Every tattoo has its story, but the story of Julia Gnuse, world’s most tattooed woman, truly is one of a kind. A skin condition called porphyria she developed in her 30s started causing blisters all over her body, ultimately resulting in third degree burns and scars.
So Julia decided to fight this battle with a unique approach – by covering 95% of her body with tattoos, earning her a nickname ‘Illustrated lady’ and the title of most tattooed woman in the world.
At first, it was just the legs, but soon enough it was an entire body she decided to cover with various tattoos, including illustrations of some of her favorite Disney characters.
The ink hasn’t prevented blisters from appearing, but it did cover them and enable Gnuse to be exposed to the sun. Although a medication technically does exist, the cure can cause blindness as a side effect, making the treatment all too risky. As of 2011, this 54-year-old was officially given the title of world’s most tattooed womanby the Guinness Book of World Records.
