A burn tattooist left viewers horrified after he branded his friend with a red-hot metal coat hanger.
Derek Phillips shared a video of the moment he marked his client’s leg with an anarchy symbol.
The 40-year-old charges £37 for small designs and up to £300 for more intricate pieces.
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Those branded even get to keep the welded coat hanger.
In the video, which he shared on Saturday (14 June), Derek urged viewers “not to try this at home”.
He counted down so that his friend was aware of his movements.
And the man flinched but didn’t make a sound as the burning hot metal pressed down on his skin to create the letter A inside a circle.
“The pain level is way less than something like a broken finger,” Derek, who works as a landlord, told Need To Know.
“It’s very instant and shocking, so you don’t really have time to process pain.
“By the time it’s over, it’s no more sore than a normal burn.
“It also doesn’t sting as much as something like being burned on the stove, which can cause blisters.
“It’s just sore for a few days, then it goes tender, then itchy.
“Just like everything in life, there are risks – I’m holding hot metal to your body.
“If a person flinches, the brand can slide because melting skin is as slippery as ice.
“If a person jerks really hard, I could go too deep momentarily.
“Fortunately, because of the way the surface area retains tension, it’s almost impossible to go deep enough to cause any real damage.
“The biggest risk is the slide and messing up the brand.”
Derek, from Gastonia, a city in North Carolina, US, said that the burn tattoos can last for more than 20 years if they’re done properly.
Taking great care during the healing process is also important to achieve the desired outcome and a particular scar colour.
For quick branding jobs, which he has done for around 15 years, Derek opts for metal clothes hangers due to their stainless steel bendable wiring.
For intricate or fancier designs, he uses thick sheet metal and cut strips.
His video provoked mixed reactions online, but negative opinions don’t phase Derek.
He added, “Bad reactions give me an opportunity to defend my craft and educate someone.
“Positive ones are great because I’ve made friends with body artists around the world with the video, and they are all asking for guidance and advice.
“I love it so much because I taught myself, and it took me a long time and some mistakes to learn it all.”
One viewer said: “You know what, he actually did pretty damn good. Post that healed picture, I bet it looks decent.”
Another person said: “Absolutely not.”
“Isn’t there a really high chance of infection with these?” Spencer questioned.
A fourth viewer said: “Never seen skin melt before. Wild.”
“This gotta be considered self-harm,” added a fifth viewer.
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