Julia Ann Gnuse | |
---|---|
Born | |
Died | August 11, 2016 | (aged 61)
Nationality | American |
Known for | most tattooed woman in the world |
Julia Gnuse (guh-NOO-see) (January 18, 1955 - August 11, 2016), commonly known by the nickname The Illustrated Lady or The Irvine Walker, was an American woman who had 95% of her body (including her face) covered in tattoos [1] and held the Guinness Record for being the most tattooed woman in the world. [2] In her mid-30s, Gnuse developed porphyria, a condition in which sunlight results in blistering of the skin. [3] As the blisters often result in scarring, she began getting tattoos as a way to cover up the scars, which can get as deep as third degree burns. [4] [5] A friend of Gnuse's who was a plastic surgeon had suggested she get her skin tattooed in a pale skin tone color, similar to the color of her scars. This was attempted but didn't turn out the way they had hoped. [5]
The tattoos did not prevent the skin from blistering [6] as they were purely aesthetic. Instead, she decided to try colorful tattoos, consisting of a variety of themes, including her favorite cartoons, her favorite actors and even a self-portrait.[ citation needed] Gnuse appeared on the TV show Ripley's Believe it or Not!. [7] She also had a small role in Aerosmith's music video for their song " Pink". [8]
In her last year she started to go through laser treatment to get all of her tattoos removed. [9]
She lived in Foothill Ranch, California, [10] and died on August 11, 2016. [11]
{{
cite web}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (
link)
Julia Ann Gnuse | |
---|---|
Born | |
Died | August 11, 2016 | (aged 61)
Nationality | American |
Known for | most tattooed woman in the world |
Julia Gnuse (guh-NOO-see) (January 18, 1955 - August 11, 2016), commonly known by the nickname The Illustrated Lady or The Irvine Walker, was an American woman who had 95% of her body (including her face) covered in tattoos [1] and held the Guinness Record for being the most tattooed woman in the world. [2] In her mid-30s, Gnuse developed porphyria, a condition in which sunlight results in blistering of the skin. [3] As the blisters often result in scarring, she began getting tattoos as a way to cover up the scars, which can get as deep as third degree burns. [4] [5] A friend of Gnuse's who was a plastic surgeon had suggested she get her skin tattooed in a pale skin tone color, similar to the color of her scars. This was attempted but didn't turn out the way they had hoped. [5]
The tattoos did not prevent the skin from blistering [6] as they were purely aesthetic. Instead, she decided to try colorful tattoos, consisting of a variety of themes, including her favorite cartoons, her favorite actors and even a self-portrait.[ citation needed] Gnuse appeared on the TV show Ripley's Believe it or Not!. [7] She also had a small role in Aerosmith's music video for their song " Pink". [8]
In her last year she started to go through laser treatment to get all of her tattoos removed. [9]
She lived in Foothill Ranch, California, [10] and died on August 11, 2016. [11]
{{
cite web}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (
link)