A father with a bold, hangover-style face tattoo has revealed that people think he’s a bad parent because of the unique inking.
Luke Morrison-Williams, 47, from Cannock, opened up about being judged, denied entry to pubs, and even being branded unemployable.
The huge black pattern, which he got in 2009 aged 32, is positioned to curve around his right eye and is similar to a well-known design that one of the characters in the Hangover films got during a wild night out.
He revealed that elderly people look at him like he’ll ‘mug them’ and he gets ‘pointed at’ in supermarkets.
The father-of-one recalled: ‘I’m quite heavily tattooed so it’s just an extension of that – I knew I was going to get some pushback, but it’s been quite full on. I’ve not been allowed into pubs or served because of the way I look.’
A father with a bold, hangover-style face tattoo has revealed that people think he’s a bad parent because of the unique inking
However, he is not ashamed of his unique choice and insisted that he would never change it.
Mr Morrison-Williams, who has been a recovery worker for 20 years, said it comes in handy for his job and is actually a help rather than a hindrance.
He helps people who have struggled with homelessness and addiction, as well as troubled youths and offenders.
Mr Morrison-Williams explained the tattoo makes him more relatable to people with ‘troubled pasts’. Although, there have been times he’s been refused entry to clinics as people struggle to believe he is a member of staff, not a patient.
The 47-year-old said: ‘I work with any kind of addiction, including heroin addiction, I give out methadone scripts.
‘It helps because I’m more relatable to some of the people we work with. They’ve come out of prison and see me and gravitate towards me because they see me as more equal than someone in a shirt and tie.
‘It seems to be a big opinion out there that if you’ve got face tattoo, you’re unemployable – but it’s just a bit of ink on your face.’
In 2015, the father was granted full custody of his daughter, who is now 19 – something he says surprised people.
He admits that when he first went under the needle for the face tattoo 15 years ago, he didn’t think it would cause him to be looked down upon the way he has been – but he still wouldn’t change it if he could.
Luke Morrison-Williams, 47, from Cannock, opened up about being judged, denied entry to pubs, and even being branded unemployable
In 2015, the father was granted full custody of his daughter, who is now 19 – something he says surprised people
The huge black pattern, which he got in 2009 aged 32, is positioned to curve around his right eye and is similar to a well-known design that one of the characters in the Hangover films got
Luke believes face tattoos are on their way to becoming more commonplace, and it’s a good thing that people who also have bold inkings are being seen in roles like the one he has
Now, working alongside the NHS, Mr Morrison-Williams wants to leave a positive mark by showing others that having a face tattoo doesn’t have to limit your opportunities.
He believes face tattoos are on their way to becoming more commonplace, and it’s a good thing that people who also have bold inkings are being seen in roles like the one he has.
The father said: ‘When I got full custody people think ‘why would a judge give you custody’ – they say how bad must the mum have been for you to have full custody.
‘People see I work alongside the NHS – just because you’ve got a tattoo on your face doesn’t mean you can’t do a job or work with people.
‘I’d still get it done knowing what I know now, although there’s quite a lot of negatives there’s a lot of positives too.’
And Mr Morrison-Williams is not the only one who has struggled with his image. Last year, a mum-of-four with 14 face tattoos revealed that people assume she’s a ‘bad parent’ due to her inkings, with some people even branding her a ‘criminal’.
Claire Elsie-Rose, 33, who works as a tattoo artist, said that she’s often questioned about her aesthetic choices but has no regrets over her body modifications.
The business owner from Lincolnshire lives with her four children aged between six months and 13, and her partner of three years Jonny, 30, a driver.
She insists that there’s a ‘huge misconception’ around face tattoos, as people think anyone with them is ‘wild and irresponsible’ or ‘a criminal’.
Claire said she used to find the comments frustrating but now pays them no attention as she ‘knows she’s a good mum’.
