Pete Davidson has revealed a striking new look after undergoing a dramatic transformation, including the removal of nearly 200 tattoos. The comedian, known for his extensive body art, made the decision to “burn off” many of his tattoos, including tributes to his famous ex-girlfriends, a portrait of Hilary Clinton, and a character from SpongeBob SquarePants. Recently, Davidson revealed his fresh appearance, unveiling his “Official Boyfriend” persona for a campaign that highlighted his new image.

Davidson, who has long been known for his vast collection of tattoos, spent years and over $200,000 to erase some of the memories inked onto his skin. While he has always had a love for tattoos, the 31-year-old Saturday Night Live star admitted that his growing career as an actor led him to reconsider his body art. He shared that, as he became more involved in Hollywood, he realized that tattoos often became a challenge on movie sets. “It takes three hours to cover all my tattoos,” Davidson explained on Late Night with Seth Meyers. “For some reason, people in movies don’t have them that much.”

Davidson’s relationship with tattoos began when he was a teenager. Over time, he accumulated more than 200 pieces of ink, including tributes to his father, a firefighter who died during 9/11, as well as tattoos of Hillary Clinton, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, DoodleBob from SpongeBob, and a New York State driver’s license. Additionally, he has tattoos referencing Harry Potter, Saturday Night Live, and several of his ex-girlfriends, including Kim Kardashian and Ariana Grande.

Reflecting on some of his more regrettable tattoos, Davidson admitted, “I made a lot of those decisions before rehab, so I have the dumbest tattoos.” In an interview with The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, he joked about some of the tattoos that now stand out as mistakes, such as cartoon characters smoking blunts, including the Tootsie Pop owl. “I got a collection of cartoons smoking blunts like a Muppet smoking a blunt,” he said.

His decision to undergo tattoo removal was partly inspired by his sobriety. The process, however, is far from simple. Davidson explained that removing his tattoos would take a long time, with each tattoo requiring a minimum of seven laser removal sessions. “If it’s black and white, it’s a little easier,” Davidson noted, but tattoos with color take much longer to remove. The procedure itself involves burning off layers of skin, and the healing process takes up to eight weeks for each session.

Davidson humorously warned fans about the pain involved in tattoo removal, sharing with Fallon that it’s more painful than getting a tattoo in the first place. “Really think about that Game of Thrones tattoo you’ve been thinking about getting,” he joked.

In a dramatic shift from his tattooed image, Davidson made a bold new statement with his appearance as the “Official Boyfriend” for a campaign with Reformation, a sustainable clothing brand. The campaign featured a three-minute video in which Davidson was portrayed as a supportive and patient partner. The photos from the campaign, however, stole the spotlight. In them, Davidson appears topless or in minimal clothing, showing off his near-ink-free torso, a far cry from his signature tattooed look.

This transformation represents more than just an aesthetic change for Davidson; it symbolizes his growth as both a person and an actor. Although his fans may miss the iconic look he once had, Davidson seems to be embracing this new phase of his career and life, confident and comfortable in his updated appearance.