Extreme: Britain's most heavily tattooed man 33-year-old Mathew Whelan shows off the results of the first stage of his facial branding procedure which used the same tool that dentists use to drill holes 



Britain's most heavily tattooed man has become the first person in the country to have his face branded to make the artwork on there three dimensional.
Mathew Whelan from Stechford, Birmingham, is covered head to toe in skin art. Even the white of one eye has been tattooed black.
But the 33-year-old has now gone one step further after receiving his first round of facial branding, a procedure which involves using an electrical surgical machine to burn and cauterise the skin.
The instrument used is similar to a pen, but uses electrical currents to burn through the flesh, instead of a a needle to inject ink beneath its surface as in traditional tattooing.
It is the same tool that dentists normally use to drill holes or surgeons to burn away cancer cells.
Human branding, also referred to as 'scarification', is the latest craze in body art.

Mr Whelan, who has legally changed his name to His Royal Majesty Body Art, King of Ink Land said he was having the procedure to 'enhance' tribal ink tattoos on his face.
Some people like to get a tan': Mr Whelan, an ex-wrestler who works as a body modification model, said he knows that the procedure is extreme but it is his way of expressing himself and his own lifestyle choice

 'I am really inspired by the Maori tribes and I really want all of my tribal tattoos on my face branded,' he said.
'I know it is extreme but this is my way of expressing myself and my lifestyle choice. I love it.'

Lee Westwood, 40, was the tattooist who carried out the first stage of the extreme form of body modification at Birmingham Ink.
He said: 'It is very ambitious and the most challenging branding I have ever done.

Not without its risks: Mr Whelan said there is the possibility that his body could go into shock because of the extreme pain involved in the procedure, but that he had consulted his GP before deciding to 'go for it'

'We are going to have to do it in many stages as it is so painful, but [Mr Whelan's] body coped very well with the first lot.
'He was flinching in some places but overall he did great.'
Mr Whelan - who is known as Body Art or Bart to his friends - added: 'I know it sounds insane and painful, but getting a paper cut can hurt more intensely.
'It does stink the studio out as it’s burning flesh and there are risks involved - your body could go into shock.
'But I’ve thought long and hard about it and consulted my GP before deciding to go for it. Some people like to use a sun bed for a tan - for me body modification is just the same.'

Extreme body art: Mr Whelan, who has legally changed his name to His Royal Majesty Body Art, King of Ink Land said he was having the procedure to 'enhance' the Maori-inspired tribal ink tattoos on his face

Mr Whelan was only nine when he first craved a tattoo. Since then he has spent 300 hours in the tattooist’s chair and spent more than £20,000 on decorating his body.
He had his first tattoo, a British Bulldog with a blank scroll, at 16. Now more than 80 per cent of his body is now covered in illustrations.
Designs range from snakes, scorpions, and vampires to even the name of his favourite TV programme, ‘The Jeremy Kyle Show’, tattooed on the back of his head.
Mr Whelan admitted his tattoos sometimes met with disapproving glances from strangers.
He nearly died four years ago after being stabbed on his doorstop by a thug who later confessed he targeted Mr Whelan because he did not like his tattoos.

Painful: The procedure involves using an surgical machine to burn and cauterise the skin. The instrument used is similar to a pen, but uses electrical currents to burn through the flesh, causing permanent scarring

The ex-wrestler, who works as a body modification model, said: 'I don’t see why someone should be discriminated against just because of the way they look.
'I think it’s about educating people. Fortunately, I tend to get more of a positive reaction from people then a negative one - children are especially fascinated.
'I like to think of myself as a living, breathing piece of art.
'If someone’s rude to me I tell them I have a Where’s Wally? tattoo, which I don’t.
'The joke’s on them when they spend hours looking for it.'