Wales, UK - Melissa Sloan calls herself a tattoo addict and says going out in public is a "nightmare." But the negative attention hasn't put an end to her interest in ink, or her children's.

Melissa Sloan, a mom who said she'll "keep going for as long as I live," recently explained that her constant need for new ink is similar to someone's craving a smoke.

"It’s like when you have a fag or a drink, you get addicted. I can’t stop it now, it's addictive, for me anyway," she told the Daily Star. "I just can’t stop it."

Sloan's addiction shows.

The 45-year-old's face is full of hearts, roses, and leaves. Her arms are adorned with stars and patterns. Sloan says she's been getting tattoos since she was 20-years-old, and now gets about three new pieces a week. She often even carries her tattoo gun around with her.

But the body art fan said that with every new design, her reputation takes a hit.

"The more I have, the more they think I’m a freak," she said of others who see her.

Going out in public has become "a nightmare," she added. Sloan said people don't just stare at her, they jump out of her path, and talk about her as she walks by.

"I walk through the town and they [the public] are staring. And they point," the mom said. "I think, 'What are they doing that for? What is the matter with them?'"

Sloan says that when she's out and about with her kids, they point out that strangers are looking at her.

"The kids say, 'Mum they’re looking at you,' and I say, 'Take no notice of them.' They can pick it up though."

Although the constant negative public attention is far from easy, the Brit's interest in tattoos hasn't waned.

Sloan says her children also like her tattoos. They even enjoy playing with temporary ones themselves.

When her kids are sad about taking off the temporary ink, she tells them that they will have better tattoos when they're older.

Just like their mom.