Bristol (England) - Alitia Thoburn (20) has had a passion for tattoos since she was eight years old . But the young woman from Great Britain doesn't have it easy. Critics say she has ruined her face.

She started tattooing herself at the tender age of 14. At 18, she trained in a tattoo studio. She later met her current fiancé, tattoo artist Jonathan Saunders (37).

It was an impulsive decision, Alitia told the Daily Star, when she had her boyfriend tattoo her face for the first time.

The design - a large, brush-like ink line - stretches from the right side of her face to her collarbone.

"I don't understand why people always think tattoos mean you're a thug or a criminal. I always thought it could be something positive - like a memorial or something you just enjoy," said Alitia.

"I'm lucky enough to have a face tattoo. It just felt right. I haven't regretted it," said the young woman. However, Alitia has received a lot of backlash online and on the street for her decision.

An older woman once confronted Alitia and asked: "What the hell have you done to your face?" before calling her a "stupid bitch".

She has also experienced a lot of hate on social media and in personal conversations, having to put up with comments such as "You've ruined your face" and "No one will want to be with you".

But the 20-year-old refuses to be put off. "People think I regret my tattoos, let them, I don't care." Next, Alitia wants to add some floral elements to make her tattoo look more feminine.

After that, she also wants to cover the rest of her body with tattoos to create a large coherent pattern.