A woman who spent $15k on tattoos covering her body "regrets" them now she's a mom - and needs to spend $50k to have them all removed. "

Alexa Terese, 37, got her first inking - a heart on the inside of her left wrist - for $75 in 2004, when she was 16.

She got more tattoos over the following years - including a woman's face on her shoulder, a cupcake on her forearm, a rose flower on her neck, and a heart on her left wrist.

In four years, Alexa spent $15k on 25 tattoos - covering her arms, neck and foot.

But now she's mom-of-two Alexa says she "hates" her tattoos because they no longer reflect who she is and that she is "judged" on them. "

She wants to get them removed, but has put her plans on pause due to the $50k price tag and the pain of having them lasered off.

Alexa, an aesthetician, from Chico, California, US, said: "I will never get another tattoo."

"I was the first of my three brothers to get tattoos. I was a perfect kid, normal, and I just liked tattoos."

"A lot of them were inspired by something - I have a Mexican tattoo to link with my mum's side of the family."

"My favourite was a clock with wings, which I got on my left arm. It's set to the time of my birthday, which means time flies. "

"I don't hate the tattoos themselves - on someone else, I'm sure they'd be beautiful"

- I just hate them on my body.

"The tattoos don't reflect the person that I am now. "

"I'm not sure I will be removing any more tattoos. I have had two removal sessions on my fingers, and it was excruciatingly painful and very expensive. "

"I realised it would take years and years and a lot of time and money to remove them. Removal is not as easy as people think." "

Alexa had her last tattoo almost two decades ago - of a Japanese-style tattoo with coloured flowers and a Koi fish.

In total, it cost roughly $4k, and it took about 25 hours in total. Her arm sleeve also cost $4k and took eight hours to complete.

For the past two years, she has been taking part in laser removal surgery - undergoing one-hour sessions at a time - but says it's painful and costly.

If she were to remove the visible tattoos, she says it would cost $50k.

She's spent $600 on removing her fingers and hand tattoos and so far and has been told the rest would take up to three years to come off.

Alexa said: "The sleeve was outlined and coloured for eight hours. "

"My arms didn't hurt, but it was a bit painful when it was on the sensitive parts, like my elbow and the inside of my armpit. "

"I would say it was definitely not worth spending all that money on my tattoos."

"The worst thing about it is I'm always being judged for having tattoos - people assume that I'm not a nice person or that I'm scary. "

"I want people to really think before getting any, as, like me, you may regret them in years to come. "

"I started regretting my tattoos when I became a mom. "

"I've never received any comments at my kids' school, but parents definitely look and judge in silence as soon as they see me."

"I regret them because I got them when I was far too young and far too quickly. At 18, no one knows who they are yet, and I definitely had no idea."

"I got them because I was insecure and sad and wanted to be accepted. "

"Now that I am mature and evolved, I am secure and proud of the woman I have become. "

"When people look at me, they see my younger self written all over me, and I hate that. "

"I never wanted the judgment and hate I've gotten on myself, and I don't want to pass that onto my kids."

"I have voiced my opinions and would not want them to get tattoos. "

"I've raised them right, but when they're older and want a tattoo, they can get one, but I will not be a fan."

Alexa really turned on her tattoos once she became a mom.

She said: "About two years ago, I started my laser removal sessions on my tattoos - it's excruciating and you have to be patient because it takes time. "

"There is a definite stereotype, and I don't like being called 'the tattooed one' - I'd like to think that I'm a lot more than that."

"I realise I did this to myself and fully understand why I am judged. I'm not a victim, and this is all part of the consequences of my actions. "

"I think people should wait before getting a tattoo because they may regret it and get judged for it in years to come."

"I got a lot of positive feedback on mine, but I got an equal amount of hate, as I've been called a thug, a lowlife, a criminal, and uneducated. "

"Any word you can think of, I'm sure I've been called it at some point."