NEED TO KNOW<\/h3>\n\n- \n\n
Leandro de Souza is documenting the process of removing his over 170 tattoos after converting to evangelical Christianity<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n
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The photographer, 36, was once known as the most tattooed man in Brazil, having got his first inking at age 13<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n
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“It hurts a lot, no matter how much anesthesia they use, the pain is horrible,” Souza said of removing his tattoos, per local news outlet O Globo<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\nA man once known for having the most tattoos in Brazil is revealing his jaw-dropping transformation after having multiple surgeries to remove the ink.<\/p>\n
After getting his first tattoo at the age of 13, Leandro de Souza, from Bag\u00e9, a city in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, went on to cover 95% of his body in ink. His obsession with body modification led to him being officially crowned the most tattooed man in the nation at the Santa Rosa International Tattoo Expo in 2023, Brazilian news outlets G1<\/em><\/a> and O Globo<\/em><\/a> reported.<\/p>\nThe 36-year-old photographer once claimed his appearance made finding work difficult and that he had to live in a shelter for a while, per CNN Brazil<\/a>. Since converting to evangelical Christianity around two years ago, Souza fell out of love with his tattoos and has been documenting the painful removal process on Instagram.<\/p>\n\u201cI didn’t feel good, it didn’t suit me anymore,\u201d Souza told O Globo<\/em> of his decision to remove his tattoos. \u201cIt was a world of excess, which no longer did me any good. There came a time when I felt like a circus attraction.\u201d<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n\nLeandro de Souza\/Instagram<\/p>\n
Leandro de Souza<\/p><\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
On Thursday, Aug. 28, the former tattoo enthusiast shared a photo on Instagram<\/a> of his face following his most recent tattoo removal procedure alongside a snap of when he was covered in ink. He revealed it was his fifth procedure and had been performed free of charge at Hello Tattoo studio in Franco da Rocha, S\u00e3o Paulo.<\/p>\nThe tattoo studio said Souza \u201clost his self-confidence\u201d after going to prison, suffering from drug addiction and living on the streets in the caption of a video from the procedure shared on their Instagram<\/a>.<\/p>\n\u201cIt’s important to remember: tattoos don’t define character,\u201d the studio captioned the video. \u201cWhat 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.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen we hear Leandro say \u2018dignity has been restored,\u2019 we understand that our work goes far beyond aesthetics,\u201d the caption continued. \u201cEach session also represents the opportunity to witness stories of overcoming obstacles.\u201d<\/p>\n
Souza has revealed that it could take up to eight sessions to remove all of his tattoos, per G1<\/em><\/a>. He applies ointment and ice post-session, while also swearing that physical exercise benefits the procedure.<\/p>\n“If you imagine that a person goes there to remove one from their finger and already complains of pain, imagine a session on the entire face, which involves three types of laser,\u201d he told the outlet. \u201cThere’s the first, for removal. The second, CO2, to rejuvenate and not leave a stain. And the third is a type of sealer.\u201d<\/p>\n\n![\"Leandro](\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/ny\/api\/res\/1.2\/wJYCGxqtogmPeKbkKO32ow--\/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTcwNTtoPTc4NztjZj13ZWJw\/https:\/\/media.zenfs.com\/en\/people_218\/360cd25f726be9536a632bbbf0ea7a68\"\/)
<\/div>\n\nLeandro de Souza\/Instagram<\/p>\n
Leandro de Souza<\/p><\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
“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, per O Globo.<\/em><\/p>\nNever miss a story \u2014 sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter<\/a> to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer\u200b\u200b, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n![\"Leandro](\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/ny\/api\/res\/1.2\/uhKtN2niZ5AfMWPo4wVEnQ--\/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTcwNTtoPTg1NTtjZj13ZWJw\/https:\/\/media.zenfs.com\/en\/people_218\/a829b064cc0f214bacd400eda30d5f77\"\/)
<\/div>\n\nLeandro de Souza\/Instagram<\/p>\n
Leandro de Souza<\/p><\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
Souza began experimenting with drugs after the breakdown of the relationship with his ex-wife at 25, per G1<\/em><\/a>. Having gone to a shelter to get help with drug addiction, he met a woman who began to evangelize to him, leading to his eventual conversion.<\/p>\nHis change in appearance and lifestyle comes as he searches for a formal job to pay child support for his son and to regain guardianship of his elderly mother, who is currently in a nursing home, according to G1<\/em>.<\/p>\n“Think carefully before getting a face tattoo because I regret it,\u201d Souza said, per CNN Brazil. \u201cI was in the tattoo business, and back then, I didn’t pay for these face tattoos. I got paid by the tattoo artist I worked with. And I regretted it. I was the most tattooed man in Brazil, and I also tattooed others.<\/p>\n
\u201cToday, 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,” he concluded.<\/p>\n
Read the original article on People<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Leandro de Souza is documenting the process of removing his over 170 tattoos after converting to evangelical Christianity<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n
The photographer, 36, was once known as the most tattooed man in Brazil, having got his first inking at age 13<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n
“It hurts a lot, no matter how much anesthesia they use, the pain is horrible,” Souza said of removing his tattoos, per local news outlet O Globo<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n A man once known for having the most tattoos in Brazil is revealing his jaw-dropping transformation after having multiple surgeries to remove the ink.<\/p>\n After getting his first tattoo at the age of 13, Leandro de Souza, from Bag\u00e9, a city in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, went on to cover 95% of his body in ink. His obsession with body modification led to him being officially crowned the most tattooed man in the nation at the Santa Rosa International Tattoo Expo in 2023, Brazilian news outlets G1<\/em><\/a> and O Globo<\/em><\/a> reported.<\/p>\n The 36-year-old photographer once claimed his appearance made finding work difficult and that he had to live in a shelter for a while, per CNN Brazil<\/a>. Since converting to evangelical Christianity around two years ago, Souza fell out of love with his tattoos and has been documenting the painful removal process on Instagram.<\/p>\n \u201cI didn’t feel good, it didn’t suit me anymore,\u201d Souza told O Globo<\/em> of his decision to remove his tattoos. \u201cIt was a world of excess, which no longer did me any good. There came a time when I felt like a circus attraction.\u201d<\/p>\n Leandro de Souza\/Instagram<\/p>\n Leandro de Souza<\/p><\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n On Thursday, Aug. 28, the former tattoo enthusiast shared a photo on Instagram<\/a> of his face following his most recent tattoo removal procedure alongside a snap of when he was covered in ink. He revealed it was his fifth procedure and had been performed free of charge at Hello Tattoo studio in Franco da Rocha, S\u00e3o Paulo.<\/p>\n The tattoo studio said Souza \u201clost his self-confidence\u201d after going to prison, suffering from drug addiction and living on the streets in the caption of a video from the procedure shared on their Instagram<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cIt’s important to remember: tattoos don’t define character,\u201d the studio captioned the video. \u201cWhat 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.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen we hear Leandro say \u2018dignity has been restored,\u2019 we understand that our work goes far beyond aesthetics,\u201d the caption continued. \u201cEach session also represents the opportunity to witness stories of overcoming obstacles.\u201d<\/p>\n Souza has revealed that it could take up to eight sessions to remove all of his tattoos, per G1<\/em><\/a>. He applies ointment and ice post-session, while also swearing that physical exercise benefits the procedure.<\/p>\n “If you imagine that a person goes there to remove one from their finger and already complains of pain, imagine a session on the entire face, which involves three types of laser,\u201d he told the outlet. \u201cThere’s the first, for removal. The second, CO2, to rejuvenate and not leave a stain. And the third is a type of sealer.\u201d<\/p>\n Leandro de Souza\/Instagram<\/p>\n Leandro de Souza<\/p><\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n “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, per O Globo.<\/em><\/p>\n Never miss a story \u2014 sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter<\/a> to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer\u200b\u200b, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.<\/strong><\/p>\n Leandro de Souza\/Instagram<\/p>\n Leandro de Souza<\/p><\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n Souza began experimenting with drugs after the breakdown of the relationship with his ex-wife at 25, per G1<\/em><\/a>. Having gone to a shelter to get help with drug addiction, he met a woman who began to evangelize to him, leading to his eventual conversion.<\/p>\n His change in appearance and lifestyle comes as he searches for a formal job to pay child support for his son and to regain guardianship of his elderly mother, who is currently in a nursing home, according to G1<\/em>.<\/p>\n “Think carefully before getting a face tattoo because I regret it,\u201d Souza said, per CNN Brazil. \u201cI was in the tattoo business, and back then, I didn’t pay for these face tattoos. I got paid by the tattoo artist I worked with. And I regretted it. I was the most tattooed man in Brazil, and I also tattooed others.<\/p>\n \u201cToday, 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,” he concluded.<\/p>\n Read the original article on People<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>
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