Melissa Sloan, known as Britain’s “most tattooed mum,” recently surprised the public by sharing a rare photo of herself without her tattoos. With over 800 tattoos collected in just 10 years, she says the habit is like an addiction: “I can’t stop.”

After tattoo shops refused to serve her, Sloan began inking herself three times a week using a tattoo gun she keeps in her car. In a test, she used £3 foundation to hide her tattoos—leaving her two youngest sons shocked. “They said, ‘Go back to your craziness, mum,’” she recalled.

Though her older children disapprove and she’s faced bans from bars and schools, Sloan has no regrets. “I enjoy being myself,” she said, emphasizing that her tattoos represent freedom and self-expression.

Despite struggling to find work due to her appearance, she added: “If someone offered me a job tomorrow, I’d take it.”