Everyone has regrets. Some are small—things said in anger, choices made too quickly, moments we wish we could take back. But for one young man in Australia, his regrets aren’t something he can easily hide. They’re written across his skin, covering nearly every inch of his body. His name is Ethan “ModBoy” Bramble, and for years, he was known as one of the most heavily tattooed young men in the world. Now 24 and a father, Ethan has made a shocking decision—to erase much of his past, one painful laser session at a time, for the sake of his little girl.
Ethan’s fascination with body modification began when he was barely a teenager. At just 11 years old, while most kids were collecting trading cards or playing video games, he decided to stretch his ears—a choice that would mark the beginning of an obsession. Over the years, he pushed further and further, altering almost everything about his appearance. He split his tongue, removed his belly button, tattooed his eyeballs, and covered his body with intricate, dark designs. To him, it wasn’t about rebellion—it was art, identity, and control. He wanted to create a version of himself that no one could ignore.
By his early twenties, Ethan was unrecognizable from the boy he once was. His face, neck, arms, hands—everything—was covered in ink. His look was extreme, even in the world of body art. He estimated that he’d spent over $60,000 Australian dollars, or about $39,000 U.S., to transform himself into what he believed was his truest form. He became an online personality, earning the nickname “ModBoy,” gaining attention from fans fascinated by his boldness and critics who couldn’t look away.
But what seemed like freedom in his teens and early twenties began to feel like a cage as he grew older—especially after becoming a father. Ethan started noticing the looks people gave him in public. The stares. The whispers. He didn’t care for himself, but when he pictured walking his little girl to school one day, the thought made him uneasy. He didn’t want her to face judgment because of his choices. He didn’t want his daughter’s friends to be afraid of her father, or for teachers to assume things about him before he even spoke.
During an interview with LadBible TV’s No Filter series, Ethan opened up about the shift in his perspective. “I guess you could say I regret some tattoos,” he admitted. “Not just regret, I think there’s a difference between regret and wanting to be perceived differently.” He wasn’t rejecting who he’d been—he just didn’t want his appearance to define who he was becoming.
He continued, “The face is a big thing. It can lead to so many problems for yourself—and I probably wouldn’t want my daughter to have to deal with that until she’s older. I wish I hadn’t gone so heavy on my face.”
It was then that he made the decision that stunned his followers. Ethan began laser tattoo removal on his face—one of the most painful and expensive cosmetic procedures out there. He wasn’t doing it for fame or image this time. He was doing it for peace of mind.
“I’ve been getting laser treatments for almost a year,” he said. “We do it in sections. I’ve probably gone over the full thing six or seven times.” He admitted that at first, it wasn’t about appearance—it was about mental health. “I started getting it done because of the anxiety I was feeling. It’s a weird thing to describe, but I think a lot of it came from looking in the mirror and seeing a face that didn’t match where my head was at anymore.”
The process hasn’t been easy. Tattoo removal is far more painful than getting the tattoos themselves. Each session burns away the pigment using high-intensity light, leaving the skin red, raw, and swollen. Healing takes weeks, and full results can take years. Ethan describes it as a slow, grueling road—but one worth taking. “I’m happy with how I look,” he said, “but I’m also happy knowing that over the next two years, my face tattoos are going to fade more and more. I’m just clearing the canvas.”
Those words—“clearing the canvas”—carry more meaning than he probably realized. It’s not just about erasing tattoos. It’s about giving himself permission to change, to start over, to grow beyond the identity that once defined him.
Ethan’s transformation has sparked a huge reaction online. Some applaud his honesty and courage, calling him an example of how people can evolve without shame. Others are less kind, accusing him of abandoning the subculture he once represented. But Ethan doesn’t care much for public opinion anymore. His focus is singular: his daughter. He wants her to see him for who he truly is—a father who learned from his mistakes and chose to be better.
He’s also spoken candidly about how his mental health has changed since starting the removal process. “I didn’t realize how much anxiety I carried until I started doing this,” he said. “It’s like I was hiding behind all the ink, trying to prove something. Now, I just want to feel comfortable in my own skin again.”
As he continues the journey, each laser session brings him closer to the man he wants to be. The transformation isn’t just physical—it’s emotional, almost symbolic. Each faded line represents a lesson learned, a bit of his old self letting go.
Ethan has also begun to share his experiences to help others who might be struggling with regret or identity. He encourages people, especially young fans, to think deeply before making permanent decisions. “I don’t tell anyone not to get tattoos,” he says. “But I tell them to make sure it’s coming from the right place. Don’t do it for attention, don’t do it to prove a point. Do it because it’s part of who you really are.”
Today, Ethan’s tattoos are noticeably lighter, his expression softer. He still carries many of his markings proudly, but the difference is clear—he’s no longer defined by them. He’s defined by his choice to evolve.
Watching him now, it’s hard not to feel a sense of respect. It takes one kind of strength to cover your body in tattoos for the world to see—but it takes an entirely different kind to face that same world while stripping them away.
Ethan “ModBoy” Bramble’s story isn’t about rejecting his past. It’s about reclaiming his future. It’s about a young man realizing that love—especially the love of a child—can make you want to be seen differently. It’s about understanding that the person you were doesn’t have to dictate the person you become.
In a world obsessed with appearances, his journey reminds us that real transformation starts from the inside. His ink may fade with time, but the lessons he’s learned—and the courage it took to change—will never disappear.