Meet the couple that has won the title of “World’s Most Tattooed OAPs” for four years running. Charlotte Guttenberg, 76, and Charles Helmke, 81, both of Melbourne, Florida, have both spent 2,000 hours tattooing their bodies. The pair both hold the Guinness World Record for the most tattooed elderly people in their respective genders. They first met in a tattoo shop in 2006 and later got romantically involved.
Charlotte, who started getting tattoos at age 57, has declared that she has reached her limit and won’t be getting any more after having 98.75% of her body covered in ink.
Charles, also known as “Chuck,” has tattoos on 97.5% of his body. I imagine myself to be a living museum. I wear the art; some people buy it to hang on their walls, Charlotte told the Daily Star.
She continues, “Young people tell me I’m cool, and their grandmothers wish they were like that. At the age of 57, Charlotte received her first tattoo as a birthday gift from her second husband, who had previously discouraged her from getting one. As she was getting her tattoo, she met Chuck, who offered to hold her hand. A year later, they began dating.
A record for having the most feather tattoos on a person was eventually set by her after she quickly added more ink to her skin, totaling 216.
Only her fingertips and head are unadorned with tattoos. Charlotte, however, has asserted that neither her life nor her identity are defined by her tattoos. Chuck, meanwhile, got his first tattoo when he was much younger, in 1959, at the age of 18, while he was in basic training with the US Army.
Chuck got two more tattoos on the same day as his first, but he waited 41 years before getting another one. He wore sleeves over the third-degree burn scars on his arms and never looked back. The former self-defense instructor is also the person with the most skull tattoos, sporting 376 on his 6 feet 4 inch frame.
He currently has tattoos covering 97.5% of his 6 feet 4 inches of body, and with 376 skull tattoos, he holds the Guinness World Record for the most skull tattoos ever.
They responded, “Because we can,” to the Independent’s question about why they had so many tattoos in 2017. Anyone can have as much as they want; your only restriction is your level of ambition. That depends entirely on the individual. We have matching body costumes with Asian and spiritual themes. But they are very dissimilar. Every one of our tattoos has a unique story to tell. We seem to have a lot to say to each other.
Each of them has a favorite tattoo. Charlotte said her favorite tattoo was the first one she ever got, while Chuck said his favorite was one he got in memory of his late wife. Due to their tattooed appearance, the couple has attracted unwanted attention and is new to glances.
On the other hand, they claim that people don’t have to look at their tattoos if they don’t like them and have been able to brush off the remarks without taking them personally.
Fans who are inspired by Charlotte and Chuck’s tattoo and need tattoo advice have also gotten in touch with them. Young people are encouraged to speak with them frequently, per their request. Having their Guinness World Record awarded to them was an honor, the couple said in 2017.