Melissa Sloan, known for her impressive collection of over 800 tattoos, recently disguised her ink, rendering herself virtually unrecognizable.

While you might have heard of Australia's most tattooed model, the 'Black Alien', or 'Britain's most inked woman', Melissa Sloan is a British mother whose face is adorned with many tattoos.

Identifying as a tattoo enthusiast, Sloan recently hid her facial tattoos for a photo that went viral, showing a drastically different appearance.

According to the Daily Star, Sloan has dedicated about 10 years to achieving her unique look, averaging about three tattoos weekly, done either at home or in her van.

Despite her passion for tattoos, five of her seven children have reportedly distanced themselves due to her extensive body art.

However, her youngest children, still living with her, are big admirers of her appearance.

Sloan's decision to cover her tattoos for a photo initially unsettled her children and dogs.

Describing her first attempt at hiding her tattoos, she shared: "It took me ages. I bought one [foundation] for £3 and thought I'd try it that way."

"I put it on for about half an hour and when I went downstairs the kids freaked out because they didn't like it. And my partner looked twice he said 'No, it doesn't suit you. Get your tattoos back, it looks weird'."

"They burst out crying and even my dog looked twice. She didn't like me that way, my youngest wanted me back as I was. It scared her."

Sloan saw it as a challenge to hide her tattoos, but the lack of them surprisingly 'scared' her kids! She also noted that removing the durable, thick foundation took a full '24 hours'.

She adds: "These trolls say to me my kids are scared but they are scared of me with my foundation on. People don't realise that they are small-minded."

Despite the initial adverse reactions, Sloan decided to experiment with the transformed look once more, this time keeping her children away to prevent any distress.

"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 shared in a recent interview.

Sloan recounted, "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."

This time, Sloan's more subdued appearance received positive feedback, with viewers saying 'I look better with makeup'.

Yet, Sloan remains unswayed by these opinions.

"It's my life at the end of the day, I can just swap and change," she remarks. "People said I looked beautiful the way I was before – but I like it crazy."