A mother who claims she's ''addicted'' to tattoos has shocked the internet with an unrecognisable picture of what she used to look like before she began her extreme body ink collection. Melissa Sloan, 45, has claimed she now ''can't get a job '' due to the countless distinct designs that are inked across most of her body, including the majority of her face.
Over the years, she has spent a long time building up her body art and has even gone over old tattoos as she has ran out of space on her skin for new creations. The 45-year-old, from Wales, said she gets a short term ''buzz'' out of tattoos and adds on average three new designs per week to her collection - but she is not done yet, the Mirror reports.
She explains that most of her body art is done ''prison style'' outwith a professional salon, as her boyfriend either inks her skin at home or she does it herself. Melissa said that people can be unkind to her about her appearance and she is often stared at on the street but the unbothered mum said she wont let their negative opinions stop her as she plans her next upcoming piece which will be a crucifix under her right eye.
She said: "I'm going to get another one done tomorrow. I'm getting a cross under my eye, it'll be a plain one - like a crucifix. I don't know if I'm religious, I just like crosses - I usually go for hearts or roses, but now I'll get crosses for a bit. I go with the flow, whatever I like I put on my face.
"I go with the inspiration, there's space left so I'll put it on. It's free, I do it myself - or my boyfriend does it, he's been trained to do it - he's been doing it for years. We have our own machine and everything, it keeps the cost down.
"It's expensive now isn't it, I'm having the cross tomorrow - that would cost £60-70 at a tattooist but it will only cost me ink now, which is about £10 a bottle and a needle which is £10 a box, so I guess it will cost me about £1 I should think. I've got too many tattoos now, too many to count. I've gone over ones I've already had.
''I'll never stop, I tattooed over them because I'd ran out of space. I get adrenaline from it, I get a buzz, and I feel brilliant, then it wears off again in a couple of days' time and I do it again. People call me Crazy Melissa, but I just feel like Melissa - that's who I am. If they don't like it, they don't have to look at me - I take no notice. There are some judgemental people out there, they judge you whatever. People stare at me, you get used to it."
Melissa has an unmethodical range of designs on her skin including fluorescent flower designs and an England flag on her face, a huge Kray twins piece and some playboy bunnies inked on her leg as well as cartoon marijuana leaves inked on her head as well but her collection continues to grow.
Speaking previously to the Daily Star, Melissa said: "I have three tattoos a week. It's like when you have a fag or a drink, you get addicted. I can't stop it now, it's addictive, for me anyway. I just can't stop it. I carry the [tattoo] gun around with me in the boot, I'll get one in the car or anywhere. My boyfriend does them, he does my tattoos prison style."
Melissa said that her love of tattoos has had an impact on her life as she gets funny looks and struggles to hold down a job because of her extensive inkings.
She continued: "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. The first job I had was cleaning ages ago, cleaning toilets. People have said I have never had a job in my life, I have had one once and it didn't last long.
"But, if someone offered me a job tomorrow I would go and work – I would take that offer. I expected this in life, I can't fit in with people as I like to be me and I'm always going to be myself. They don't have to listen to me. But I'm not going anywhere."
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