A woman who has spent £20,000 on tattooing her whole body has hit back at trolls who have said she is 'self-harming', saying they actually give her more confidence.
Bethany Moore, 26, was always interested in tattoos, but it wasn't until her 18th birthday that she got her first one.
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The barber, from Heathfield in East Sussex, got her first tattoo in tribute to her childhood dog - the image of a wolf, inspired by his howling.
Since then, she has almost covered her body in tattoos, and has 15 piercings, with seven on her ears as well as her tongue and bellybutton.
She's spent £20,000 on her tats, as well as countless hours under the needle - her back alone took 60 hours.
But although she says she feels empowered, she's been criticised by trolls who don't agree with them, with some even accusing her of self-harm.
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Bethany says it's the opposite, claiming it's her online journey with her tattoos that led her to meet partner Josh.
Although she doesn't have much space left for tattoos, Bethany is planning on completing her 'body suit' when she gets her leg finished.
Bethany said: "I have always been intrigued by tattoos but I didn't really know I wanted one myself until I was eighteen.
"My first tattoo was a wolf on the side of my ribs. It was in memory of my childhood dog, Turbo, who I grew up with. He used to howl like a wolf.
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"I've since had so many tattoo sessions that I've lost count. I've also had fifteen piercings of which nine remain and two are now sixteen-millimetre flesh holes in my earlobes.
"As a whole finished piece, my torso took the longest. My back took around sixty-hours, too. The torso was painful though. I couldn't deal with smashing it out too fast as I could in other areas.
"Truthfully, they're all my favourites - especially as they all flow into one. It's like my body is now one giant tattoo.
"My neck tattoo is special to me, though. I thought about getting it for a really long time so when I finally got it done, it gave me a big feeling of empowerment and confidence.
"I must have spent around twenty-thousand-pounds in total.
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"I'm aware it's not everyone's cup of tea as I've had negative comments on social media.
"Someone once told me getting tattoos was a way of self-harming; that one stuck with me because it couldn't be further from the truth.
"I get tattoos because it makes me more and more happy in my own skin and makes me feel complete and gives me the confidence to be me."
Bethany says that anyone who wants to get a tattoo shouldn't overthink it.
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"Everyone who is close to me has been nothing but supportive of my ink choices and love me for who I am. The ink on my skin doesn't change that," Bethany said.
"It's also helped me find like-minded people whilst dating including my partner Josh who I'm very happily in love with. We're the perfect match.
"Starting my Japanese bodysuit also inspired me to get fit and healthy which has been a plus too.
"I have very few empty spaces left to fill but I need to get my final leg tattooed to complete my bodysuit. I really will feel whole then.
"If you want a tattoo, think it through but don't overthink it. If you want one, then just do it but beware, you may get the ink bug and not be able to stop like me."
Featured Image Credit: MDWTopics: UK News