Parents go to incredible lengths for the well-being of their kids, hoping to eliminate the embarrassing or shameful past decisions they’ve made. For example, a dad from Australia has chosen to undergo painful laser removal for his tattoos—a decision he made on behalf of his daughter.
Ethan ‘ModBoy’ Bramble lives in Australia and has spent almost $40,000 USD to tattoo his whole body, face included. Living in New South Wales Central Coast, he underwent his first body modification at just 11 years old, stretching his earlobes. It didn’t take long for him to become enthralled by using his body as a canvas. By 22, he was a walking work of art.
By the time Ethan Bramble was 22, he had more than 40 modifications. He had tattoos all over his body, including his eyeballs, a pierced nose, and had his belly button removed. At 17, he decided to have his tongue split, noting it was “the most intense adjustment.” He was not only in “excruciating” pain but he also had to sleep sitting up for five days to ensure he didn’t choke on his saliva. He also took his first body modification further by having his ears snipped.
By the next year, he was seen all over social media “taunting police.” He traveled while they had a warrant out for his arrest. Although it’s unclear what the warrant was for, or what came of his charges, he did have one more body modification that would catch the public’s attention. His unique taste in art would again expand to new heights when he had a silicone spider surgically inserted into the skin of his hand. “I have always enjoyed how it looks. Growing up I was interested in Aztec designs like nose poles and then as I got older I realized, wow, you can get more intense stuff done …” He shared. “You can get all kinds of weird and wacky stuff done.”
Ethan explains that he doesn’t necessarily regret his tattoos but wants “to be perceived differently.” He worries about the “judgment” he’ll get while doing things with his daughter like taking her to school. “The face is a big thing that can lead to so many – for some people, not everyone – can lead to a lot of problems for yourself, which I probably wouldn’t want my daughter to have to deal with until she was a bit older,” he said.“I wish that I had not gone as hectic as I did on my face.”
As a result of his concerns, Ethan has chosen to undergo laser removal. “I’ve been getting laser [surgery], or have been, for pretty much 12 months… We do it in sections, but I’ve probably gone over the full thing six or seven times.” He said. “I started getting it done because of the anxiety and stuff I was getting… Mental stuff is a funny thing to pin down, but I want to think that a lot of the anxiety was from just having a face full of tattoos.”
Although many have been divided on their feelings toward Ethan’s decision, his more than 125 000 Instagram followers have shown an abundance of support for his decision to undergo all of the work to his body. Meanwhile, others have followed his story to marvel at the outlandish, if not absurd, transformation. Either way, he’s unapologetically been himself and lived out countless desires. Now, a new person is helping to dictate his life, his daughter. Seemingly, fatherhood has changed his priorities and given him a new light on the future. “I’m happy with the way that I look, but I’m also happy with the mentality that over the next two years, my face tattoos are going to become less and less and less. I’m just clearing the canvas.” He explained.
