Photographer Mark Leaver has tried to challenge some of the negative stereotypes surrounding face tattoos with a series of photos involving those with the inking.
He said tattoos had never been more popular, in part because of the way celebrities had made them fashionable.
However, Leaver said the usual tattoos did not interest him, it was "facial tattoos which grabbed me and the direct confrontational nature of them".
"People associate facial tattoos with a number of negative things including suicide rates, criminality and depression," he said.
"This couldn’t be further from the case now. Facial tattoos now represent individuality, creativity, aesthetics, transformation and spirituality."
In an interview with the SKINKED blog, Leaver said he had photographed 30 people across the UK with facial tattoos.
He said they were some of the most down to Earth people he had ever met and hoped the project would allow for a contemporary look on tattooing
The photographer said there was no main reason for why people decided to get their faces tattooed.
He said some people were addicted to tattoos, some just wanted to say "fuck, I do not want to work 9 to 5" and some wanted to change their appearance.
He added he had heard some sad stories about people with face tattoos being asked to leave restaurants and clubs, but in the main those with the ink work have pretty strong personalities.
