You’ve seen the photos. One year, he’s got this aggressive, Mike Tyson-esque tribal design wrapping around his eye. The next, his skin looks relatively clear, or maybe a bit faded. Then, suddenly, it’s back. For Lee Priest, one of the most polarizing and genetically gifted bodybuilders to ever step onto an IFBB stage, his appearance has always been a conversation starter. But nothing—not even those 21-inch arms—sparked as much debate as the lee priest face tattoo.
People love to overanalyze it. Was it a mid-life crisis? A desperate cry for attention? Honestly, if you know anything about Lee, you know he couldn't care less about what the "traditional" bodybuilding world thinks. He’s the guy who showed up to guest posings in a Superman outfit and ate KFC during his off-season. He does what he wants.
The Story Behind the Ink
The first time Lee went under the needle for his face was back in the mid-2000s. Specifically, around 2006, right as he was cementing his legacy with a massive win at the Ironman Pro. He actually wanted it earlier, but there was a slight delay. Mike Tyson had just debuted his own iconic face piece, and Lee didn't want to look like a copycat. He waited a few years, but eventually, the itch to get it done won out.
It wasn't some deep, mystical spiritual journey.
Lee has explained in multiple interviews that to him, the face is just another piece of skin. If you have tattoos on your back, arms, and legs, why is the face suddenly off-limits? That's his logic, anyway. He already had the "freak" factor going for him due to his height—at 5'4" and over 230 pounds—so a bit of ink on the cheek wasn't exactly going to make him more of an outsider than he already was.
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The Removal and the Return
This is where it gets kinda weird. Lee actually started getting the lee priest face tattoo removed via laser several years back.
Why? He was bored.
Imagine wearing the same shirt for 13 years. That’s how he described it. He said it felt like a woman wearing the same shade of lipstick every single day. He just wanted a change. However, the removal process is a nightmare. It's painful, it's slow, and for Lee, it didn't even stick.
The "Blond Myth" eventually went back and got it redone. It turns out his wife and his mother actually preferred the tattooed look. His wife even told him she "fell in love with him" with the tattoo, so back to the shop he went. By 2022, the ink was back, proving that for Lee, the only constant is change.
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Did the Tattoo Hurt His Career?
Strictly speaking, no. Lee was already the "bad boy" of the IFBB. He was frequently suspended for competing in rival organizations and was never one to play the political game required to win a Mr. Olympia title. By the time the heavy facial ink appeared, he was already transitionining into the veteran stage of his career.
Fans often argue about his "wasted potential."
- Could he have won the Olympia if he was "cleaner" in his presentation?
- Did the judges dock points for the ink?
Probably not. Bodybuilding is about muscle, and Lee had plenty of it. In fact, he won the NABBA Mr. Universe in 2013 well after the tattoo became his signature. The judges might have been old-school, but they couldn't ignore the graininess of his delts or the sweep of his quads just because of some ink on his temple.
Real Talk on Face Tattoos in Sports
Let's be real: face tattoos are a commitment. While they are more "mainstream" now thanks to rappers and influencers, in the mid-2000s, it was a massive statement. Lee was one of the first elite-level bodybuilders to pull the trigger on it.
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The procedure itself is brutal. Lee even famously got his eyelid tattooed. He later found out from the artist that you could actually go blind doing that, which he laughed off in a typically nonchalant Lee Priest fashion. "I didn't know any better," he basically said.
What You Can Learn From Lee’s Choices
If you're thinking about following in his footsteps and getting your own version of a lee priest face tattoo, take a second to breathe. Lee is a multi-millionaire with a legacy already etched in stone. He doesn't need to apply for a 9-to-5 at a bank.
- Laser is not a "Reset" Button. It takes years, costs a fortune, and often leaves ghosting or scarring. Lee’s skin didn’t just bounce back to "factory settings."
- Social Perception Matters (Unless You're Lee). Unless you are a world-class athlete or a self-employed creative, a face tattoo still carries a heavy stigma in 2026.
- Do it for yourself. The most human part of Lee's story isn't the ink itself; it's that he did it, removed it, and redid it based on his own whims and the people he loves, not the "experts" on bodybuilding forums.
The lee priest face tattoo is basically a metaphor for his entire career: rebellious, slightly chaotic, and completely unapologetic. He remains one of the few guys in the industry who didn't let a corporate image dictate his life. Whether you think it ruined his look or enhanced his "warrior" persona, you have to respect the guy for living life on his own terms.
To really understand the impact, look at his recent guest appearances. Even in his 50s, people aren't just looking at the ink; they're looking at the fact that he's still in incredible shape. The tattoo is just a part of the legend now. It’s part of the "Blond Myth" package.
If you’re researching Lee’s journey, the best move is to focus on his training longevity. Tattoos are permanent (mostly), but the discipline required to maintain that much muscle for 40 years is the real story. Check out his recent training vlogs or his supplement line to see how he's managed to stay relevant long after his last pro show. Consistency in the gym outlasts any ink on the skin.