I’ve spent £26,000 getting tattoos all over my body, and despite people saying I look like a criminal, I can’t picture life without them

Andreas Stauffiger, a pastry chef and volunteer firefighter from Zurich, Switzerland, has embraced body alteration as a means of self-expression. He has over 100 tattoos and bodily changes that amount to over $26,000, including 16 body piercings, a split tongue, and tattooed eyebrows. Andreas has been fascinated by body modification since obtaining his first tattoo at 18 years old.

_{Image Credit: Andreas Stauffiger}

_{Image Credit: Andreas Stauffiger}

_{Image Credit: Andreas Stauffiger}

Despite some people believing that his heavily tattooed appearance gives him a gangster-like appearance, Andreas is unfazed and stands out in a crowd thanks to his unique appearance and gracious demeanor. When he is on duty as a firefighter, he wears a suit and helmet that conceal most of his tattoos, and he believes that the victims and bystanders he saves are not aware of his body art.

_{Image Credit: Andreas Stauffiger}

_{Image Credit: Andreas Stauffiger}

_{Image Credit: Andreas Stauffiger}

Andreas is sure that his extensive body modifications do not hinder his rescue efforts, and he believes that the people he saves are grateful for his assistance. He is a laid-back and friendly individual who does not think that his body piercings and tattoos define him.

_{Image Credit: Andreas Stauffiger}

_{Image Credit: Andreas Stauffiger}

_{Image Credit: Andreas Stauffiger}

Andreas has been changing his physique for 26 years, and he has no plans to stop any time soon.. Even during the conversation, he had a freshly inked dragon tattoo that was still healing. While some of his physical changes may be frightening to those closest to him, Andreas cannot imagine living without tattoos, piercings, and other physical alterations. He infuses his tattoos with the same creativity that comes effortlessly to him in his pastry chef work.

_{Image Credit: Andreas Stauffiger}

_{Image Credit: Andreas Stauffiger}

_{Image Credit: Andreas Stauffiger}

_{Image Credit: Andreas Stauffiger}

_{Image Credit: Andreas Stauffiger}

_{Image Credit: Andreas Stauffiger}

_{Image Credit: Andreas Stauffiger}

For Andreas, bodily alteration serves as a vehicle for transformation and self-expression, and he is a prime example of using body art to express oneself and achieve one’s objectives and aspirations.