Brazil’s ‘most tattooed man’ unveils dramatic transformation
A man with 95 per cent of his body covered in tattoos has had a change of heart and now looks completely different after laser treatment.
A man who has tattoos covering 95 per cent of his body has unveiled his drastic new look after undergoing treatment to remove his facial inkings.
Leandro de Souza was once dubbed the “most tattooed man” in Brazil after having the majority of his body covered in ink.
However the 35-year-old has been undergoing intense laser treatments to remove the tattoos on his face in a bid to “secure a job to regain a sense of dignity” after finding religion last year.
“Over time, I realised that I was a circus attraction. I didn’t want this life for myself anymore,” he told local outlet G1.
“I worked for many years as a tattoo artist, while continuing to fill my body with tattoos. I was even named the most tattooed man in Brazil at the Santa Rosa International Tattoo Expo in 2023.
“I did it out of total idolatry. I idolised artists of the world and had a life of sex, drugs and rock’n’roll before I found Christ.”
De Souza had his first tattoo at age 13 with his mother’s permission. The inking honoured a rock band and ignited a passion for body art that eventually saw him almost entirely cover himself.
He hit headlines after undergoing a striking facial tattoo transformation in order to look like a skull.
But the dark ink on the former drug addict’s face is now fading after De Souza – who has spent time in jail – began the gruelling laser removal process.
“The main reason for the removal is repentance and securing a job to regain a sense of dignity,” he told Needtoknow.co.uk in June.
“Enabling me to afford basic necessities like water, electricity, property tax, and child support for my son, which will be easier without the tattoos.”
His new-found outlook on life came after he visited a shelter, where he was introduced to evangelism.
“The first step in everything in life is to accept that you can’t do it alone, that you are an addict, that you are a drug addict,” De Souza said.
“And I managed to do that, I entered the municipal shelter in Bagé. Within a week, there was a lady who referred me and started to evangelise me.”
A tattoo studio in Franco da Rocha, São Paulo heard of how he had turned around his life when he shared a post on April 14 celebrating his birthday as well as being one year free of drug and cigarette use, and offered to remove his tattoos for free.
“It hurts a lot, no matter how much they put anaesthesia, the pain is horrible. But that’s part of the price of the things I’ve done in the past,” he told G1.
“I am confident because the clinic team is excellent and the results have been satisfactory.”
He’s also been sharing his results on social media, leaving many of his 264,000 followers in awe of the transformation.
“With each passing day the tattoos become clearer and the transformation is remarkable,” he wrote on Instagram recently.
“A handsome boy who hid and hid behind tattoos,” one replied.
“How your likeness has changed,” another agreed.
As many more simply described the fading tattoos as “amazing” and “incredible” work.
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