A mom whose face is covered in tattoos has expressed that she wishes that she could "take them off" so she could start the collection again.
In an era when tattoos have evolved into widely accepted forms of self-expression, Melissa Sloan, a 46-year-old from Wales, finds herself battling stereotypes and joblessness due to her extensive body art.
Sloan, who proudly calls herself a tattoo "addict," wears more than 800 tattoos across her body, a unique choice that has proven to be a double-edged sword in her life, per the Daily Star.
Sloan's relationship with body art takes on a twist, as her partner, Luke, serves as her tattoo artist, adding approximately three new designs each week. Many of these tattoos are applied in a "prison style" setting within the confines of her home.
The mother of two now has so many tattoos that she's run out of space to apply more to her face, which she isn't overly pleased about.
Sloan is attempting to fill in the gaps on her face, but she's already got three layers of tattoos.
Speaking exclusively to the Daily Star, the 46-year-old said: "I’m putting more colors on my face, some yellow and orange. All the blank spaces will have bits in, I’ll have it red, orange, and yellow and probably some green in it.
"I’m just addicted aren’t I, but that’s who I am. People say I’m going blue. I thought because it’s going blue that I’d liven it up and sparkle it up a bit and throw some different colours on it.
"It might look a bit better because I can’t really change it now, can I? I would take it off and have a nicer design. I wish I could but I can’t go back."
If Sloan could turn back the clock, she would be more daring with the designs on her face, as she explained: "I would have a Playboy bunny and a cross in the middle, a bit of writing underneath and barbed wire across my forehead - something like that!"
To really express her thoughts, the mom said that she would have "f*** off" and "f*** you" permanently inked if she were to have room.
However, the inked path she's chosen has come with its share of professional challenges. Speaking to the Daily Star earlier in the year, Sloan expressed her employment struggles, stating: "I'm not proud of saying it but I haven't worked for 20 years."
She continued: "I have applied for jobs, and they look at me and say 'what is this,' like I'm not a human being. I would love a job and prove them all wrong because all the time they keep saying to me 'no one will give you a job.'"
"People don't like me with my tattoos, my face, because they just look at you like you're worthless, you're nothing," she added. "They don't want people like us with tattoos on their face. They don't understand us, do they? We're just exactly the same as anyone else. We breathe the same, we live the same - but they just don't want to know."
Sloan further expressed her job-seeking difficulties, saying: "I can’t get a job. They won’t have me. I applied for a job cleaning toilets where I live, and they won’t have me because of my tattoos."
Despite these hardships, the mom of two still has a sense of pride in her body art.