Tattoos are just one of many ways to express one’s individuality. While some people go with a little tattoo, others go all out, decorating entire body parts. Tristan Weigelt, a 26-year-old tattoo apprentice covered in extreme body art, made headlines after showing what he looked like prior to using his body as a canvas The before photos were astounding. Keep reading to see the pictures.

Weigelt’s journey to covering 95 percent of his body in tattoos began when he was 20. “It’s kind of weird looking at myself without all the tattoos,” he told the Daily Star. “But funnily enough I still feel exactly the same as before on the inside. Out of all the tattoos, he said the most painful were the ones he got on his face and head, comparing it to being scraped with a metal brush.

“It was six full day sessions taking between five and six hours and the pain was probably an eight out of 10.” While many people get a tattoo with a special meaning in mind, Weigelt said there are no hidden messages or meanings behind his body art. After five years, Weigelt has spent $50,000 on tattoos. For those considering a tattoo, Weigelt says, “Get what you love and what makes sense to you. I see so many people worried about a certain tattoo fitting them or it not being their style. If you like it – then get it.”