A company boss who’s tattooed 80% of her body, including her eyeballs, says she’s still judged when meeting clients.
Stephanie Kenyon, 35, has spent more than $50,000 on tattoos and piercings – creating a striking look that turns heads daily.
Her piercing green eyes are now framed by black ink instead of the usual whites, giving her an unforgettable appearance.
Stephanie works as a manager at an upholstery company, where her unique style often clashes with the corporate world around her.
She admits she sometimes forgets why strangers or clients stare, before remembering: “Oh yeah, my eyeballs are tattooed.”
Despite initial dirty looks, she insists clients warm up as soon as they hear her speak and see her skills.
But not everyone has been so kind. Stephanie has been stared at, judged, and even insulted in public over her appearance.
One older man even told her at a grocery store checkout that he’d “disown” her if she was his granddaughter.
The comments cut deep, especially as Stephanie’s own grandparents have always supported her choices.
She says: “I went to my car and had a breakdown. That man didn’t even know me.”
Falling In Love With Tattoos
Stephanie’s obsession started young. She got her nose pierced at just ten and was hooked on body modification instantly.
At 16, she spent her very first paycheck on a $60 upper-arm tattoo – the start of a lifelong addiction.
Fifteen years later, she’s clocked hundreds of hours in tattoo studios, covering nearly her entire body in bold designs.
The most extreme step came in March 2020, when she paid $4,000 to have both eyeballs tattooed black.
Describing the experience, she said: “It felt like shampoo in my eyes. It burned a little but soon passed.”
Unlike traditional tattoos, the artist used a syringe to inject ink directly under the surface of her eye.
Stephanie admits she was nervous about spending so much on a permanent change but was “insanely happy” with the results.
“When I walked out, I just wanted to show the world,” she said. “It made me feel amazing.”
Her mum was shocked but unsurprised. Stephanie laughs: “I FaceTimed her straight after. She just said, ‘That’s so you.’”
Last year, Stephanie went viral for another extreme procedure – she had her belly button completely removed.
Years of belly button piercings had left her scarred, and she hated how it looked in the mirror.
“I thought about covering it with a tattoo but didn’t want a hole in the middle,” she explained.
Instead, she went under the knife and removed it entirely – something she describes as her “craziest” decision yet.
Now she’s proud of her smooth stomach and says it’s helped her feel more confident in her own skin.
Facing Judgment
Although she loves her tattoos, Stephanie admits life in public isn’t always easy.
“I have really bad social anxiety,” she said. “Some days I dread leaving the house in case people say something.”
Older generations, in particular, seem to react the harshest. “They give me the dirtiest looks and make nasty comments,” she explained.
But she insists the tattoos don’t affect her ability to live a normal life or succeed in her career.
“In meetings, people might judge me at first,” she said. “But when I speak, it’s all forgotten.”
Despite the criticism, Stephanie has no plans to slow down her body modification journey.
She still wants to be completely covered in tattoos – head to toe – and has her sights set on her forehead next.
“I want a crown with jewels tattooed there,” she revealed. “Hopefully I’ll get it done before summer.”
Her ultimate goal? To achieve full coverage and turn her body into a walking piece of artwork.
She added: “I know it’s not for everyone, but this is who I am and I love it.”
Stephanie hopes her story encourages others to embrace their individuality and ignore outside judgment.
“I’d say, do what makes you happy,” she explained. “It doesn’t matter what anyone else thinks.”
“For me, it’s not just tattoos – it’s about confidence, healing, and feeling good in my own body.”
She believes people should be judged by their character and actions, not the way they look.
“You can still be professional, capable, and kind – even if you’ve got tattoos on your face and eyes,” she added.
For Stephanie, every tattoo tells a story and every modification is a step closer to feeling complete.
And while strangers might whisper or give her looks, she says she wouldn’t change a thing.
Featured image credit: Kennedy News and Media
