😨 He’s tattooed nearly every inch of his body, inked his eyeballs and tongue, amputated fingers, and reshaped his face beyond recognition. But who is this man who calls himself “Diabão”?
In the quiet Brazilian city of Praia Grande, a man walks the streets who looks like he stepped straight out of a horror film. His skin is blackened with tattoos, his ears and nose are gone, his eyes are completely inked, and the shape of his face seems almost otherworldly. His name is Michel Praddo—though he now legally goes by Diabão Faro Praddo, a name that reflects the dark, devilish persona he has built through a decade of extreme body modification.
For most people, a tattoo is a symbol, a memory, or an aesthetic choice. For Diabão, it became something much deeper: a lifelong transformation project, a living canvas of radical self-expression that pushed the boundaries of pain, art, and identity.
🖤 His journey began in 2014. A simple tattoo artist at the time, Michel had no idea how far he would go. Today, more than 90% of his skin is covered in tattoos, many of which are pitch black. Even areas usually untouched by ink—like the whites of his eyes and his entire tongue—have been fully pigmented. “It’s not just ink,” he once said in an interview. “It’s identity. It’s evolution.”
What came next shocked even the most hardened body art enthusiasts. Diabão didn’t stop at tattoos. He removed both his ears, had his nose completely cut off, amputated several fingers to reshape his hands like claws, and split his tongue down the middle, creating a snake-like fork. His nipples were removed, his teeth were replaced with chrome implants, and subdermal horn-shaped implants now protrude from his forehead—33 in total, earning him a spot in the 2023 Guinness World Records as the man with the most horn implants in the world.
💰 The cost of these modifications? According to Diabão, he has spent more than 300,000 Brazilian real—around $60,000 USD—on surgeries, implants, and tattooing sessions. And he shows no signs of stopping. “Transformation is endless,” he explains. “As long as I live, I’ll continue evolving.”
One of his most controversial body modifications involved the deliberate removal of fingers. On his right hand, both the ring and pinky fingers were amputated; on the left, just the ring finger. He named the project “Las Garras”, meaning The Claws, which he describes as a conceptual art form, a fusion of body modification and creative vision. His hands now resemble talons—sharp, striking, and unsettling.
📸 On social media, Diabão shares before-and-after images that leave his followers in awe. In early photos, Michel looked like any other young man. No facial ink, no piercings, no alterations. Just a man with a passion for art. But side by side with his current appearance, the transformation is staggering. “That old me is gone,” he writes in one post. “What you see now is my true self.”
Despite his devilish aesthetic, Diabão insists that his appearance has no connection to satanism or any religious belief. “I’m not trying to be evil,” he says. “This is about freedom of expression, ownership of the body, and turning pain into power.” To him, each procedure is an act of reclaiming identity, of shedding societal expectations in favor of a personal vision that few dare to pursue.
His partner, also involved in body modification, has been a steadfast supporter throughout his journey. Together, they advocate for body autonomy and the right to redefine beauty on one’s own terms. “Beauty isn’t symmetry or smooth skin,” Diabão said during a livestream. “It’s truth. My truth is ink and bone, scars and shapes. It’s mine—and no one else has to understand it.”
😱 Of course, public reactions are mixed. Some admire his commitment and courage, seeing him as a living sculpture. Others call him insane or disturbing. He’s been stopped in public, stared at, photographed without consent. “Sometimes, people are afraid,” he admits. “But I don’t modify myself for them. I do it for me.”
Interestingly, Diabão continues to work as a tattoo artist, creating intricate designs for clients who often seek him out for his reputation and fearless creativity. “You have to walk through your own fire,” he once told an aspiring artist. “No one else can define your transformation.”
His story has inspired documentaries, interviews, and articles around the world. And while many may never understand his choices, few can deny the intensity of his commitment. In a world obsessed with perfection, Diabão chose imperfection. In a culture of conformity, he became a walking rebellion.
Recently, he posted a rare image of himself before any modifications—a young man with soft eyes and a calm face. Alongside it, he wrote: “He was just the beginning. I’m what he dreamed to become.” 🖤
What’s next for Diabão? According to him, more surgeries, more changes, and more art. “There’s no final version of me,” he says. “There’s just progress.”
In a society that often demands uniformity, Michel Praddo—aka Diabão—reminds us that transformation isn’t always about becoming what others expect. Sometimes, it’s about unbecoming everything you were told to be and rising, scarred and inked, as your true self.
