A tattoo artist at the Body and Soul parlour told KABC television that Ms Spears was tattooed with "cute little lips on her wrist".

Ms Spears is reported to have recently checked in to an Antigua rehabilitation centre and checked out one day later.

Staff at the tattoo parlour said she appeared unannounced on Friday night and stayed 90 minutes while she was tattooed.

Afterwards she was bundled by her minders into a waiting SUV with her head completely covered by a hood.

Dozens of auctions later appeared on eBay claiming to be selling "genuine" locks of Britney's hair from from Esther's Hair Studio in Tarzana, California.

Owner Esther Tognozzi is reported to have tried to talk Spears out of getting rid of all her hair on Friday night.

But Spears grabbed the clippers and did the job herself, as people watched through a window.

Reckless behaviour

Britney Spears shot to global fame in 1998 with the hits Baby One More Time and Oops!...I Did It Again.

She had a two-day marriage to a childhood friend before marrying former backing dancer Kevin Federline, with whom she had two children.

Since splitting with him last year, Spears has been making headlines with her partying lifestyle.

Her reckless behaviour reportedly had family and close friends worried.

On Friday, People magazine and other entertainment media reported that she had checked herself into Eric Clapton's Crossroads Centre in Antigua in the Caribbean earlier in the week, but had checked out one day later.

Spears has sold more than 60m albums since her pop debut in 1998 with the UK number one single, Baby One More Time.