A man with more than 40 tattoos was given his 'best present ever' after his wife paid for him to have a skull implanted into his hand.
Stephanie Hodgson from Kingstanding, Birmingham, couldn't decide what to get her husband Lee, 41, for the couple's wedding anniversary and decided a 3D implant would be the perfect gift.
Channel 4 programme Bodyshockers filmed the gruesome procedure, which is considered risky in the tattoo industry because infections are common.
The couple, who both have an array of facial piercings too, weren't put off though and admit they enjoy anything macabre; they had a Tim Burton-inspired wedding complete with coffins, a hearse, an electric chair and even a wedding cake that had been made out of skulls
The insertion of the skull saw a pocket of skin cut into Lee's right hand and makes for squeamish viewing. A scalpel is then pushed into the cavity to make space for the foreign body, made out of silicone, to be pushed inside.
When the skull is in place, Lee is told to clench his first before the insertion cut is sewn up.
The pain didn't seem to bother dreadlocked Lee, who works as road worker, though; he called the implant 'absolutely the best present ever.'
As the tattoo artist slices into his skin he talks to the camera, saying: 'I feel okay, I feel brilliant actually.'
He said: 'The procedure was uncomfortable at times but the excitement took over so I was quite happy with it. I'm now thinking about the next thing I'm having.
The couple, who have four children together, have splashed out previously on tattoos for each other with Lee buying Stephanie an inking on her neck for her 21st birthday, a chest tattoo when she turned 22 and an entire 'sleeve' of artwork to mark her 24th birthday.
Lee says his kids think his new addition is 'silly' and 'weird' but he's keen to get even more artistry done.
