A MAN has spent over £9000 tattooing his entire body black and now plans to cover his tongue and remove his nipples. Yannick Rick, 25, from Chur, Switzerland, underwent three days of painful tattooing after being inspired by seeing a man on a beach with full body tattoos. Yannick originally committed to covering a single […]
A MAN has spent over £9000 tattooing his entire body black and now plans to cover his tongue and remove his nipples.
Yannick Rick, 25, from Chur, Switzerland, underwent three days of painful tattooing after being inspired by seeing a man on a beach with full body tattoos.
Yannick originally committed to covering a single arm in 2016 but was so happy with the outcome and fascinated by the pain, he vowed to continue.
“I decided I wanted to have a fully black arm. A friend of mine introduced me to a tattoo artist who could do this and within three sessions, my arm was black,” he said.
“I was fascinated by the pain and the healing. I knew I wanted to do something more extreme so I underwent a further three days of blackwork.”
He visited a tattoo parlour known as the ‘Brutal Black Project,’ and spent a further three days undergoing tattoo work on the rest of his body.
Since the project started, Yannick has spent 400-hours under the needle.
Fortunately, his tattoos have not affected his job as a although residents at the care home where he works have told him to wash his “dirty” hands or asked if the tattoos will shower off.
“My friends and family were a little bit surprised at first but they knew it interested me so it’s normal to them now. So many people are fascinated by what I do and want to know the meaning behind it.
“Online I get the odd negative comments from people.
“Some people think it’s shocking or ugly, as they’ll ask if I’m mentally ill. Funny looks tend to be the main response.”
Yannick says that “dating hasn’t changed” despite his unusual appearance.
“Sure, there are women who don’t like this extreme look but some find it interesting.”
For Yannick, his weekly tattoo sessions have made him feel much more in touch with his body.
They also provide him with a sense of invigoration – claiming it’s his version of retail therapy.
“I feel so much more in touch with my body. I know which areas are more sensitive and which are not, and I’ve learnt how to make certain areas of my body feel better.
“It’s the greatest thing I’ve ever done to my body.”
He’s since developed an interest in body modifications and now has several scars too.
Known as scarification, the decorative scars are created with a scalpel, and plastic wrap is used to delay the healing process to increase the effect.
“If I feel bad or down, I’ll go and get a new scar or tattoo,” he said.
