Adele Smith was hoping to commemorate the love she felt for her pet Newfoundland dog, Max, when she made one of the worst decisions of her life.
It’s not unusual for some people to get a tattoo in honor of a loved one, but Adele went a bit overboard. Now she’s filled with regret.
When Max turned 8-years-old, the average life expectancy for his breed, Adele had an 8″ wide tattoo inked above her breasts. Adele paid a mere $130 for the simple black tattoo when she was just 18-years-old, but the effect it had on her life cost her so much more.
“I went to university in Portsmouth where everyone noticed my tattoo, which I loved. I was in the buzz of freshers, always getting my boobs out and showing my tattoos off. I guess it became my ‘thing,'” she said.
“[But then] I started getting negative comments and being called names like ‘Paw T**s.’ They were the first thing that everyone noticed. Everything became about my boobs and the tattoos, and not about me. Even if they were slightly on show and someone noticed, I’d shudder and want the ground to swallow me up.”
Now 28-years-old, Adele suffers the buyer’s remorse. “I haven’t had a proper relationship since I got it done, 10 years ago. People don’t look at me or want to talk to me, it’s all about my boobs. The tattoo was meant to be something to remember Max by, but whenever I look at my boobs, rather than thinking of him, I think of what a mistake I’ve made.”
“My self-confidence has been shattered by them. I’m sure that’s why I haven’t had many relationships lasting for more than a month in 10 years. Blokes get the wrong idea about me. They think I’m easy which is not what I am like at all.”
Adele has begun laser tattoo removal, an uncomfortable process that breaks down ink particles in the tattoo. The particles are then fought off by the immune system. The results are gradual and require multiple treatments with 7-8 week healing periods between procedures.
“It’s going to take 18 months and costs £1,000. But it will be worth it, if it means I can be happy in my own skin,” she told the Sun.
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