A mum with over 800 tattoos says she can’t find a job and is desperate for businesses to give her a chance.
You’ve likely heard of ‘Britain’s most tattooed man’ and ‘Britain’s most inked woman’, but now, meet the British mum covered in more than 800 tattoos.
Her extreme look hasn’t come without challenges.
Melissa Sloan, who has spent the past 10 years transforming her appearance, revealed that her tattoos have made it impossible to secure work, as employers refuse to hire her, according to the Daily Star.
Despite her commitment to body art, she recently surprised fans by sharing a rare photo of her tattoos completely covered with foundation.
In her first attempt at covering her tattoos, Melissa Sloan shared her experience in an interview with the Daily Star, saying,
“It took me ages. I bought one [foundation] for £3 and thought I’d give it a try.”
After spending half an hour applying the makeup, she went downstairs—only to be met with shock from her family.
“The kids freaked out because they didn’t like it. My partner did a double take and said, ‘No, it doesn’t suit you. Get your tattoos back, it looks weird.’ They burst into tears, and even my dog looked at me twice!”
Her youngest child, in particular, was unsettled.
“She didn’t like me that way—she wanted me back as I was. It scared her.”
Sloan also responded to online criticism, adding,
“Trolls say my kids must be scared of my tattoos, but in reality, they were terrified when I covered them up. People don’t realize how small-minded they are.”
Sloan jokes that her kids don’t like her tattoo-free look.
“They said ‘Go back to your craziness mum’, none of them spoke to me. It didn’t go well. It wasn’t the same, it’s like they were looking at a different person, a stranger,” she told the Daily Star.
Sloan explained: “When it came off again, they were back to normal – it should have been the other way round.
“I’ve got proper tattoo foundation now. I had to put it on thick, I used half a tub. It was like thick cement, really thick.”
“It’s my life at the end of the day—I can swap and change if I want,” Sloan said. “People tell me I looked beautiful before, but I like it crazy.”
However, her bold appearance has come with its challenges, particularly when it comes to finding a job.
Speaking to the Daily Star, the 46-year-old revealed her struggles:
“I can’t get a job. They won’t hire me. I even applied for a job cleaning toilets in my area, but they turned me down because of my tattoos.”
Sloan recalled her brief work history, adding,
“The first job I ever had was cleaning toilets years ago. People say I’ve never worked a day in my life, but I did once—it just didn’t last long. If someone offered me a job tomorrow, I’d take it in a heartbeat.”
Beyond employment struggles, Sloan also feels excluded from social events, especially when it comes to her child’s school.
“No Christmas parties, and when I go to my child’s school, I don’t get invited. One time, they even told me to stand in the back garden and look through the glass window,” she claimed.
