Army Vet Breaks World Record With 99.9% Of Body Tattooed, People “Heartbroken” With Photos

A 36-year-old Army veteran from Bridgeport, Connecticut, Esperance Fuerzina, has set a Guinness World Record as the most tattooed woman in the world, with 99.9% of her body covered in tattoos. Her achievement has elicited mixed reactions, but as she describes it, it’s about “turning darkness into beauty.”

Over the last decade, Esperance has tattooed 99.98% of her body, and this is a habit that will not end soon. At the age of 21 years, she started with a very tiny tattoo on the hip, and since then, she began to transform her body with several body modifications such as split tongue, five implants on the face, and a number of body piercings completed on the ears, nipples, and other body parts.

She has tattoos from the roots of her hair and down to the soles of her feet, inside the body, including eyelids and eyeballs, gums, and even down to the tongue.

“Well, obviously, I’m not trying to fit into conventional beauty standards, and that can be a big freedom; however, it is something that not everyone understands,” Fuerzina explained.

This Ex-Army Vet Holds the Guinness World Record as the Most Tattooed Woman With 99.98% of Her Body Covered

This army veteran managed to find a way to look pretty reptilian with her splitting her tongue into two colors, painting her teeth red, and growing hard ridges at the temples, forehead, and arms.

What may initially appear as a relatively innocuous obsession has earned her the Guinness World Record for the highest number of body modifications on a female, coming in at 89, which is quite a stretch beyond the old record holder, Maria José Cristerna.
For Esperance, tattoos mean way more than just body art; they are a medium through which she chronicles her journey of life.

“Been leading this life of a nomad for years with minimal space in my army pack. I wanted to carry them wherever I go.” Each tattoo is a reminder, symbolizing a moment of importance in their life; over time, it transforms those challenges into symbols of growth and change.

Esmerelda is using the pain from the tattoos as a form of remembrance of the experience she had. She actually looks to be in discomfort from the tattoos and uses it as an opportunity to meditate and grow spiritually.

Among the most excruciating procedures she went through, 15 were subdermal implants, removing her nipples, and 18 genital piercings.

She Incidentally Learned That She Held the Record -Veteran :

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Esperance nearly stumbled upon the idea of setting a world record. Her journey began when an acquaintance said to her, “The girl previously holding the record did this.” She did some homework on the kind of record that existed prior and turned to realize she had already bettered it by a huge margin.

She reflected on the application process: “I was a little bit intimidated at first, but inside I wanted to prove how strong women can be, what is reachable by applying for the record myself.”.

She was born into a military family, moving around the Southern United States frequently, while also spending three years in Japan. She followed her family into the Army as a medical service officer and saw many life-changing injuries.

“I’m a retired Army veteran now,” she said. “Most of my creativity came out after the military, but maybe the lack of it while I was in is what drove me to it!”

She got her first tattoo at 21 in dedication to the family of a past lover. Heartbreak resulted in its replacement by a vibrant phoenix, fueling her passion for body art.

“Once I find an artist whose style really speaks to me and inspires me, I pretty much just let them do their thing,” she said.

The Artist Is Far from Finished, Despite Her Record-Breaking Achievement

But Esperance isn’t satisfied, even with recordbreaking status. She says she thinks of her body as a canvas that is still a work in progress.

“I still can’t envision a set ending for my body’s coverage,” she said. “For years, I’ve been working toward more cohesiveness in my suit, and that remains a goal.

She plans to further take body modification to the extreme and make her entire self fluid work of art that “flows” better and is more “cohesive.”

With that much uniqueness in one being, it draws all eyes—though not all are positive. She stands her ground to say that negativity comes from the insecurities of people. She holds on tight to the idea that eventually, kindness prevails.

She reflected on the achievement, saying, “I’m so grateful and excited for the future—and, of course, I’m not done yet!” Being an Army vet, Esperance felt it surreal to be the most tattooed woman with the most body modifications.

Mixed Reactions to Before-and-After Photos of the Army Vet

Online reactions to Esperance’s transformation have been mixed. While some admire her for her dedication and style, others express their concern over her health and mental state.

“She looks fabulous. Love the look. More beautiful than ever,” one fan posted.

“Congrats on the win! She is truly an inspiration to all of us,” another said.

However, not everyone was quite so keen. The extremes to which Fuerzina has gone in body manipulation have many readers of The SUN concerning her health and well-being; one wrote, “To be born with a healthy, perfectly formed body and to actively destroy it is baffling.”

Others were simply grossed out by her appearance change. “I could only stand to see a few photos before I felt too sick to continue,” one commenter wrote.

“I can’t imagine, being a mom, bringing a beautiful baby girl into this world and having her end up looking like that. I’d be devastated,” another wrote.

“It’s a form of self-harm, and maybe the Guinness Book of Records should reconsider having it,” one viewer expressed in concern.

Source: Bored Panda