Brazil’s onetime most‑tattooed man is having his ink lasered away after a religious conversion

Leandro de Souza, once celebrated as Brazil’s most‑tattooed man, is methodically erasing the ink that transformed him into a walking canvas — and documenting the painful process on social media.

The 36‑year‑old photographer from Bagé in Rio Grande do Sul spent roughly two decades accumulating more than 170 tattoos that covered about 95% of his body. His extensive inkwork earned him a “most tattooed” title at the Santa Rosa International Tattoo Expo in 2023. After a religious conversion roughly two years ago, de Souza said he no longer felt comfortable with the image and began a series of laser‑removal sessions to clear the designs.

De Souza has described the laser treatments as painful and slow. The removal work, which he has recorded on his Instagram account (@leandrodesouzabless) and discussed in local interviews, involves repeated sessions to target layers of ink across large areas of skin. He has said the decision to remove the tattoos followed his embrace of evangelical Christianity and a desire to change his outward appearance to match new priorities in his life.

The tattoos were influenced by rock bands such as Nirvana and Guns N’ Roses and were part of an aesthetic that drew attention and occasionally shock. In recent posts, de Souza has framed the removals as part of a broader pivot toward a quieter existence, steady employment and family responsibilities.

Local media and social platforms have followed the reversal with interest, noting the contrast between the notoriety he gained for his heavily inked appearance and the painstaking work required to undo it. De Souza’s documentation shows treatments that target different body areas in stages, and he has discussed the emotional as well as physical toll of the procedure.

Medical practitioners and tattoo‑removal clinics generally describe laser removal as a multistage process that can be time‑consuming and uncomfortable. De Souza’s case highlights the scale of that undertaking when coverage is extensive and tattoos overlap or vary in color and depth, factors that can extend the number of sessions required and influence the degree of fading.

De Souza’s transition has been subject to mixed reactions online and in his community. Some followers have expressed support for his personal and spiritual choices, while others have noted nostalgia for the striking appearance that once made him a fixture at tattoo gatherings. Organizers of tattoo conventions and peers in the body‑art community have said that individual decisions about altering or removing tattoos reflect personal journeys and changing priorities.

As the removal work continues, de Souza has said he is focused on practical matters such as work and family, and less interested in the attention his former image produced. The process is ongoing, and the final outcome — how much of the original ink will fully disappear and how his skin will look after multiple sessions — will only become clear over time.

De Souza’s story encapsulates how body art, identity and faith can intersect and change. From a two‑decade commitment to heavy tattooing to a deliberate program of removal, his experience illustrates both the permanence people often ascribe to tattoos and the capacity for change that prompts some to reverse those choices.