Melissa Sloan, known as Britain’s “most tattooed mother,” recently shared a rare photo of herself without her tattoos. Over ten years, she has accumulated more than 800 tattoos, admitting, “It’s like when you have a cigarette or a drink… I can’t stop.”

Tattoo parlors eventually refused her, so Sloan began tattooing herself three times a week using a gun she keeps in her car. She says she no longer remembers what she looked like before the ink.

In a recent experiment, she covered her tattoos with £3 foundation. Her youngest sons were shocked: “They said, ‘Go back to your craziness, mum,’” she recalled, feeling like a stranger to them. Her five older children reportedly disapprove, and while some viewers praised her bare-faced look, Sloan remains unapologetic.

For her, tattoos symbolize freedom and self-expression. “I like to be me, and I’m always going to be myself,” she said, teaching her children that beauty comes in many forms. Despite online mockery calling her a “freak” or “smurf,” she stands by her choices.

Her heavily tattooed appearance has affected daily life, including bans from bars and school events, and limited job opportunities. “I can’t get a job,” she admitted, though she added, “But if someone offered me one tomorrow, I’d take it.” Sloan’s story highlights her commitment to individuality and the price she pays for extreme self-expression.