‘People think I’m a criminal, but I love my face tattoo’
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A young woman from Bristol who got a face tattoo on impulse says she has no regrets about having had the work done. Even though strangers often assume (and sometimes tell her…) that she’s either ‘stupid’, likely some sort of ‘criminal’ – or both (Pictures: Alitia Saunders / SWNS)
21 year-old Alitia Saunders has been obsessed with tattoos since childhood. While her husband, fellow tattoo artist Jonathan , 38, was inking her arm one day, the pair decided on the spot to extend the design up the right side of her face. The result is a bold brush-stroke pattern that sweeps down her neck to her collarbone and blends seamlessly with her existing tattoos (Picture: Alitia Saunders / SWNS)
Despite online trolls telling her she has ‘ruined her face’, Alitia says the ink is one of her favourites. She explained her way of thinking: ‘I don’t understand why people always thought that tattoos meant you are a thug or criminal. I always thought it could be something positive like a memorial or something you simply enjoy. I’m lucky enough to have a face tattoo. I did not know it was going to happen it just felt right. I don’t have any regrets about it’ (Picture: alitia.ink / Instagram)
Her love of body art started early. At 14, she bought a stick-and-poke kit online and began tattooing herself. By 18, she had secured an apprenticeship, and today she works full time at the Fat Rabbit tattoo studio in Banbury, Oxfordshire. Over the years she has logged around 50 hours of tattoo sessions on herself and finally took the plunge with her first facial design back in May 2023 (Picture: Alitia Saunders / SWNS)
She admits she had considered it for some time but planned to finish the rest of her body first. That changed when Jonathan suggested, on a whim, ‘why don’t we just do the design on your face, then?’ She later added flower details to soften the look, saying the extra touches made it ‘more feminine’ (Picture: Alitia Saunders / SWNS)
The reaction has been mixed. Alitia has received abuse both online and in person, with some people telling her she has ‘ruined’ her appearance or that ‘nobody is going to want to be with you’. Others have been openly hostile – one elderly woman reportedly told her ‘what the f*** have you done to your face?’ before calling her a ‘stupid b***h’. Still, she insists the criticism doesn’t bother her, saying: ‘The people who think I will regret my tattoos let them, I don’t care what they think’ (Picture: Alitia Saunders / SWNS)
Determined to continue, Alitia plans to cover her entire body so that every design connects. ‘It will all be connected into one large body suit – it’s a work in progress,’ she said. ‘Everywhere will be tattooed eventually. I like to customise how I look. I don’t regret anything in my life because I wouldn’t be the same person. A face tattoo like mine won’t be accepted for a very long time it’s completely ridiculous. But I understand’ (Picture: amberorchid_ / Instagram)
