07 December 2023 , 11:05
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A woman with extensive tattoos is taking extreme measures to shake off the unwanted "bad girl" stereotype.
After spending £10,000 on 19 inkings all over her body, tattoo addict Lauren has had enough and claimed she "regretted" every one immediately after getting, with the first one she got at just 18 years old.
Due to people pre-judging her because of her look, she took the plunge and has started the removal process - which will cost her an estimated double what she had originally spent on the inkings.
She has already had some of her tattoos lasered off (Jam Press/@?clandestine_dncr)
She hopes to be clear from all her inking sin the next few years (Jam Press/@?clandestine_dncr)Her first tattoo at 18 was inspired by Lady Gaga's floral black tattoo, and Lauren opted for a set of roses on her stomach, which then spurred her addiction to getting more. Now 30, she has begun to "hate" her tattoos and the fact people constantly assume she's a "bad girl" because of them.
The psychology student from Australia said: "I regretted every single [one] almost immediately after getting it. I just couldn't stop myself – I was addicted."
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Lauren has spent $20,000 AUD (£10,448) in total on her tattoos, and claimed she initially got them as a "coping mechanism" while struggling with depression and was "essentially covered" by the time she was 25.
However, the appeal wore off quickly and meant she became subject to criticism from her family and attracted unwanted attention in public.
"I feel like they are the first thing anyone sees when I'm wearing shorts or a dress and it makes me feel incredibly insecure. People make assumptions about me and my personality based on how I look – especially the older generation. I've heard whispers of snarly remarks and been looked up and down in public, and it hurts.
The tattoos have cost her around £10,000 over the years (Jam Press Vid/@?clandestine_dncr)
She has them all over her body but hates the stereotype of a 'bad girl' (Jam Press/@?clandestine_dncr)"I've found that because of my tattoos, men interact with me differently. They immediately assume I'm a 'bad girl' or a 'biker girl', which isn't the case. They also assume I'm promiscuous and often over-sexualise me because of the way I look. I also come from a family of 'clean skins' – neither of my parents have a single tattoo so you can imagine their shock when I started getting heavily tattooed," she further explained.
Lauren claimed her mum also warned her about getting the tattoos as "she knows me better than I know myself" and knew she would regret them. However, Lauren admitted: "She knew I would regret them but at the time I couldn't be reasoned with. I was in my rebellious era. In hindsight, I wish I had listened."
Within the next few years, Lauren has planned to have "completely clean skin" despite it being estimated to cost double what she's already spent. "I've been in the process of removing these tattoos my entire adult life so it's become really defeating. I don't expect I will have completely clean skin until I'm until I'm in my mid-30s, and that makes me really upset that I wasted my 20s in a body I didn't feel comfortable in."