Monday 31 March 2025
The Tragic Story of Ricardo Godoi
A few weeks back, news hit the tattoo world: Ricardo Godoi, a 45-year-old Brazilian influencer and millionaire in the luxury car import-export game, died after going under general anesthesia… to get his back tattooed.
On January 20, 2025, Ricardo rented a private clinic in Brazil, planning to be put under general anesthesia and tattooed by several artists at the same time. The idea? Wake up with a finished tattoo, no pain, no hours of suffering. Except Ricardo never even got tattooed — he went into cardiac arrest during the anesthesia and didn't make it.
First question: did nobody tell him this was a stupid idea?
Seriously, man… Rich guy, surrounded by doctors, and nobody clocked that general anesthesia for a tattoo was overkill?
General Anesthesia Is No Joke
For those who don't know, general anesthesia means:
- They paralyze you (including your lungs).
- They intubate you (a tube down your throat so a machine breathes for you).
- Your heart keeps going, but everything else is on pause.
It's a hyper-controlled process with a medical team monitoring your vitals constantly. And even then, plenty of people have a rough recovery (vomiting, extreme fatigue, the works).
Bottom line: it's for life-saving operations, not for avoiding tattoo pain.
The Real Problem: Ethics and Risk Management
Why did the doctors agree?
The article mentions Ricardo had steroids in his blood, which can interfere with anesthesia. Maybe he hid that info? Either way, it shows the protocol failed.
Tattooing is not a medical emergency.
We're talking about a leisure activity, an aesthetic choice. Taking that kind of risk for it is absurd.
And what about the tattooers?
Is it ethical to tattoo someone under general anesthesia? Even with all the doctors in the world, the risk is disproportionate.
Is Pain Part of Tattooing?
We had a long debate on the podcast about this:
- Yes, for some, pain is part of the ritual, the experience.
- No, for others (chronic pain, phobias, etc.), numbing creams are a decent alternative.
But there's a limit:
- Numbing cream is applied locally, lasts a few hours, and is safe if used properly.
- General anesthesia is an artificial coma.
No comparison.
Numbing Creams: Not as Innocent as They Seem
A pain-free tattoo thanks to a miracle cream — sounds dreamy, right? Tempting, but watch out: these numbing creams aren't over-the-counter — you need a prescription to get them legally. Yet some tattooers don't think twice about selling or applying them themselves, completely illegally. It's not just a minor rule-bend: if used or cleaned improperly, the cream can enter your bloodstream and, in very rare cases, cause cardiac arrest. So even something as seemingly harmless as numbing cream can get dangerous if you mess around with it.
The Worst of the Worst: Tattooers Who Enjoy Causing Pain
We also talked about a horrible anecdote: a tattooer who, when his client said "It's fine, I don't feel anything," started pressing harder to make it hurt.
DISGUSTING. Pain is personal. If someone handles it well, that's no reason to turn into a torturer.
Conclusion: Dose, Think, and Get Tattooed Smart
- Numbing cream? Why not, if discussed and used properly.
- General anesthesia? Never. It's a deadly risk for a whim.
- Pain? Part of the game, but nobody should suffer needlessly.
And most importantly: don't let the media demonize tattooing. Ricardo didn't die because of ink — he died because of a stupid decision.
What about you?
- Ever used numbing cream?
- What do you think about tattoos under anesthesia?
- Any experiences with… sadistic tattooers?
Love you guys ✌️
