A Welsh mum who gets hundreds of tattoos done "prison style" has shared before and after pictures and the difference is striking. Melissa Sloan has admitted she's "addicted" to tattoos, getting up to three a week, but there was a time when she looked very different to how she does now.
Melissa, from Knighton in Powys, has already spoken how her tattoos help her express herself and has vowed to get ink until she's 80 despite "funny looks". But she told the Mirror how she now struggles to get a job because of how she looks with tattoos covering most of her body, including her face.
Even so, she's planning her next tattoo which will be a crucifix just below her right eye. She's admitted that she's run out of room and has been known to go over old designs just to fit a new one in. But before she gets the next one, Melissa has shared a picture of what she looked like before she covered her face in tattoos.
The 45-year-old has spoken about why her tattoo addiction has given her a sense of relief and solace after she claimed she was abused by her 46-year-old half-brother paedophile Gavin Sloan, who was locked up for 21 years for a string of sexual offences including the rape of a child earlier this year.
She told the Mirror that her inkings are mainly done "prison style" by her boyfriend at home these days, and she also does some of them herself. 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."
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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