By Aimee Braniff Cree
**EXCLUSIVE**
THIS WOMAN inked ninety of her tattoos to herself which impressively includes an arm-bending full back piece.
Job seeker Lyalya Lovis (23) from Moscow Russia, has been getting tattoos for ten years since she was just 13 years old.
Lyalya tattoos are a part of her so much so that she has completed 90% of the work herself – an impressive feat considering she has multiple back tattoos.
“I tattooed my back by myself just for fun. It’s more about feelings, I just close my eyes and do what I feel. It’s painful, it’s funny, just art.” said Lyalya
In total Lyalya has over 100 tattoos across her body, more than 80 of which she did herself.
Her first tattoos at 13 were the 1D (One Direction logo) and number “9” for football player Fernando Torres, which she has on her wrist.
More recently she got a small caterpillar on her face and insists the experience was painless.
People do say rude things to Lyalya about her tattoos, but she doesn’t care.
She believes negativity is just “someone’s opinion” and in Lyalyas opinion her tattoos are art and it is her who has to live with them, so only her opinion should matter.
“I remember how I looked at my fathers tattoos in my childhood and I always wanted to get mine one day. So my dreams came true,” said Lyalya.
“I got my first tattoo when I was 13, so I was just a kid who wanted a tattoo. Once I started, I realised that I would not limit myself to one, I didn’t think then that I world have face tattoos or anything but sure I knew I’ll have ink all over my body.
“My first tattoos were 1D (One Direction logo) and 9 (Fernando Torres) on my wrist. It was cute and meaningful at that time and I still love them.
“My most recent tattoo I got about 15 minutes ago. It’s a cute caterpillar on my face. It didn’t hurt at all, it was nice.
“I can’t count all of the tattoos I have gotten since I was 13 so I don’t know a number.
“I would say about 90% of my tattoos I have done by myself. It’s cheaper and more fun.
“I have a lot of tattoos and a few piercings. I want to do scarification, separate my tongue and get elven ears in the near future.
“The most painful thing was the tattoo on my nipples. The pain was really bad, but it did not deter me from getting tattoos obviously as I have had more since.”
Although judgement does come with the territory, Lyalya has learned to block it out.
“On the streets people often say something rude, they judge. Sometimes someone comes up and says how cool I look and how much they like my tattoos, but there are fewer of them,” she said.
“Everything is simpler on the Internet, people are divided into two categories: you are so cool or you are so dumb.
“But that’s okay, I understand where I live, I understand why people are so aggressive here.
“One day everything will change, I believe in it and I will leave the house without fear and unnecessary discomfort.
“I don’t care about good comments as much as I don’t care about bad. It’s just someone’s opinion.
“My mum doesn’t care. She understands that it’s my choice, my hobby, my therapy.”
Lyalya wants to instil confidence in others that no matter what society says if it makes you happy you should get tattoos.
“Do it. Don’t be scared about society’s reaction. It’s your body. Your life. Do it,” she said.
“When you do something extraordinary people will be confused and I like that. I often see how people themselves cannot understand whether my appearance attracts or repels. It’s funny.
“I just want people to understand that tattoos have their own meaning for everyone.
“My tattoos are my memories, my art. It’s a huge part of my life. It makes me feel alive.”
ENDS
