Leandro de Souza, once known as Brazil’s most tattooed man, has embarked on a remarkable journey of transformation. Having covered nearly 95 percent of his body with tattoos, de Souza is now in the process of removing them all.
At 35, de Souza, a photographer from Bagé—a Brazilian city on the border with Uruguay—has already completed two laser sessions to erase over 170 tattoos accumulated over 20 years.
His first tattoo came at the tender age of 13, inspired by the rock bands Nirvana, Guns N’ Roses, and Metallica.
A decade ago, de Souza’s life took a darker turn following his divorce from his wife.
The separation, which left him estranged from the mother of his 10-year-old son, led him into a downward spiral involving cocaine, ecstasy, LSD, and alcohol.
“I couldn’t stand the life I was living anymore,” de Souza recalls. “I felt like a circus animal at the events I attended.”
Finding Faith and Purpose
Everything changed when de Souza visited a shelter and encountered evangelism.
“The first step in everything in life is to accept that you can’t do it alone, that you are an addict,” he shared. “I managed to do that and entered the municipal shelter in Bagé. Within a week, a lady referred me and began evangelizing me.”
Two years ago, de Souza embraced evangelical Christianity, dedicating himself to preaching to “parents and children in homes that are in prisons.” His turnaround story caught the attention of a tattoo studio in Franco da Rocha, São Paulo.
On April 14, he celebrated not only his birthday but also one year of being free from drugs and cigarettes.
Additionally, he has remained alcohol-free for over three years.
The Painful Journey of Removal
Despite his progress, de Souza’s tattoo removal process is far from easy. He still faces six more sessions, each lasting between 30 and 40 minutes and scheduled every three months.
“It hurts a lot more than getting the tattoos,” he admits. “Even with anesthesia, the process is incredibly painful.”
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