55-Year-Old Woman Burns Through Life Savings To Cover Her Entire Body In Tattoos

Some people still remain highly judgemental of body ink, associating it with criminals and social rejects. On the other hand, many people have embraced the beauty of body art and chosen to decorate themselves with permanent ink.

A German woman has gained attention online for making the expensive decision to cover her entire body in tattoos at the age of 55.

People Either Love Or Hate Tattoos

Man in black t-shirt tattoos blonde woman
Photo Credit: Andrew Leu / Unsplash
Photo Credit: Andrew Leu / Unsplash

Body art and modifications are not new concepts. Humans have been tattooing and piercing parts of their bodies since ancient civilizations roamed the earth.

In modern society, the idea of tattooing has been both celebrated and demonized—depending on who you are and where you're from. One woman admitted that even though she used to be strictly against tattoos, she has since grown to love them.

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She Used To Hate Tattoos, But Now She's Covered

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Before and after photo of woman with full-body tattoos
Photo Credit: @tattoo_butterfly_flower / Instagram
Photo Credit: @tattoo_butterfly_flower / Instagram
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A German woman named Kerstin Ehe used to be opposed to the idea of tattoos. She finally got one at 48 years old and never looked back.

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While tattoos can be addicting, Kerstin really took it to a whole new level, dedicating her life savings and time to covering her entire body in floral- and butterfly-inspired ink.

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She Sacrificed Her Life Savings To Get Inked Head To Toe

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Photo Credit: @tattoo_butterfly_flower / Instagram
Photo Credit: @tattoo_butterfly_flower / Instagram
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In a YouTube interview, Kerstin reveals how badly she wanted the tattoos even though she used to hate body ink on other people.

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She says: "I sacrificed my whole savings for them."

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Woman Spent Equivalent To $43K To Cover Her Body In Tattoos

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Gloved hands prepares tattoo supplies
Photo Credit: Pavel Danilyuk / Pexels
Photo Credit: Pavel Danilyuk / Pexels
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Tattoos are not cheap to get, the ink is expensive and so is the equipment that an artist uses.

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To achieve her wild look, Kerstin says she ended up wiping out her life savings over the course of five years. Her skin is 90% covered, but it came at the cost of approximately $43,000 USD.

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"I Haven't Regretted Any Of My Tattoos"

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Photo Credit: @tattoo_butterfly_flower / Instagram
Photo Credit: @tattoo_butterfly_flower / Instagram
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She explains that, at her age, she wanted to change things up because she "simply couldn't stand" her skin anymore.

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Kerstin also says that she doesn't regret any of her tattoos because when she looks in the mirror she sees "a beautiful meadow full of flowers" and that "one cannot regret flowers."

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She Doesn't Care If Strangers Judge

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Full-body tattooed woman sits and smiles with legs crossed
Photo Credit: @tattoo_butterfly_flower / Instagram
Photo Credit: @tattoo_butterfly_flower / Instagram
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She has received positive reactions from her friends, but does feel strangers give her "looks" when she's walking down the street. She doesn't seem to mind though.

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She says: "I get negative comments, but it absolutely doesn't matter to me what others say. I am me and I live just once."

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She's Not Done Getting Tattoos Yet

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Close-up shot of woman's thigh tattoos, she poses with a hand under chin. Only her face and neck have no tattoos
Photo Credit: @tattoo_butterfly_flower / Instagram
Photo Credit: @tattoo_butterfly_flower / Instagram
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Kerstin has plans to continue her tattoo journey—even though she's running out of room.

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She points to the bit of bare skin exposed under her chin and jaw bone and says, "I'd like to close it up here. It feels still too naked to me." She wants to take the tattoos up to her chin, but "not more."

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She Used To Be A Taxi Driver, Now She Models

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Woman's back fully covered in tattoos
Photo Credit: @butterfly_tattoo_flower / Instagram
Photo Credit: @butterfly_tattoo_flower / Instagram
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Formerly a taxi driver, Kerstin now focuses on her modeling career to market her unique look.

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She's racked up quite the social media following across multiple platforms where her fans like pictures of her sultry tattoo look.

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People Are Divided About Whether Her Tattoos Are Beautiful

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Woman holds legs up to show off tattoos on back of legs
Photo Credit: @tattoo_butterfly_flower / Instagram
Photo Credit: @tattoo_butterfly_flower / Instagram
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Kerstin's dramatic approach to body ink is helping break down stereotypes around women with lots of tattoos, especially as she approaches her sixties.

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While some commenters online admire her body art, others are less appreciative and feel like it's "too much" or that she went too far. Do you think that Kerstin went a little crazy or do you love her new look?