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Britain’s Most Tattooed Man Could Lose Arm After Knuckleduster Implant

Britain’s Most Tattooed Man Could Lose Arm After Knuckleduster Implant

Ouch!

Stewart Perrie

Stewart Perrie

Mathew Whelan formally changed his name to King of Ink Land King Body Art The Extreme Ink-Ite in 2008, to reflect the dramatic transformation he's undergone over the years.

He has 300 tattoos all over his body, including having the white part of both eyes dyed black. But one thing that he might be regretting is an operation he underwent two years ago. He had a knuckleduster - yep, an actual knuckleduster - implanted into his arm.

He told the Birmingham Mail that he had the piece implanted to reflect his time as a fighter: "Eight years ago today I was fighting for my life after a stabbing, and was hospitalised at Heartlands. What is strange now is I'm on the same ward, fighting to keep my arm."

Britain's most tattooed man
Britain's most tattooed man

Credit: BPM Media/Birmingham Maill

It's not his only implant; he's also got a crown in his hand and a skull underneath the skin of his chest.

But it appears that the knuckleduster implant is causing more concern than King of Ink imagined. He says: "Unfortunately the skin has split. It is a foreign object, something that the body isn't used to and has started to reject.

"It needs to be removed immediately or it could be very serious and I could lose my arm."

If you think the implants are extreme then you might want to wait to read his other modifications. He's had his nipples surgically removed so that he can make more room for tattoos. To be fair, male nipples don't really serve a purpose except for a bit of sexual stimulation for some. Mr Extreme Ink-Ite has also had teeth marks carved into his ear and has had his tongue split in half.

Michael before his dramatic tattoo transformation
Michael before his dramatic tattoo transformation

Michael before his dramatic tattoo transformation. Credit: BPM Media/Birmingham Mail

The 37-year-old got his first tattoo at the tender age of 16 and hasn't stopped. But he says he doesn't care what people think, as it's what's on the inside that counts.

He's not alone in his love of extreme body modification: an Australian woman believes that a person's body can be a work of art with the right tattoos. Summer McInerney, from Brisbane, has spent a total of £13,000 getting herself inked, after initially planning to get just a single sleeve tattoo.

She told Daily Mail Australia: "When [tattoo artist] Coen finished off my sleeve, I loved it and thought it was really different. The stomach and chest were a big deal for me when I got them done, but they actually weren't the most painful!

"I remember the middle of my chest - my sternum - it was unbearable."

Summer has plans to get more tattoos in order to complete her right and left legs, and then possibly her throat.

Featured Image Credit: BPM Media/Birmingham Mail

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