An actor known as “Britain’s Most Tattooed Man” has disclosed that he’s stayed off the ink for a full year to pay £36,000 off his mortgage.
And he’s removing some of his “risky” implants because he’s in danger of losing his entire arm.
King of Ink Land King Body Art The Extreme Ink-ite, formerly known as Mathew Whelan, regularly hits the headlines due to his heavily tatted look.
The 44-year-old previously revealed how he was giving up his body mod addiction in a bid to clear his £66,000 mortgage – and now, one year later, he’s remains ink-free.
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But alongside placing the tattoo needle to one side, he’s also removing some of his modifications, including an implant in his hand.
“Unfortunately, the skin has worn thin on one side and I’m concerned it could tear,” King Of Ink Land, from Birmingham, told What’sTheJam.com.
“I don’t want to be in a medical situation again like I was with my knuckle duster implant a few years ago.
“Again, the skin tore, but then it began rotting and filling with plasma which needed to be drained multiple times.
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“I still have a scar and it’s [my arm] slightly deformed, but this was removed in time before I was at serious risk of blood poisoning.
“I can’t have that happen again, as it almost cost me my arm, and this was going a similar way – so I’ve made the tough choice to remove this ‘crown’ implant too before it’s too late.
“Also people are amazed and shocked when they see my implants and think they have the automatic right to touch it.
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“It’s really not cool – and it’s something I won’t miss when it’s gone.
“I’ve managed to go a whole year without being tattooed too and it doesn’t even feel strange.
“It’s not something I deeply crave or lust after anymore.”
King Of Ink Land, who goes by Body Art for short, claims that he’s spent over 1,500 hours under the needle and set the record in February 2016 when he had 36 tattooists work on him at once.
While he hasn’t kept track of the amount it’s cost him to date, he says that his recent hiatus has helped him clear almost £36,000 of his mortgage.
He said: “My rate is jumping by quite a lot soon, but I’m on course within my budget.
“I’m coming off a fixed rate like so many other people, but hopefully I’ll be able to get this fixed again in future – thanks Conservatives for crashing the economy – roll on the general election.
“I’m trying to stay reserved and disciplined to my budget plan so I can get this paid off.
“I want to be mortgage-free in the next three years, and I’ll be happy to have that out of the way and done.
“It’s life, and priorities change, so when it’s paid, an ink session will feel much more special.”
Since his interest in body modifications sparks at aged nine, he’s had his eyes stained black, his nipples removed, his ears shaped and lastly, his aforementioned name changed to complete his goal.
The 44-year-old added: “I am living an abbreviation of my name, B Art, as I’m being art in my life no matter what others say or think of my tattoos.
“My last inking was the start of blackout style and I don’t intend on doing much of this, but tattooing is a personal art collection for me.
“I want to be able to evolve and change them if I want to and then, I’ll get blackout, and put another ink over the top to achieve my end goal.”
READ MORE: Woman with £10,000 worth of tattoos reveals why she is getting them removed
