Photos: American woman makes Guinness Book of Record as the most tattooed woman in the world

What began as a bid to cover up a nasty skin condition has resulted in a Guinness World Record for an American who has been named the most tattooed woman in the world. Julia Gnuse also known as the ‘illustrated lady’ has 95% of her body covered in ink, ranging from jungle scenes and cartoons to her favorite actors.

Gnuse started getting tattoos after developing a rare medical condition known as porphyria, which caused her skin to blister when exposed to sunlight and left scars as deep as three-degree burn. Miss Gnuse said there was medication available for her condition, but taking it could have the side effect of possible blindness. Thus she resorted to the body art — although the ink did not stop her skin from blistering, it covered up the scars and allowed her to be exposed to the sun.