He was Brazil’s most tattooed man before deciding to remove the ink etched across a staggering 95% of his body. Leandro de Souza has so far undergone two laser sessions as part of the process to eliminate over two decades worth of tattoos. The 35-year-old photographer made the decision to erase more than 170 tattoos after becoming a Christian. He explained that he had gone down a dark path about 10 years ago when his wife divorced him. The fallout, including losing his 10-year-old son, resulted in a 9-year period in which he dabbled with illegal drugs and alcohol. He found a new outlook on life when he visited a shelter and was introduced to an evangelist. “The first step in everything in life is to accept that you can’t do it alone,” he said. Part of Leandro's conversion process included realizing that he had to get rid of his tattoos. He still has to undergo 6 more sessions, which are scheduled every 3 months and last 30-40 minutes each. He admitted that having the tattoos removed hurts a lot more than having them put on. “Even with anesthesia, the process is very painful,” he said. Still, he believes the temporary discomfort will all be worth it when his face gets back to normal.
