A primary school teacher who has covered almost his entire body in tattoos believes his extraordinary appearance can teach children an important lesson about accepting people who look different.

Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!

Sylvain Hélaine, 40, has spent nearly two decades working in classrooms across France and the UK, but his appearance is unlike that of most teachers.

From his face and tongue to his gums and even his eyeballs, almost every inch of his body has been tattooed.

He has also undergone procedures to remove his nipples and belly button, all in pursuit of his ambition to cover his body entirely in ink.

But despite the attention his appearance attracts, Sylvain insists that his tattoos have little bearing on his ability to teach.

In fact, he believes they can help young pupils understand why it’s important not to judge someone based on how they look.

The French teacher recently appeared on ITV’s This Morning, where he spoke to presenters Dermot O’Leary and Sian Welby about his transformation and the reactions he receives from children and parents.

Sylvain’s fascination with tattoos began in 2012, when he was 27 and working in Britain.

After spotting somebody with a full tattoo sleeve, he decided to get his own arm tattoo.

Over the following years, his collection grew as he pursued his ambition of becoming fully tattooed.

However, his distinctive appearance has occasionally created challenges in his professional life.

During his television appearance, Sylvain explained that people sometimes form opinions about his abilities before they’ve had an opportunity to see him teach.

He told the presenters: “During the first day [of school], because if I do something good, people will say, ‘Oh, obviously he’s the best, we were about to see that’. But if I do something a little bad, they will think that I’m awful because of my appearance.”

His tattoos have also prompted complaints, including an allegation that his appearance had given a child nightmares.

Nevertheless, Sylvain believes children are often much quicker than adults to look beyond his appearance.

Discussing the different reactions he receives, he recalled something he had previously said about how long it takes people to become comfortable around him.

“It always takes two minutes for children to accept me, two hours for the parents, and two days for grandparents. So it just takes a little bit of time.”

For Sylvain, that process of acceptance is part of the lesson his appearance can offer.

However, he is careful not to make his tattoos the focus of his lessons.

Despite his unconventional appearance, Sylvain explained that his classroom operates much like any other, with pupils expected to concentrate on their schoolwork.

He said: “I don’t talk about my tattoos and my appearance at all when we are in the classroom. We just work, we take out our exercise book, write out the date, and it goes like that. I’m really serious. But if they have some questions to ask me, they can wait for the playground, for example.”

His approach means pupils can ask questions about his appearance, but only when it doesn’t interfere with their education.

Away from the classroom, his commitment to body modification has involved procedures that go considerably further than conventional tattooing.

During his appearance on This Morning, Sian Welby highlighted that the whites of his eyes had been tattooed black.

Sylvain has also had tattoos applied underneath the nails on both his hands and feet.

He explained that removing his nipples and belly button was intended to create a smoother surface for future tattoo work.

And despite already having so much of his body covered, he has no intention of stopping.

Instead, he plans to revisit much of his existing artwork and have areas tattooed again.

But while some might assume he enjoys the physical experience of getting tattooed, Sylvain revealed that the reality is quite different.

When asked whether he was addicted to the process, he admitted that he actually dislikes undergoing the procedures.

“I hate the pain. I hate getting tattooed.”

For him, the satisfaction comes from seeing the finished result rather than enduring the tattooing itself.

He explained: “I love evolving. I love seeing myself evolving. You suffer, and I really hate the pain and am counting the days to the next tattoo session. I’m really anxious. I don’t want to go, but at the end of the tattoo session, I’m really proud, and I feel invincible.”

Despite the discomfort and occasional criticism, Sylvain remains committed to both his passion for tattoos and his career in education.

His appearance may challenge conventional expectations of what a primary school teacher should look like, but he believes that difference can have a positive influence on the children he teaches.

For Sylvain, the message is simple: someone’s appearance doesn’t have to define how others see or treat them.

Featured image credit: YouTube/ITV (screenshots)