Father of Two Has “No Regrets” About Spending $90K to Cover His Whole Body in Tattoos

Brett Cross, a 42-year-old father of two from Australia, has not only endured 750 hours under the needle to cover 99% of his body in tattoos, but he has spent about $90,000 in the process.

He said his tattoo “addiction” started about 20 years ago, when he got inked as a “romantic gesture” for his wife Dorothy.

‘When I was 25 I wanted my wife’s name on the small of my back and I thought, ‘I just want one tattoo’,” Cross said. “But once I got it I wanted another one and another one, and then it became an addiction.”

The tattoo artist told Cross that if he was going to keep getting tattoos, to “go big or go home,” because many little tattoos “looks a bit silly.” So, Cross went big.

George Siatos has been tattooing Cross for about 18 years. While Cross is leaving only a small and sensitive area left untouched, it is less because of the pain, and more about “how it would affect [my] friendship with the tattoo artist.”

“I do want to get it tattooed but the boss said not yet,” Cross added. “We’re close but not that close.”

As for other name tattoos, Cross recently tattooed his seven-month-old son’s name, Bastien, on his back. He also has an anime character on his forehead, stars on his nose and flowers on his arms. Born in the year of the dragon, Cross also sports multiple dragon tattoos.

“I love anything that’s bright and colorful,” Cross said.

For the most painful tattoo Cross has endured, expectedly, he nominated his palms.

Cross is open about not regretting any of his work. He loves each and every tattoo.

“With people staring at me, I know exactly what they’re staring at and it’s all good and well. I love it.” he said. “If I didn’t have tattoos they’d just see me as another normal person on the street.”

“I’m sure sometimes it makes people think poorly of me when they see me but when they speak to me it becomes a whole different story,” Cross added.