The woman in the picture wanted to elongate her neck. In order to elongate her neck, she puts on a coil around it for years. I am sure you are curious to find out what she looks like when she removes it after a lot of years. Why are they doing this? Let us all find out.
Why They Use It
There have been a lot of anthropologists who theorized the reason behind this practice. One of the theories is that it serves as a protection of the tribe from slavery because the women will be looked less beautiful. While another theory states that, it is practiced in the tribe by women to enhance their appearance.
Why They Use It
For Beauty
Your neck may appear to be longer after a certain period of wearing them, but it’s not because your neck was really extended, but because your collarbone was pulled back. These coils are used as representations of elegance. For most instances, it’s more popular for women, but often you will see men doing it as well. Both men and women carry such coils in certain communities.
For Beauty
Beliefs
For them, slender necks are found desirable and could be accomplished with the aid of these kinds of things. At any point, this kind of alteration of the body is unique within the group. It is assumed that these coils make them seem more desirable.
Beliefs
The Dangers And Risks
For some who are not used to this kind of body modification, it seems dangerous. You can see a lot of people who are worried that this practice is too dangerous. But this method is actually safe and it does not really stretch the neck.
The Dangers And Risks
Cultural
This method involves the collar bone to be pushed down and compress the ribs. Using this method for a longer period of time can get dangerous sometimes. Wearing these coils around their neck is a part of their cultural identity according to the Kayan women.
Cultural
Lifelong Goal
One example of a woman who has always been dreaming to become a “giraffe woman” is a 28-year-old lady, Sydney V. Smith. For her to achieve this goal, she has to put on 11 copper rings around her neck for the past three years.
Lifelong Goal
The Motivation
According to Sydney, “I’ve always had a long neck,” “in middle school, they called me a “giraffe girl”. Then I saw pictures of the long-necked tribes in Thailand and Burma in National Geographic and I became fascinated with them”. Ever since the discovery of the tribal women of Thailand and Burma, Sydney has become fascinated with body modification.
The Motivation
Experimenting
Sydney then decided to mimic the procedure of the long-necked tribes in Thailand and Burma. She wrapped her neck using the improvised coat hangers when she sleeps at night. She continued through her parents considered this to be utterly insane. In order to elongate her neck, she believed that this method would do the job on a nightly basis.
Experimenting
Attachment
Sydney’s neck, when compared to most people, was obviously longer but not really frightening. She then started to wonder if she really wanted to be called the “long-necked girl” and to continue to wear those rings. She discovered that she was really hooked to the rings after some time.
Attachment
Slow And Steady
Sydney chose to follow this tradition in her own ways even though she was not a part of the Kayan Tribe. She made this decision when her body was already developed and so it was harder for her at the beginning.
Slow And Steady
The Beginning
In the beginning, comfort and exhilaration are what she’s looking for. She truly enjoyed exerting pressure on her neck and shoulders. She found what really suits her needs, and in 2011 she started wearing a tight-fitting copper necklace.
The Beginning
Adjusting To The Rings
She takes on this procedure on a slow steady phase due to her body that was already matured and developed. She would only increase the number of rings around her neck only when her body adjusted to it. She even had ten rings on her neck after some time!
Adjusting To The Rings
Shy Girl
Sydney used bulky turtleneck sweaters while she was staying in Maryland to cover them up. She also worked in restaurant jobs behind the scenes, to avoid undesirable attention. She was still very reluctant to show off her rings at the heart.
Shy Girl
The Mastermind
A friend of hers designs the rings. These are all soldered around her neck, but in case of medical crises, these have a unique screw so that they can be removed when needed. Though it is removable, Sydney does not take it off, it is always attached to her.
The Mastermind
The Risks
Sydney claims it was done carefully in the process of fitting the rings around her neck but she managed to get burnt a bit. She also feels that her neck is about 10-11 inches long and for the rings, she couldn’t be more thankful!
The Risks
A Worldwide Sensation
Ripley’s Believe It Or Not is a show that features the most strange and bizarre stories around the world. You can say when things get intense as Ripley’s Believe It Or Not features you in his comic books.
A Worldwide Sensation
In The Media
She caught the media’s attention when her story was chosen to be featured in Ripley’s Believe It Or Not comic book because of its eccentricity and it is out of the norm in their culture. The news of her story spread like a wildfire.
In The Media
A Comic Book Character
Being used as a reference for a comic book character is not a common thing to happen to a person. Sydney, though we are not sure if she possesses incredible power we can compare her for Plastic Man or Elastigirl. She sure got a lot of attention, though.
A Comic Book Character
Making Progress
We can see the caption of the photo “Progress”. She made a lot of progress since the beginning, the coil has grown and we can notice the change in her physique already. It is very obvious what the caption is all about.
Making Progress
Too Heavy
Having too many rings coiled around her neck will surely feel heavy and exhausting. She had 15 rings around her and it weighed around five pounds in total. She had to take them off to lessen the burden.
Too Heavy
Not Worth It
Five pounds may not seem like a lot of weight but having it around your neck 24 hours a day for 7 days will surely be exhausting. It may seem that to other people, it is some kind of torture.
Not Worth It
Medical Issues
According to Dr. Jonathan Nissanoff, an orthopedic surgeon from Southern California, doing this kind of thing might cause severe injuries in the neck that is why he does not recommend doing it. He also added that Sydney’s neck will not stretch anymore, only her skin because she is already a fully grown woman.
Medical Issues
Not Giving Up
No one can stop Sydney in what she is doing no matter what others say. Despite the doctor’s warning she even plans to put on her 12th ring on her neck. According to Sydney, she wants to use her appearance as a source of income. She said, “I’d like to work as a specialty model, but my original intent was not to exploit myself,” “However, it seems to be my calling.” she added.
Not Giving Up
Health First
Sydney’s health was being affected by the coils on her neck that she had no choice but to remove them. It surely is a burden to her body. She had no plans to continue her practice and risk her health if it is not truly meant for her.
Health First
They Dominated Her Life
“I couldn’t function properly as a long neck woman with fifteen rings around my neck in the United States of America,” Sydney said during one of her recent interviews. She is suffering pain from the coils on her neck.
They Dominated Her Life
Her Life Changed
It is life-changing for her that she started to realize the things she took for granted in the past. It must be really hard for her to endure the pain on her neck while keeping the tight coils around it for a long time.
Her Life Changed
All About The Rings
During the five year period wearing the coils, she usually isolates herself from other people. She is exhausted to face the intrigues brought out by other people when they take a look at her accessories and ask so many questions.
All About The Rings
Where Did Sydney Go
“It was always about the rings, it wasn’t about Sydney anymore. I tried sticking my neck out to make it work but logic kicked in after a while.” It surely does hurt her feelings a lot.
Where Did Sydney Go
Freedom At Last
Wearing the coils surely makes her life difficult. She finally realized, after five years of wearing it, that it is the right time to get rid of it. According to her, it is not worth the effort anymore.
Freedom At Last
Not Practical
“Unless you are willing to completely isolate yourself and you’re a trust fund baby and don’t even need to leave the house, don’t ever need to drive, then maybe you can pull it off.” said Sydney when explaining how impractical it is.
Not Practical
Still The Giraffe Woman
She still sees herself as the “Giraffe Woman” even after removing the coils around her neck. It surely made some changes in her physical appearance in some ways but she does not regret her decisions in the past.
Still The Giraffe Woman
It Took A Toll
Having the tight coils wrapped around her neck for a long time will surely have caused some injury on her neck and collarbone area. According to her, she got a serious bruising on the collarbone area. Luckily, bruising is the only thing happened to her considering that she had it for a long time.
It Took A Toll
In A Lot Of Pain
Sydney said when describing her neck was “very weak, kind of like arms of a toothpick.” Although this does not elicit the most enticing images, it is necessary to know the implications of her actions.
In A Lot Of Pain
Trying To Recover
While she had bruises and stiffness around her neck and collarbone area, the doctors told her that the healing was taking place more quickly than they expected. In this case, it seems she must have been extremely lucky!
Trying To Recover
Not The Only One
Recently she was not the only one who has done such dramatic measures to boost their appearance and transform their bodies. Continue reading to see people who have chosen to take drastic interventions to look like their favorite actors.
Not The Only One
Romario Dos Santos Alves
In the past, the Incredible Hulk has been depicted by a variety of actors but our favorite guy will be Lou Ferrigno to take on this role. However, Romario Dos Santos was able to give it a try. This Brazilian man decided to look like the comic book superhero and with the help of painkillers, alcohol, and Synthol he expanded his biceps to 25 inches.
Romario Dos Santos Alves
Almost The Hulk
It was not a smart decision, and his health was also impaired. He was nearly forced to amputate both arms and then attempted to end his own. They had to cut the rocks of Synthol which he attached to his body. He has stayed away from drugs since then and is now working tirelessly to be a great bodybuilder.
Almost The Hulk
Nadya Suleman
Even before she underwent plastic surgery, Nadya Suleman had become famous. In January 2009, she gave birth to a set of octuplets, better known as “Octomom.” Around one point, critics started to point out her similarity to Angelina Jolie. Since hearing that, people presume that after having collagen injections and rhinoplasty, she wanted to take it a step higher.
Nadya Suleman
Octomom
“I have never even thought of Angelina Jolie, except the last time I saw a movie. I think that was like years ago. This is so far away from the place I’m in right now, to think of any celebrity.” she said. A lot of people claim that she looks like the actress but a photo of the post-surgery says otherwise.
Octomom
Justin Jedlica
New York’s Justin Jedlica spent about a quarter of a million dollars on appearing like Ken. Though he had not done this to pursue a good career in modeling because he and his husband own a Chicago company. To attain his target, he had to undergo at least 190 procedures.
Justin Jedlica
Real-Life Ken
To achieve his desired “Ken” looks he did many procedures like calf implants, chest implants, rhinoplasty, gluteoplasty, thigh implants, lip augmentations, biceps implants, cheek augmentations, brow shaving, brow lifts, and shoulder implants. He started obsessing with plastic surgery when he was seventeen years old. He was not happy with how he looks. Four days after his eighteenth birthday celebration, he got his very first procedure.
Real-Life Ken
Mikki Jay
Mikki Jay, a British woman was one of the biggest fans of the King of Pop. We all know that the King of Pop got himself involved in a lot of plastic surgeries during his life that the talks about it overshadowed his music skills. Mikki Jay spent a lot of money for a chin implant, cheek implants, and rhinoplasty to look like the King of Pop.
Mikki Jay
Michael Who?
She did the surgery to be like her idol. Aside from the looks, she also had the voice to go with it. She became one of the best Michael Jackson impersonators and in 1992 she started touring. She also had the chance to perform for her idol as well.
Michael Who?
Crystal U
Britney Spears’ looks was one of the most requested plastic surgery procedures by many clients. In one of the MTV programs called I Want A Famous Face, Crystal U, an office worker always dreamed of being the pop star look alike. Being a stripper or an Anaheim Angels Strike Force as her dream. So decided to do the procedure and spent $25,000 for a nose job, fat grafts, lip injections, and breast implant. We hoped for her the best for her to be able to achieve her dream.
Crystal U
Claire Leeson
While she was still in school Claire Leeson was bullied. She finds happiness after going through two suicide attempts by watching Keeping Up With The Kardashians. Her peers advised her she looked a lot like Kim Kardashian, and for this to make seem more of a reality, she spent more than $30,000.
Claire Leeson
Not Quite Kim
She preferred to work as an impersonator and to appear on reality programs to help compensate for the procedures. Owing to the rising costs of cosmetic surgeries, debt collectors have been on her tail. Recently, she expressed her remorse for having the procedures and also loathes the similarities with the reality show host. Attacks online made it worse for her.
Not Quite Kim
Toby Sheldon
The German musician Toby Sheldon has decided to move to LA in order to fulfill his hopes of being a pop star. He decided only to be like his hero, Justin Bieber. He became so taken with Justin Bieber that he was paying over $100k attempting to look like him. He found fame by appearing on television shows such as The Doctors, Botched, and My Strange Addiction. Sadly, while the 35-year-old was drinking a mixture of calming drugs, Xanax, Valium, and beer, they discovered his dead body. The trigger maybe that just a few days before his horrific death, he broke up with his boyfriend.
Toby Sheldon
Tiffany Taylor
Ivanka Trump appeared in Askmen and Maxim Hot 100. She has also been a model for Sassoon Jeans, Versace, and Tommy Hilfiger. Tiffany Taylor, a mother of three, also an oil and gas consultant, wanted to boost her self esteem and decided to look like Ivanka Trump. She spent $60,000 for two breast augmentations, two nose jobs, a mini facelift, and an eyelift. There have been no signs that she might stop doing additional procedures.
Tiffany Taylor
Donna Marie Trego
Donna Marie Trego has always been the biggest fan of Lady Gaga. She worked in clubs where Boyzone and Angie Brown have performed. It was time to change her life, she decided. This native of South Wales invested much more to replicate the classic Gaga costumes and to employ dancers for live performances. Although she already spent $60,000 on cosmetic surgery.
Donna Marie Trego
Donna Gaga
She has been performing a major tribute series in the region in various events across Europe such as the GlastonBudget. Finally, in 2014, she had the chance to encounter the Mother Beast herself. The devotion of Donna Marie inspired her so much.
Donna Gaga
Nileen Namita
Nileen Namita has always felt that she is Nefertiti the Egyptian Queen’s reincarnation. Nefertiti is probably one of the most well-established queens ever seen in the literature. This iconic figure has been seen in the past in many films and TV shows.
Nileen Namita
Queen Nileen
During her early twenties, she sought therapy and wanted to focus on looking like Nefertiti too. Since 1987, she has been paying about $100k on 51 procedures. She’s had 5 eye surgeries, 6 mini facelifts, and 8 nose jobs. She has earned her three children’s permission and we bet she can have a further operation in the future sometime.
Queen Nileen
Matt And Mike Schlepp
Michael and Matt Schlepp are twin brothers from Phoenix, Az, who go to North Canyon High School. Both became Brad Pitt’s big followers and worked on the actor’s MTV series I Want a Famous Face where both wanted to pose like the actor’s lookalikes. For $20k, they both got chin replacements and nose work.
Matt And Mike Schlepp
Pitt Twins
They failed to receive enough good words because certain viewers felt the final product didn’t appear like the star at all. Even though on top of those, Michael even had jaw and cheek surgeries. An online survey showed they look just like, who is most famous to work on Entertainment Tonight and Hollywood Access.
Pitt Twins
Kitty
A native of Houston, Kitty, was completely in love with Jennifer Lawrence. She decided to become a look-alike of the Academy Award winner and she needed to shed the weight she gained after giving birth to her daughter. She sought Dr. Franklin Rose’s assistance from First Surgical Hospital and provided liposuction, rhinoplasty, and breast augmentation. The whole process was covered and featured by Nightline. Although she enjoyed the end result a lot, her husband Eric doesn’t really support the treatment she obtained and she doesn’t like it either. Ultimately he was honoring her decision.
Kitty
Jordan James Parke
Jordan James Parke was a typical man who had been employed as a makeup artist. His life changed when he began to get obsessed with Keeping Up With The Kardashians and became fascinated with Kim K. He had eyebrow tattoos, laser hair reduction, and several lip filling procedures among many items. He’s invested more than $150k in his search to be male Kim K. He continued to have specific treatments to appear just like her. He does not plan to slow down, however, just yet. Though he gets plenty of long looks in person and tons of harsh online messages, he wants to use this as a catalyst to become a better individual.
Jordan James Parke
Xiaoqing
At the time Xiaoqing decided to proceed with the plastic surgery to copy Jessica Alba, he was 21 years old. The Chinese woman started her transition in 2010 by wearing a blonde wig over her dark hair after her boyfriend gave her the wig and asked her to wear it regularly. Their separation was the turning point for her. She hoped the operations would look just like her in an effort to win him back. He reportedly had pictures of the actress on his walls and had several photographs on his phone. It seems that her ex-boyfriend had a fascination with Jessica Alba.
Xiaoqing
Jocelyn Wildenstein
Up next, we have another woman who drastically changed her appearance to please her man. Unlike the other entries on the list, Jocelyn Wildenstein did not want to look like a celebrity. No, this Swiss-born socialite wanted to look like a cat! It cost her millions of dollars to look like this. She wanted to keep Alec Wildenstein, her husband at the time, happy. As a fan of big jungle cats and owner of a private African reserve, she was under the impression that he would like her again if she looked more feline. Sadly, it was a failure because they still got a divorce.
Jocelyn Wildenstein
Jack Johnson
To look like the soccer star David Beckham was the goal of Jack Johnson. And in order to achieve his goal, he spent $26000 in government benefits. Some of the procedures were teeth enhancement, cheek and chin fillings, and tanning injections.
Jack Johnson
Biggest Fan
Looking like the soccer icon may not improve his soccer skills and will not get him more ladies but, Jack Johnson was happy with the result. “I’m happy looking like David Beckham,” he said. It is nice to know that he fulfilled his dream.
Biggest Fan
Carolyn Anderson
Carolyn Anderson and Pamela Anderson might have the same surname still, Carolyn wants something more in common with Pamela. Throughout the span of more than 14 years, she invested $40000 on her Botox, breast implants, hair extensions, teeth whitening, teeth whitening, skin peels, false tans, and beauty spot tattoos to appear just like idols. After investing another $160000 on an outfit that might match that of the Baywatch actress. She proclaimed that she already looks “better than the original”. For her, it is all worth it.
Carolyn Anderson
Rodrigo Alves
In order to achieve the ideal face and body, Rodrigo Alves decided to go on a quest. He underwent many procedures including more than 10 nose jobs, silicone chest implants, calf shaping, laser liposuction, eight-pack abdominal implants, eyeball plastic surgery, and a butt lift. According to some medical practitioners, due to the large count of plastic surgery he underwent his body will not be able to handle additional procedures. Doctors advised him to undergo therapy for his body dysphoric disorder. Rodrigo Alves said, “100% happy with his looks,”.
Rodrigo Alves
Sarah Burge
Sarah Burge went through the horrific nightmare of being beaten up and eventually leaving for dead. After the accident, she got hooked to having numerous operations. Whether she survived is a positive thing, since she wound up having a fixation on appearing like a Barbie doll.
Sarah Burge
Human Barbie
To achieve her dreams, more than a hundred procedures were made to her. Her mission is to become a living doll so she spent more than half a million pounds. Some of the procedures were liposuction, facial laser procedures, and breast surgery. She even got her nipples taken out.
Human Barbie
Valeria Lukyanova And Olga Oleynik
To look like Barbie was the dream of Valeria Lukyanova. In order to make this a reality, she spent thousands of dollars and had undergone a lot of procedures. This obsession was not hers alone. She started making friends online with Olga Oleynik and their obsession with Barbie served as the foundation of their friendship. The two lookalikes of Barbie are from Odesa, Ukraine. With the aid of their appearances, they have been able to draw clients to their spirituality lectures. Their industry was thriving until they became Internet stars.
Valeria Lukyanova And Olga Oleynik
Herbert Chavez
A Filipino dressmaker named Herbert Chavez had spent 10 years for him to be able to transform into Superman or Clark Kent. He spent thousands of dollars just for the cleft chin procedure alone. After undergoing 19 procedures he said that he has no plans to stop anytime soon unless the doctors told otherwise: “When my body says it cannot endure it anymore or when my doctor says that my body can not handle it because of age, then I will stop.” Chavez holds the world record for the largest collection of Superman memorabilia and merchandise. He started obsessing with Superman since he was 5 years old.
Herbert Chavez
Guerra
Guerra is also known as Venus D’Lite was famous for starring on RuPaul’s Drag Race. The queen of drag usually portrays Madonna, a pop legend until such time that he is not happy with just wearing wigs and makeup to impersonate her. He claimed he’s fond of appearing like the Queen of Pop. He then decided to undergo surgeries which he spent $175000. He has been obsessed with the procedures and took 19 surgeries, some of them were brow surgery, cheek implants, and jaw filling. It has been a long time since his face has been “touched for the very first time.”
Guerra
Gavin Paslow
This is a security guard of 39 years who have chosen to impersonate Satan, a very unusual character. He wasted thousands of dollars attempting to appear as the devil. He’s seen a variety of treatments to bring himself claws, fangs, a forked tongue, etc. The horns fall upon his forehead with two Teflon implants. He has since modified his name from Gavin Paslow to Diablo Delenfer, meaning “devil from the inferno.” He now has 29 tattoos around his body, and green contact lenses. He also enjoys wearing a frilly sweater and a long tail-coat. Let’s not ignore the process of having pointy ears. He’s explained he’s not a satanist, he’s only addicted to body modifications.
Gavin Paslow