We’ve all made decisions we regret, spoken words we wish we could take back, or done things we’re not proud of. Few of us, however, carry those regrets as visibly and prominently as Ethan ‘ModBoy’ Bramble, an Australian body modification enthusiast with over 200 tattoos on his body.
These days, self-expression through tattoos is increasingly common, and elaborate or eccentric designs are seen more frequently. Still, there is usually a limit to how far most people are willing to go with body modifications. For Ethan, that line was pushed far beyond what most would consider, as his passion for transformation went beyond simple ink and into more extreme modifications.
Reports say that Ethan began altering his body at just 11 years old, starting with the expansion of his ears. Over time, he underwent numerous procedures, including having his tongue split and his belly button removed. Despite all these changes, it’s his tattoos that draw the most attention, as he is covered from head to toe. Ethan estimated that he’s spent around $60,000 AUD (approximately $39,000 USD) to achieve his current appearance.
Yet now, Ethan admits he regrets some of his earlier decisions.
“I guess you could say I regret some tattoos,” he shared during LadBibleTV’s No Filter series. “Not just regret, I think there’s a difference between regret and wanting to be perceived differently.”
Ethan explained that he’s concerned about the judgment he might face in certain everyday situations, such as when he drops his young daughter off at school.
“The face is a big thing that can lead to so many problems for some people—though not everyone—which I probably wouldn’t want my daughter to have to deal with until she was a bit older,” he said, reflecting on the extent of his facial tattoos. “I wish that I had not gone as hectic as I did on my face.”
In an effort to reverse some of the modifications he now regrets, Ethan has started undergoing laser surgery to remove some of the tattoos he got when he was younger.
“I’ve been getting laser [surgery] for pretty much 12 months… We do it in sections, but I’ve probably gone over the full thing six or seven times,” Ethan explained.
He revealed that his mental health played a large role in his decision to remove the tattoos, as he had been struggling with anxiety. “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.”
While Ethan is content with his current appearance, he’s also looking forward to the future, saying, “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.”
