Brazil’s Most Tattooed Man Transforms After Painful Tattoo Removal

Leandro de Souza, Brazil’s most tattooed man, has undergone a dramatic transformation after starting the grueling process of removing his tattoos. For over two decades, 95 percent of his body was covered in ink, but he has now begun to reverse this extensive body art.

De Souza, a 35-year-old photographer from Bagé, near the Uruguayan border, has completed two painful laser sessions aimed at erasing over 170 tattoos. His decision to undergo this transformation came after embracing evangelical Christianity.

“I started getting tattoos at 13,” de Souza told Brazilian news outlet G1. “The early tattoos reflected the rock bands I idolized—Nirvana, Guns N’ Roses, and Metallica.”

A tumultuous decade followed his divorce from his wife, including substance abuse and a sense of personal despair. De Souza’s turning point came when he found solace in evangelism at a local shelter.

“My life felt like a circus,” he admitted. “But accepting my addiction and seeking help through evangelism changed everything.”

Despite enduring significant pain during the tattoo removal process—described as three times more painful than getting the tattoos initially—De Souza is committed to seeing it through. He has six more sessions planned, each lasting 30 to 40 minutes.

“Even with anesthesia, it’s incredibly painful,” he said. “But it’s worth it for this new chapter in my life.”