800 tattoos and counting: Mother of two barred from tattoo shops, pubs, and school due to extreme appearance

Tattoos are amazing! They are exquisite forms of self-expression and let us create art on our skin, making us unique masterpieces. They can tell stories and hold special meanings. But sometimes, people take it too far and turn art into an obsession. This is what happened with Melissa Sloan, a 46-year-old Welsh mother, who has gained notoriety for her extensive collection of tattoos.

The mother of two boasts of 800 tattoos, many of them on her face. Now, the obsession has come back to haunt her. Her extensive collection of tattoos has landed her in hot soup, not only is she unable to find work, her unconventional appearance has also led to her being barred from various places including...tattoo shops.

If she's barred from tattoo shops, how does she get so many tattoos?

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Talking to the Daily Star, the 46-year-old woman revealed that she gets at least three designs etched on to her face every week.

She fuels her "addiction" by having most of her tattoos done by her partner Luke in the comfort of their home, often using unconventional methods.

Where else is she barred from?

Melissa has encountered numerous problems and has been barred from various aspects of life. One area greatly affected by Melissa's tattoos is her job prospects.

Despite having a previous job cleaning toilets, her growing collection of crucifixes and Playboy bunnies has made it challenging for her to find employment. At this point, no one would even hire her to scrub toilets, which by no means is a glamorous job.

As per Daily Star, she has been without a job for seven months and relies on benefits to support herself. Not only this, her tattoos have led to many doors being closed in her face — quite literally.

Tattoo shops have slammed their doors on Melissa away, refusing to provide her with their services. She says she has been banned from parlours due to her face being deemed "beyond help." Tattooists have rejected her, claiming that she has gone too far with her tattooed appearance.

Her tattoos have even led to her exclusion from pubs, with Melissa receiving a lifetime ban from entering any drinking establishments.

"I'm not allowed in the pub, it's all pubs," she explained while talking to the publication. She claims to have been banned from her children's school.

Heckling, derogatory remarks and more can't deter Melissa Sloan

The challenges Melissa faces extend beyond establishments. She often encounters heckling and derogatory remarks from strangers on the street, which has even occurred in front of her children. Despite facing societal rejection, Melissa remains committed to her love for tattoos and has reportedly even declined the offer of free NHS laser treatment to remove her face ink. Instead, she sees the idea of getting her eyeballs tattooed as a potential future "gamble" on her sight.

(With inputs from agencies)

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