Sylvain Hélaine is 37 years old, who lives in Paris, France and popularly
known as “Freaky Hoody.”
He holds the title of France’s most tattooed man, and surprisingly, works as a primary school teacher.
He has taught children for over 16 years.
His Body, His Canvas
Nearly 100% of his body is covered in tattoos. The ink covers his face, neck, tongue and gums.
He even had the whites of his eyes tattooed black, and Surgeons removed his nipples and belly button.
This choice helps his body art flow smoothly.
He has spent about €57,000 on tattoos so far, and sat through more than 470 hours of sessions.
Soon he will add second and third layers of ink.
How It All Began:
His journey started back in 2012, when he moved to London to work as a teacher.
Every day he wore suits and ties to work, but felt something important was missing.
He called this feeling an existential crisis, which he described as not yet founding his true self.
One day in Brixton, he saw something striking, as a banker wore a visible tattoo on his neck. A restaurant worker also had tattoos covering both arms. Suddenly he understood something important, that Tattoos are not for just one type of person.
Anyone can express themselves however they wish.
That moment changed everything for him, and over three and a half years, he tattooed his body.
He sees his ink as one single piece of art, which he calls bodysuit or his natural look.
For him, tattoos mean freedom and self-expression.
He wants others to know you do not have to look a certain way.
You can be excellent at your job while being yourself.
His Personal Life:
Sylvain is not publicly married and
keeps his private life away from the public eye.
He admits that dating can be difficult for him because some people feel intimidated by his appearance.
Online dating feels especially hard for this reason, he currently prefers to focus on his students and his teaching work.
Facing Challenges:
Life has not been easy for him, back in 2019, one parent raised concerns their child had nightmares after seeing him.
And for a while, he could not teach the youngest classes.
Thankfully, now, his students accepted him right away.
Parents needed a little more time to feel comfortable.
Even so, most families now fully respect him.
Sylvain believes his appearance teaches a valuable lesson.
Children learn not to fear people who look different.
He hopes they grow up kinder and more open-minded.
He says being himself is the greatest lesson he can teach.
It matters just as much as reading and writing.