A former U.S. racist skinhead has undergone 16 months of painful laser surgery to get rid of the hate tattoos that covered his entire face.
Bryon Wilder endured 25 painful operations at a cost of more than £22,000 ($35,000) as the former skinhead gang member looks to erase his violent past and focus on raising his new family.
As a member of the feared Vinland gang, Wilder was one of the most notorious white supremacists and was covered in tattoos which included swastikas and "HATE" scrawled across his knuckles.
But after eventually denouncing the gang and marrying his wife Julie -- also an ex-white supremacist -- Wilder decided he had to remove the tattoos if he wanted to get a job to support his family.
Wilder -- who spent four years in jail on charges including murder but was never convicted of anything -- now believes the removal of his tattoos is the final step into being let back into society and that he can now leave his past behind him completely.
As a result of the procedures, which often left him screaming in agony, Wilder suffers migraines and there is pigment damage to his face and neck.
The family are also in hiding because of the death threats they have received from the race hate groups they have exposed.
But Wlider said: "It's a small price to pay for being human again."
