For years, Alyssa Zebrasky’s mugshot follows her across the internet for one striking reason: an elaborate tattoo covering her face. The Ohio woman is now taking painful, gradual steps to leave that chapter behind, undergoing laser treatments to remove the Day of the Dead-inspired design. As her appearance changes, she is also sharing her experience with people facing their own struggles. But the road to a new beginning is proving to be a demanding one.

Alyssa got the distinctive design in 2018, while she was dating a man who also had extensive tattoos. The process involved two appointments with a tattoo artist. First came a spiderweb across her forehead, followed by dark shading around her eyes, nose, cheeks and mouth. Her boyfriend had encouraged her to tattoo her face, and she later came to believe that he wanted her to look less attractive to other men. He had chosen a sugar-skull design inspired by the Mexican Day of the Dead tradition and wanted the couple to have a similar appearance.

During the following months, Alyssa became involved in a series of troubling incidents. Police received reports involving her three times within half a year, including an episode involving her boyfriend that ended with a short police pursuit. Her arrest photographs soon circulated widely online, exposing her to a wave of harsh comments and public judgment. The attention was difficult to cope with, particularly because she felt unable to respond to the people criticizing her.

Her relationship eventually ended, but moving forward required more than leaving her former partner behind. After spending time in jail, where her ex-boyfriend reportedly visited her only twice, Alyssa entered drug court and underwent rehabilitation. She began addressing the problems that had shaped her life and gradually worked toward a fresh start. Makeup became one way to conceal the tattoos while she considered a more permanent solution.

In October 2019, Alyssa began having the ink removed at The INK-initiative, a charitable organization in Austin, Texas. She was initially advised that the process would require around 12 sessions, each lasting approximately 20 minutes. However, the treatment was far from easy. She described the sensation as similar to accidentally spilling hot oil on a hand, explaining that the discomfort could spread beyond the treated area. Facial treatments were somewhat more tolerable, although swelling remained a concern.

With encouragement from her family and new partner, Alyssa began documenting the removal process on social media. Looking back at photographs from her earlier years still brings up difficult emotions, as they remind her of a time when she struggled to value herself. At the same time, those images show her how much she has changed and how far she has come.

Alyssa does not intend to erase every tattoo on her body. Her priority is removing the designs on her face and arms because they are closely associated with her former relationship and the experiences she wants to move beyond. For her, the transformation is not simply about changing her appearance; it is also about deciding which parts of her past she wants to carry into the future.

Today, Alyssa says she feels happier with the way she looks and hopes that speaking openly about her experience can encourage others facing similar circumstances. She continues to use social media to offer support to people who may feel trapped by their past decisions. Her story is a reminder that rebuilding a life can take time, and that personal change often involves much more than what is visible in a photograph.