Leandro de Souza was once known as Brazil’s most tattooed man.
But then everything changed — and at 36, he made the shocking decision to erase every trace of ink from his body.
It’s no exaggeration to say Leandro de Souza’s very identity was once written in ink. The 36-year-old photographer, who got his first tattoo at just 13, became known as Brazil’s most tattooed man.
Born in Bagé, in southern Brazil, Leandro eventually covered 95% of his body with tattoos. His passion for body modification even earned him the official title of most tattooed man in the nation at the Santa Rosa International Tattoo Expo in 2023, according to Brazilian outlets G1 and O Globo.
But his obsession came at a steep price. Tattoos weren’t just expensive — they also impacted his life in other ways. He once admitted his appearance made finding work difficult, and at one point he was forced to live in a shelter, per CNN Brazil.
Everything shifted about two years ago when Leandro converted to evangelical Christianity. With that, his love for tattoos faded.
“I didn’t feel good, it didn’t suit me anymore,” Souza told O Globo about his decision to start erasing his ink. “It was a world of excess, which no longer did me any good. There came a time when I felt like a circus attraction.”
Since then, he’s been documenting the grueling removal process on Instagram. On Aug. 28, he shared before-and-after photos of his fifth removal session — done free of charge at Hello Tattoo studio in Franco da Rocha, São Paulo.
The studio shared a video of the session, explaining that Souza had “lost his self-confidence” after prison time, drug addiction, and homelessness.
“It’s important to remember: tattoos don’t define character,” they wrote. “What transforms a life are choices, effort, and the determination to move forward. In this process, tattoo removal is merely a reflection of a much larger internal change that helps align the external image with the new identity being constructed.
“When we hear Leandro say ‘dignity has been restored,’ we understand that our work goes far beyond aesthetics. Each session also represents the opportunity to witness stories of overcoming obstacles.”
The 36-year-old photographer, whose tattoos were inspired by rock bands like Nirvana and Guns N’ Roses, estimates it will take up to eight sessions to erase his tattoos completely.
He applies ointment and ice after each procedure and swears physical exercise speeds up healing.
“If you imagine that a person goes there to remove one [tattoo] from their finger and already complains of pain, imagine a session on the entire face, which involves three types of laser,” he told G1. “There’s the first, for removal. The second, CO2, to rejuvenate and not leave a stain. And the third is a type of sealer.”
“It hurts a lot, no matter how much anesthesia they use, the pain is horrible. But that’s part of the price for the things I did in the past,” he added to O Globo.
Part of his sudden break from his old life stems from his embrace of evangelical Christianity. But he’s also vowed to stay away from drugs and alcohol while focusing on finding steady work, paying child support, and working to regain guardianship of his elderly mother.
De Souza’s warning comes from the most permanent canvas of all — the face.
“Think carefully before getting a face tattoo because I regret it,” he told CNN Brazil.
These days, his message isn’t so much anti-tattoo as it is about priorities: “Today, I don’t tattoo. I don’t condemn tattoos. I believe that, after baptism and conversion, there are more important things for us to do, my dear brothers.”
Leandro de Souza’s story is more than just about tattoos — it’s about transformation, faith, and reclaiming a sense of dignity. His journey shows that while ink can fade, the power of choice and change runs much deeper.
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