Leandro de Souza, known for his body covered almost entirely with tattoos, decided to erase that past after a spiritual transformation. The current images of his face without ink cause commotion in social networks.

For years, Leandro de Souza was known as “the most tattooed man in Brazil”. His image was so extreme that it attracted attention in exhibitions and social media. With more than 170 tattoos, his body was a true living gallery.

The transformation that he shares today with thousands of followers began after a deep personal crisis. Leandro had problems with substance abuse, and he was even homeless once. It was at that moment that he decided to make a complete turnaround in his life.

Now, his most recent photographs show a face almost free of ink, with visible scars, but with a different expression. According to him, this is a physical and emotional process that has had a profound impact on him.

The story
Leandro was born in Bagé, a town on the border between Brazil and Uruguay. At the age of 13, he got his first tattoo, driven by his passion for bands like Nirvana, Guns N’ Roses, and Metallica. His body became 95% covered in tattoos, an aesthetic he linked to his rebellious lifestyle and love of rock.

His media profile grew when he participated in the Santa Rosa International Tattoo Expo, where he was recognized as Brazil’s most tattooed man.

In 2023, his life changed course as he embarked on a spiritual transformation. According to him, he lived a stage marked by addiction to several drugs. In that context, he found refuge in the evangelical religion, which changed his vision of the world and of himself.

“Today I don’t get tattoos. I do not condemn tattoos. I think that, after baptism and conversion, there are more important things we should do,” he recounted.

In interviews with local media, Leandro explained that his appearance started to have a negative impact on him. “I didn’t feel good; it didn’t suit me anymore. It was a world of excesses. There came a time when I felt like a circus attraction,” he told O Globo.

The decision to remove the tattoos
Getting his tattoos removed marked a before-and-after moment in Leandro’s life. He underwent laser treatment that breaks the ink into smaller particles for the body to eliminate.