From Primary School Teacher to World’s Most Tattooed Man: The Journey of Sylvain Hélaine
Sylvain Hélaine, a 37-year-old school teacher, model, and performer from Paris, is widely regarded as the most tattooed man in the world, having spent £57,000 on tattoos over the past 10 years. He even had his nipple and belly button removed to make room for more tattoos.
Hélaine began his journey to becoming the world’s most tattooed man in London in 2012 when he saw a man with a neck tattoo and a person with both sleeves tattooed. This inspired him to begin his tattoo journey, which he completed over the course of three and a half years, finishing his first layer of tattoos in Paris.
He is currently working on his second layer of tattoos and intends to get a third and fourth layer in the future, covering himself in darker tones, making himself fully black.
Hélaine’s tattoos cover his entire body, and he considers his body to be one tattoo, evolving over time. He estimates that he has spent £56,000 on his tattoos and modifications, including removing his nipples and belly button to create a smoother canvas for tattoo artists.
Despite his unique appearance, Hélaine has never found that his tattoos have affected his career. He has been teaching children for 14 years and currently teaches 29 kids aged between seven and 11. He says that the children accept him within two minutes, while parents take two days, and grandparents take two weeks to get used to his appearance.
Hélaine advises those who want to get tattooed to wait and ensure that it does not interfere with their job or professional life. He has never regretted getting any of his tattoos and has not experienced any hatred on the streets or on social media. However, he does receive many sexualised comments from women on his pictures, assuming that he is dangerous or criminal due to his tattoos.
Overall, Hélaine is happy with his life and appearance, considering his body to be a large body suit that evolves over time, covering him in darker tones. He has never regretted any of his tattoos and advises others to think carefully before getting a tattoo.
From Primary School Teacher to World’s Most Tattooed Man: The Journey of Sylvain Hélaine