New face to begin new life

Less than a year ago former white supremacist Carl Drewett was heavily tattooed.

But his "skinhead" tattoo has been removed from his forehead, thanks to more than $3000 donated by the public and radio DJ Simon Barnett.

The 29-year-old Christchurch man has had four laser treatment sessions and believes it will be completely gone with about another eight.

Drewett has an extensive criminal record and was once proud to wear the prison tattoo, which cost him $40 at the age of 23.

He decided last year he wanted to get it removed so he could start living a new life.

Now Drewett wants to help others in a similar predicament to turn their life around.

He said each treatment cost about $160, so he would have money donated towards his tattoo removal left over.

Drewett said he would like to donate it to someone else in the same situation or a charity.

"That's obviously why people give it to me, it's for a cause so it can stay like that.

"I think it'd be wrong of me to keep it for personal reasons."

Drewett said he was "stoked" the tattoo was fading. "I can't wait until it's all gone," he said.