Julia Gnuse

Last updated
Julia Ann Gnuse
Born(1955-01-18)January 18, 1955
DiedAugust 11, 2016(2016-08-11) (aged 61)
NationalityAmerican
Known formost tattooed woman in the world

Julia Gnuse (guh-NOO-see) (January 18, 1955 - August 11, 2016), commonly known by the nickname The Illustrated Lady or The Irvine Walker, was an American woman who had 95% of her body (including her face) covered in tattoos [1] and held the Guinness Record for being the most tattooed woman in the world. [2] In her mid-30s, Gnuse developed porphyria, a condition in which sunlight results in blistering of the skin. [3] As the blisters often result in scarring, she began getting tattoos as a way to cover up the scars, which can get as deep as third degree burns. [4] [5] A friend of Gnuse's who was a plastic surgeon had suggested she get her skin tattooed in a pale skin tone color, similar to the color of her scars. This was attempted but didn't turn out the way they had hoped. [5]

Contents

The tattoos did not prevent the skin from blistering [6] as they were purely aesthetic. Instead, she decided to try colorful tattoos, consisting of a variety of themes, including her favorite cartoons, her favorite actors and even a self-portrait.[ citation needed ] Gnuse appeared on the TV show Ripley's Believe it or Not! . [7] She also had a small role in Aerosmith's music video for their song "Pink". [8]

In her last year she started to go through laser treatment to get all of her tattoos removed. [9]

She lived in Foothill Ranch, California, [10] and died on August 11, 2016. [11]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tattoo</span> Skin modification using ink to create designs

A tattoo is a form of body modification made by inserting tattoo ink, dyes, and/or pigments, either indelible or temporary, into the dermis layer of the skin to form a design. Tattoo artists create these designs using several tattooing processes and techniques, including hand-tapped traditional tattoos and modern tattoo machines. The history of tattooing goes back to Neolithic times, practiced across the globe by many cultures, and the symbolism and impact of tattoos varies in different places and cultures.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Porphyria</span> Group of inherited metabolic disorders

Porphyria is a group of disorders in which substances called porphyrins build up in the body, adversely affecting the skin or nervous system. The types that affect the nervous system are also known as acute porphyria, as symptoms are rapid in onset and short in duration. Symptoms of an attack include abdominal pain, chest pain, vomiting, confusion, constipation, fever, high blood pressure, and high heart rate. The attacks usually last for days to weeks. Complications may include paralysis, low blood sodium levels, and seizures. Attacks may be triggered by alcohol, smoking, hormonal changes, fasting, stress, or certain medications. If the skin is affected, blisters or itching may occur with sunlight exposure.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scarification</span> Cutting designs into the skin as a form of body modification

Scarification involves scratching, etching, burning/branding, or superficially cutting designs, pictures, or words into the skin as a permanent body modification or body art. The body modification can take roughly 6–12 months to heal. In the process of body scarification, scars are purposely formed by cutting or branding the skin by various methods. Scarification is sometimes called cicatrization.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Porphyria cutanea tarda</span> Medical condition

Porphyria cutanea tarda is the most common subtype of porphyria. The disease is named because it is a porphyria that often presents with skin manifestations later in life. The disorder results from low levels of the enzyme responsible for the fifth step in heme production. Heme is a vital molecule for all of the body's organs. It is a component of hemoglobin, the molecule that carries oxygen in the blood.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Medical tattoo</span> Type of tattooing

A medical tattoo is a tattoo used to treat a condition, communicate medical information, or mark a body location for treatment. People may get a paramedical tattoo to conceal a condition or the effects of treatment, such as creating the appearance of an areola after breast reconstruction, or a cover-up tattoo to disguise the area in an artistic way.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gunther disease</span> Medical condition

Gunther disease is a congenital form of erythropoietic porphyria. The word porphyria originated from the Greek word porphura. Porphura actually means "purple pigment", which, in suggestion, the color that the body fluid changes when a person has Gunther's disease. It is a rare, autosomal recessive metabolic disorder affecting heme, caused by deficiency of the enzyme uroporphyrinogen cosynthetase. It is extremely rare, with a prevalence estimated at 1 in 1,000,000 or less. There have been times that prior to birth of a fetus, Gunther's disease has been shown to lead to anemia. In milder cases patients have not presented any symptoms until they have reached adulthood. In Gunther's disease, porphyrins are accumulated in the teeth and bones and an increased amount are seen in the plasma, bone marrow, feces, red blood cells, and urine.

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Permanent makeup, also known as permanent cosmetics, derma-pigmentation, micro-pigmentation,semi-permanent makeup and cosmetic tattooing, is a cosmetic technique which employs tattoos as a means of producing designs that resemble makeup, such as eye-lining and other permanent enhancing colors to the skin of the face, lips, and eyelids. It is also used to produce artificial eyebrows, particularly in people who have lost them as a consequence of old age, disease, such as alopecia totalis, chemotherapy, or a genetic disturbance, and to disguise scars and hypopigmentation in the skin such as in vitiligo. It is also used to restore or enhance the breast's areola, such as after breast surgery.

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A body suit or full body suit is an extensive tattoo, usually of a similar pattern, style or theme that covers the entire torso or the entire body. They are associated with traditional Japanese tattooing as well as with some freak show and circus performers. Such suits are of significant cultural meaning in some traditional cultures, representing a rite of passage, marriage or a social designation.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tattoo ink</span> Ink used for tattoos

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cover-up tattoo</span> Tattooing over a tattoo or scar

A cover-up is a tattoo done over an unwanted past tattoo, scars, or symptoms of a skin condition. It is one of the two main options of removing an unwanted tattoo; the other option being laser removal. Covering up an unwanted tattoo is generally cheaper, less painful and an overall easier solution than tattoo removal. A person may choose to get a cover-up over an older tattoo for aesthetic reasons, such as to enhance or replace a faded tattoo, or to erase an unwanted reminder. Numerous celebrities have employed tattoo artists to cover up existing tattoos, often after the breakup of a relationship. Some tattoo artists volunteer to cover hateful and gang-related tattoos with new designs for free.

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Tattooed ladies were working class women who acquired tattoos and performed in circuses, sideshows, and dime show museums as means for earning a substantial living. At the height of their popularity during the turn of the 20th century, tattooed ladies transgressed Victorian gender norms by showcasing their bodies in scantily clad clothing and earned a salary considerably larger than their male counterparts. Tattooed ladies often used captivity narratives as a means for excusing their appearance, and to tantalize the audience. The popularity of tattooed ladies waned with the onset of television.

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References

  1. National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, LONDON. "Amazing facts about tattoos". Archived from the original on 2007-05-03. Retrieved 2007-05-16.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  2. Mark, Michelle. "Shock value". Archived from the original on 2007-09-27. Retrieved 2007-05-06.
  3. "HuffPost Weird News - Strange-But-True Stories from the Headlines". Aolnews.com. Archived from the original on 2010-06-20. Retrieved 2016-04-24.
  4. Inked: Tattoos and Body Art around the World By Margo DeMello.p. 225
  5. 1 2 Murphy, Victoria (2010-05-28). "Meet the most tattooed lady in the world". mirror. Retrieved 2016-04-24.
  6. "Larry King Interviews Dean Cain". Larry King Live. Season 2. Episode 4. January 3, 2002. CNN. Retrieved 2010-05-07.
  7. Chick Ink: 40 Stories of Tattoos--And the Women Who Wear Them By Karen L. Hudson. p. 109
  8. Orange Coast Magazine May 1999. p. 28
  9. Tattoo Removal: Before and After Before and After - Tattoo Removal
  10. Orange Coast Magazine May 1999. p. 28
  11. Julia Ann Gnuse | nemonews.net