Father Who Was Covered In Tattoos Shares His Shocking Transformation Story After Painful Surgeries to Remove Them

Older generations used to warn that people shouldn’t get tattoos because they’re permanent and someone may one day regret getting them. However, these days tattoo removal is an option. Although painful, it works after a few sessions but can leave behind some scarring. Either way, 35-year-old Leandro De Souza has decided to undergo laser treatments to remove almost 2 decades worth of ink.

A man covered in tattoos wearing a lakers hat and headphones.

Leandro De Souza is a native of Brazil and a proud father. However, his divorce almost a decade ago proved to be almost more than he could handle. As a result, De Souza went down a path of partying. During this time he accumulated more than 170 tattoos but his first ink was at just 13 years old. “I did the first one when I was 13,” De Souza explained. “The first ones were very much about the idolatry of the time.” However, he’s recently set out on a religious path of Evangelicalism. As a result, he’s decided to undergo the laser tattoo removal process.

Facing Heartbreak

Close up of a man covered in tattoos, wearing a peach/pink shirt. White background.
Image Credit: leandrodesouzabless | Instagram

Leandro’s first tattoos were inspired by his favorite bands, such as Nirvana, Guns N’ Roses, and Metallica. However, the majority of his tattoos were from a decade-long binge following his divorce. During that time, Leandro admittedly experimented with drugs like LSD, alcohol, and ecstasy.

Finding Motivation for Tattoo Removal

An image of a man before his laser tattoo removal.
Image Credit: leandrodesouzabless | Instagram

I couldn’t stand the life I was living anymore. I was an attraction at (events I attended) and it felt like a circus animal.” He said regarding his decision for tattoo removal. De Souza was visiting a shelter almost a decade after his difficult divorce. This visit would change the course of his life. “The first step in everything in life is to accept that you can’t do it alone, that you are an addict, that you are a drug addict,” de Souza said. “And I managed to do that, I entered the municipal shelter in Bagé. Within a week, there was a lady who referred me and started to evangelize me.

Turning a New Leaf

A man showing his tattoo removal progress.
Image Credit: leandrodesouzabless | Instagram

It’s been 2 years since De Souza changed his life and opted for tattoo removal. However, it’s a long process that will be more so for De Souza’s 170 tattoos. Moreover, he now spends his time speaking with “parents and children in homes that are in prisons.”

Leandro began the tattoo removal process with the help of a tattoo studio in Franco da Rocha, São Paulo, which heard about the exciting changes Leandro was making to turn his life around. He’s now been clean from alcohol for 3 years, and free of tobacco and other substances for a year. De Souza still has 6 more tattoo removal sessions before his ink is gone and his transformation, so far, is astonishing and awe-inspiring.

Tattoo Removal is a Modern Possibility

A man showing his tattoo removal progress.
Image Credit: leandrodesouzabless | Instagram

For many, getting a tattoo is inspired by the desire to express one’s creativity, treating their body like a canvas. However, others may regret their ink choices as they mature or their interests and relationship status change. Fortunately, tattoo removal is possible with advancing technology but there are a few side effects like tenderness, skin irritability, and even scarring.

Tattoo Removal Methods

A man showing the progress of his tattoo removal. Public transport in the background.
Image Credit: leandrodesouzabless | Instagram

Interestingly, tattoo removal comes with options. De Souza’s treatment, laser tattoo removal, uses lasers to “heat the ink particles,” breaking them down and making it “easier for your immune system to remove,” according to Cleveland Clinic. Laser tattoo removal sessions are scheduled about 3 months apart and can last anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour depending on the size of the ink. This method does come with side effects that range from mild skin irritation to painful blisters, but each person responds differently to treatment.

Skin Removal for Tattoo Removal

Beautician performing laser tattoo removal: professional cosmetic procedure
Source: Shutterstock

Another option for tattoo removal is surgical excision. The medical procedure requires a surgeon, who will “cut out the skin that contains a tattoo.” Then they will “stitch your remaining skin together.” The procedure probably sounds intimidating but it’s only used for small tattoos, as cutting an entire back tattoo and then stitching it up would be unpleasant, dangerous, and seemingly impossible.

Meanwhile, dermabrasion and chemical peels are used to remove the outer layers of skin. Unfortunately, both can cause severe skin sensitivity, especially in sunlight. Therefore, understanding the risks and how to treat the skin properly as it heals is essential to your skin’s health and physical comfort.

Woman before and after laser tattoo removal procedures, closeup. Collage with photos, banner design
Source: Shutterstock

Lastly, and possibly least popular and effective, are tattoo removal creams. They can be used at home and often take months or years to yield results. Furthermore, they contain acids that “irritate or damage your skin.” As such, they’re usually advised against by medical professionals.

Can Anyone Get Tattoo Removal

Side by side images of a red and black tattoo.
Image Credit: Tatt2away

In short, yes. However, some things are worth noting when considering tattoo removal. Firstly, tattoo removal takes time and similar or repetitive steps to be effective, regardless of your chosen tattoo removal method. The reason for this is that a tattoo artist applies ink in layers of the skin, so layers have to be broken down which can’t happen in one sitting, otherwise you’ll suffer severe and irreversible skin damage. Ultimately, that would put your overall health and immunity at risk. Additionally, your skin needs time between sessions to “flush out the ink” so, it’s recommended to wait a few weeks or months between most tattoo removal options listed above.

Secondly, certain ink colors are easier to remove than others. For example, blue and black are easy to remove during laser tattoo removal because “they’re better at absorbing light.” Meanwhile, colors like red are difficult to remove because their “molecular composition” is more resistant to the treatment options.

An Alternative

Cropped close up of a bearded tattoo artist working at his studio tattooing sleeve on the arm of his male client. Man getting tattooed by professional tattooist
Source: Shutterstock

Consider having them turned into something else, rather than removed. For instance, if you’re considering tattoo removal and the reason has nothing to do with necessity, for work, or because, like De Souza, you’re on a new path. Instead, you don’t like how it looks anymore, have separated from the person who inspired the tattoo, or have other interests. In this case, you might consider another visit to the tattoo shop to have them create something else by covering the existing tattoo. For many, this option may be more satisfying and less time-consuming.

‘He just has a giant brain,’ Paris Hilton reacted strongly to internet comments about her son’s head

Paris Hilton and husband Carter Reum welcomed their first child together, Phoenix Barron, through a surrogate.

As expected, the reality TV star turned entrepreneur was over the moon to become a mother of a healthy baby boy.

And, as any mother out there, Hilton has been eager to share a photo of her no 9-month-old baby on the social media. On October 19, she posted a cute image of herself and her son with the caption, “My precious angel baby Phoenix’s first time in NYC.”

Sadly, however, people can be cruel at times and they don’t seem to spare anyone from criticism, especially celebrities.

Out of nowhere, the comment section under her post was filled with cruel words mocking the baby. Many of the remarks were focused on the toddler’s head size.

“You need to have your baby evaluated by a pediatric neurosurgeon, he has a pretty large fontanelle (soft spot) and macrocrania, he would likely need a MRI or US to rule out blockage of spinal fluid in his brain to be on the safe side,” one person wrote.

Added another: “Does he have encephalitis? Like what is actually going on I’m not trying to be rude that doesn’t seem normal.”

The comments Hilton received about the looks of her son were beyond cruel, and she decided to stand up for him.

On X, Hilton wrote, “Living life in the spotlight, comments are inevitable, but targeting my child, or anyone else’s for that matter, is unacceptable.

“This hurts my heart more deeply than words can describe,” the television personality said.

“I’ve worked hard to cultivate an environment that is all about love, respect, and acceptance, and I expect the same in return,” she continued.

“If I don’t post my baby, people assume I’m not a great mother, and if I do post him, there are some people who are cruel and hateful. I’m a proud working mom, and my baby is perfectly healthy, adorable and angelic.”

She ended the post by saying that she hopes that “people can treat one another with more kindness and empathy.”

Triggered by another mean comment on TikTok, Hilton explained, “There are some sick people in this world. My angel is perfectly healthy. And yes, of course, he has been to a doctor; he just has a large brain.”

Speaking to People, Hilton shared that she gets help from her family and loved ones in raising Phoenix Barron. “[My parents] are just so obsessed with him,” Hilton said. “I’m always calling my mom and my sister [Nicky Hilton] for advice, and I’m really lucky that I’m so close with my family, so I have such a big support group.”

We are so very sorry Hilton and her husband faced such negativity from people who don’t even know them.

No child, or any person in general, should ever be a subject of mocking and harassment.

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