Sylvain Hélaine has fired back at complaints that his heavily tattooed appearance terrifies children.
The Paris-based teacher, whose body is entirely covered in ink including his eyeballs and gums, addressed the backlash during an appearance on ITV’s This Morning. Hélaine, who has spent 18 years working in the same area of France, pushed back against the idea that his look haunts kids.
“I can scare seven years old or 37 years old or 77 years old,” he said, noting that such reactions happen only once or twice a year. He argued that cultural background matters more than age in how people respond to him.
Hélaine offered a striking comparison for how quickly different generations warm to him. “It always takes two minutes for children to accept me, two hours for the parents and two days for grandparents,” he said.
The teacher emphasized that his pupils largely ignore his appearance. He claimed that 99% of the children he teaches do not care about his tattoos, and that when classes are in session, the focus stays on work.
“When we are in the classroom, we just work,” he said. He added that any child with questions can approach him during break time rather than disrupting lessons.
Hélaine’s tattoo journey began at age 27 while he was living in the UK, having left his mother’s home to discover a new city and country. Two encounters in Brixton, south London, sparked his fascination: one man with a full sleeve tattoo and another whose neck was covered in ink.
He started by tattooing both arms during his first year, though he admitted he passed out after roughly two minutes because he had not expected the pain. His original plan was to keep ink where clothes would cover it, but he eventually extended to his neck, face, and hands.
“I’ve always been passionate,” he explained, describing how he commits fully to interests he enjoys. Before becoming heavily tattooed, he worked as a martial arts teacher and trained daily. He also completed his motorcycle driving license in about a month, calling himself someone who invests 100 percent in his pursuits.
Hélaine acknowledged the burden his appearance places on his conduct. “If I do something good, people will say, ‘Obviously he’s the best’,” he explained. “But if I do something a little bad, they will think that I’m awful because of my appearance.”
He detailed the extent of his modifications beyond standard tattooing. He confirmed that the whites of his eyes have been tattooed, along with areas beneath his nails and his tongue. He also revealed he had his nipples, belly button, and 22 moles removed to create smoother surfaces for ink.
Despite his dedication, Hélaine insisted he finds no pleasure in the process itself. “I hate the pain. I hate getting tattooed,” he said. What drives him is watching his appearance evolve and feeling pride when each session ends.
He noted that laser removal would be lengthy, expensive, and painful, so he has been adding new designs over existing tattoos instead.
Hélaine’s core message centers on looking past surface impressions. “It’s not okay to keep your first impression,” he said, explaining the lesson he hopes people take from meeting him. He believes people should be given the chance to show who they are before others make assumptions.