This lady kept coils around her neck for years in the hopes of elongating it. The results were jaw-dropping after she finally took them off. Are you ready to hear more about this incredible story of hers? What made her do such a thing in the first place?
Why They Use It
Anthropologists have come up with a couple of reasons why people wear coils like this one. A theory said it made women look less attractive and protected them from slavery. However, another theory said the exact opposite!
Why They Use It
For Beauty
In certain cultures, the neck coils are worn by both men and women. It is more common for women in general, but men also do it. They are seen as symbols of beauty. After wearing them, the neck will look longer. However, the real reason behind this is that the collarbone is pushed down.
For Beauty
Beliefs
The coils are believed to make people look more attractive. Generally, slender necks are thought to be appealing. These devices help make that a reality. Still, this body modification process is unique within a tribe.
Beliefs
The Dangers And Risks
It is not shocking to hear that there are safety issues with such a practice. Fair enough, it might look dangerous if you do not know much about it. This is a safe practice, so no need to worry!
The Dangers And Risks
Cultural
They compress the ribs and push down the collar bone instead of elongating the neck. It does get risky after some time. For the Kayan women, these necklace coils are part of their culture.
Cultural
Lifelong Goal
Sydney V. Smith has always dreamt of turning into a “giraffe woman.” For three years, this 28-year-old woman has worked to extend her neck with the use of 11 copper rings. Did it work in the end?
Lifelong Goal
The Motivation
She has always had a fascination with body mod, especially those done by tribal Thai and Burmese women. “I’ve always had a long neck,” she said, “In middle school, they called me ‘giraffe girl’. Then I saw pictures of the long-necked tribes in Thailand and Burma in National Geographic and I became fascinated with them.”
The Motivation
Experimenting
After seeing photos of long-necked women in Thailand and Burma, she cut coat hangers and wrapped them around her neck when she slept. Her parents thought this was ridiculous, but she kept doing it. She was under the impression that it was going to help her achieve her goals.
Experimenting
Attachment
Sydney knew that her neck was longer than others, but it was still perfectly normal. She started to wonder if she should wear those rings to forever remain the “long neck girl.” After a while, she realized that she was truly attached to her rings!
Attachment
Slow And Steady
While she is not part of the Kayan tribe, she still made up her mind to take on the challenge by herself. Sadly, it was harder for her to do this since she was physically mature when she decided to do it.
Slow And Steady
The Beginning
She liked the feeling of the rings on her shoulders and neck. She wanted exhilaration and comfort, so this fit the bill. In 2011, she started to wear tight copper necklaces that suited her body.
The Beginning
Adjusting To The Rings
With her age, she did not have a lot of growing left to do. She decided to do this slowly and placed more rings on top when she got used to the weight. After a while, she ended up with 10 rings on her neck.
Adjusting To The Rings
Shy Girl
She had always been shy about the neck rings. When she resided in Maryland, she would wear thick turtlenecks to keep them covered. She also preferred to work in behind the scenes jobs in restaurants to avoid attracting unwanted attention.
Shy Girl
The Mastermind
The rings were customized by her friend. They had to solder them around her neck, but they also come with a special screw that they can take apart for medical emergencies. For her, however, they were permanent parts of her body.
The Mastermind
The Risks
What was the process of adding these rings around her neck like? While Sydney claims the process was safe, she did get burnt a bit. She also thinks that her neck is now around 10 to 11 inches long. She could not be happier with the effects!
The Risks
A Worldwide Sensation
You know that it is serious when you get featured in a comic book series by Ripley’s Believe It Or Not. If you know this show, you already know that they only talk about the most bizarre and unusual stories!
A Worldwide Sensation
In The Media
Her story made the cut! It was not long after this that the story spread some more. What she did was unique and not something folks do often if it is not part of the culture that they are part of. This was the reason it caught the attention of the media.
In The Media
A Comic Book Character
Not everyone gets to say that there is a comic book character based on them. While we can’t say if Sydney comes with a superpower, she could be compared to Plastic Man or Elastigirl if necessary.
A Comic Book Character
Making Progress
The photo had a caption saying “Progress.” You don’t need to be a rocket scientist to figure out what it meant. These coils grew from the first couple of days and appeared to have changed her body already!
Making Progress
Too Heavy
Sadly, the coils around her neck became so heavy that there was nothing else to do but for her to take them off. At the time, she already had 15 rings wrapped around her neck. They all weighed 5 pounds!
Too Heavy
Not Worth It
Sure, that might not sound like it is too heavy. However, we want you to imagine having that on for 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. No doubt, it must get tiring after some time!
Not Worth It
Medical Issues
Dr. Jonathan Nissanoff is an orthopedic surgeon from California. He does not recommend doing this since it can lead to severe injuries to the nerves in the neck. He also said that at her age, her body is no longer growing. She is just stretching the skin but not the neck.
Medical Issues
Not Giving Up
There was no stopping Sydney despite this. She was thinking of getting a 12th ring even if her doctors were concerned. She wanted to earn money from her looks too. “I’d like to work as a specialty model, but my original intent was not to exploit myself,” she explained. “However, it seems to be my calling.”
Not Giving Up
Health First
Still, the coils later took its toll on Sydney’s body. She ended up with no other choice but to get rid of them. After all, her health came first! If they were not working out anymore, there was no point in her risking her health and life for the mere sake of experimentation.
Health First
They Dominated Her Life
During a fairly recent interview, she explained why she decided to get the coils out. Sydney explained, “I couldn’t function properly as a long neck woman with fifteen rings around my neck in the United States of America.”
They Dominated Her Life
Her Life Changed
We bet that it was difficult for her to keep those coils around her neck at every single second. There is no doubt in our minds that she was probably starting to notice things that she once took for granted.
Her Life Changed
All About The Rings
People couldn’t help but get intrigued when they saw the accessories that she had on. However, Sydney found all the questions tiresome five years into it. They started to make her feel more isolated too.
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,” she elaborated. We are sure that this was exhausting for her.
Where Did Sydney Go
Freedom At Last
Five years after getting them, Sydney decided that it was time for her to get rid of them. She realized that they were no longer worth it. The coils only made her life difficult in many ways.
Freedom At Last
Not Practical
Here was how Sydney explained her decision: “Unless you are willing to completely isolate yourself and you’re a trust fund baby and don’t ever need to leave the house, don’t ever need to drive, then maybe you can pull it off.”
Not Practical
Still The Giraffe Woman
While Sydney had already gotten the coils removed, she still thinks of herself as the “Giraffe Woman.” She does not have regrets about it either even if they did change her body in specific ways.
Still The Giraffe Woman
It Took A Toll
Sydney suffered severe bruising in her collarbone area. This was not surprising since she had them on for 5 years. It took a toll on her body, but she was lucky in the sense that it only got bruised.
It Took A Toll
In A Lot Of Pain
She explained that her neck had been “very weak, kind of like arms on a toothpick.” Even though this does not make you think of pleasant things, it is still important to hear the results of her actions.
In A Lot Of Pain
Trying To Recover
She might have gotten stiffness and bruises, but the doctors told her that her recovery was going more quickly than they assumed. Wow, it looks like Sydney got very lucky in the end!
Trying To Recover
Not The Only One
Mind you, Sydney was not the only person to do something this drastic in the name of changing their looks and bodies. Read on to her about folks who got extreme operations to change their appearances!
Not The Only One
Romario Dos Santos Alves
The Incredible Hulk has been played by many stars before, but Lou Ferrigno took on this challenge like no one else did. Romario Dos Santos tried to give it a shot too. The Brazilian man hoped to look like the superhero, which is the reason he used painkillers, Synthol, and alcohol to grow his biceps to 25 inches.
Romario Dos Santos Alves
Almost The Hulk
It was not a smart idea and damaged his health! He almost had to amputate his arms and even tried to end his life. They removed the Synthol rocks he put in his arms. Since then, he swore off drugs and wants to be a good bodybuilder.
Almost The Hulk
Nadya Suleman
Nadya Suleman made it big even before getting plastic surgery. Known as “Octomom,” she welcomed a set of octuplets back in January 2009. At some point, people pointed out her resemblance to Angelina Jolie. After she heard these claims, she decided to get rhinoplasty and collagen injections.
Nadya Suleman
Octomom
It is believed that she wanted to look more like the Hollywood star, but her post-surgery photos disproved this. “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.”
Octomom
Justin Jedlica
Justin Jedlica from New York spent nearly a quarter of a million to be a real-life Ken doll. He had to take 190 procedures to achieve this goal. He was not after a modeling career, however. No, he and his husband already own a business based in Chicago!
Justin Jedlica
Real-Life Ken
The procedures included chest implants, gluteoplasty, thigh implants, biceps implants, calf implants, lip augmentations, cheek augmentations, and more. He said that he already felt unhappy about his appearance at the age of 17. He got his first operation only four days after his 18th birthday!
Real-Life Ken
Mikki Jay
It is no secret that Michael Jackson got plastic surgeries before. The attention almost took away from his musical abilities. One British woman called Mikki Jay is a huge fan of his. She was such a huge fan that she shelled out thousands of dollars for rhinoplasty, cheek implants, and a chin implant to look like him.
Mikki Jay
Michael Who?
She did all of these operations to look more like her idol. Isn’t it interesting that she also has a great voice? In 1992, she began to tour as one of the most famous Michael Jackson impersonators!
Michael Who?
Crystal U
It is not a surprise to hear that many people want to look just like Britney Spears did. In I Want A Famous Face, office worker Crystal U wanted to look just like this pop star. She spent nearly $25k for fat grafts, lip injections, breast implants, and a nose job. She hoped that this will help her become a stripper or Anaheim Angels Strike Force. We do not know if she was able to turn it into reality, however!
Crystal U
Claire Leeson
Claire Leeson was bullied during her time at school. She even went through 2 suicide attempts and found peace when she watched Keeping Up With the Kardashians. After a friend told her she resembled Kim Kardashian, she spent more than $30,000 to keep hearing it!
Claire Leeson
Not Quite Kim
Debt collectors had been hounding her because of the price of her plastic surgery. She also worked as an impersonator and went on TV shows to help pay it all off. She recently confessed her regrets about the procedures and loathes the comparisons to the star now. Online attacks made it all more difficult.
Not Quite Kim
Toby Sheldon
Toby Sheldon is a German musician who went to LA to chase his dreams of being a pop star. His idol Justin Bieber was his inspiration. He spent more than $100k to look like the singer! This guy appeared on shows like My Strange Addiction, Botched, and The Doctors in the past. Sadly, he ended up dying after taking a cocktail of alcohol, sleeping aids, Valium, and Xanax.
Toby Sheldon
Tiffany Taylor
Ivanka Trump used to model for many brands in the past. She also appeared in Maxim Hot 100 and AskMen before. Tiffany Taylor hoped to improve her self-esteem by looking like the first daughter. It was why she shelled out $60k for an eyelift, mini facelift, breast augmentations, and nose jobs!
Tiffany Taylor
Donna Marie Trego
Donna Marie Trego worked in clubs featuring acts such as Angie Brown and Boyzone. She was a big Lady Gaga fan and decided to change her career later on. She paid $60k for the operations and paid more to recreate classic Gaga getups and get dancers for her live shows.
Donna Marie Trego
Donna Gaga
She has worked on many events across Europe such as GlastonBudget, a tribute concern. She also got to meet her idol in 2014! It turns out that Lady Gaga was impressed by what she saw. Nice job!
Donna Gaga
Nileen Namita
Nefertiti is one of the most famous female leaders in history. She has been featured in various shows and films before. Nileen Namita always thought that she was the Egyptian queen reincarnated!
Nileen Namita
Queen Nileen
She went through counseling during her 20s and decided to start looking more like Nefertiti. She spent about $100k for 51 procedures since 1987! She got 5 eye surgeries, 8 nose jobs, and 6 mini facelifts. Her kid approves of this, so she might get some more in the future!
Queen Nileen
Matt And Mike Schlepp
Michael and Matt Schlepp are twins who attended North Canyon High School in Phoenix, Arizona. They were big Brad Pitt fans and appeared on I Want A Famous Face. They tried to look like the actor and got chin implants and nose jobs for $20k!
Matt And Mike Schlepp
Pitt Twins
Michael got cheek and jaw implants on top of these too. Sadly, people thought that they did not look anything like Brad Pitt in the end. Nope, they thought the twins resembled Steven Cojocaru more! Oops.
Pitt Twins
Kitty
Houston native Kitty was enamored with JLaw. After gaining weight after her pregnancy, she wanted to go all-in by looking like the actress. She got the help of Dr. Franklin Rose of First Surgical Hospital and underwent rhinoplasty, liposuction, and breast augmentation. Nightline featured this process too. While she liked the result, her husband was not a huge fan and disapproved of it.
Kitty
Jordan James Parke
Jordan James Parke was a regular guy working as a makeup artist. Things changed when he started watching Keeping Up With The Kardashians and got obsessed with K. He underwent many procedures to look like the star such as hair removal, eyebrow tattooing, and lip-filling procedures. He shelled out over $150k for them! He is pushed to be a better person by the long stares and negative comments he gets.
Jordan James Parke
Xiaoqing
Xiaoqing was 21 years old when she underwent operations to look like actress Jessica Alba. In 2010, this Chinese woman started the transformation by using a blonde wig after her boyfriend told her to do it. When they broke up, she got plastic surgery to win him back since he was obsessed with the star.
Xiaoqing
Jocelyn Wildenstein
Jocelyn Wildenstein also changed her looks to please a man. However, the Swiss-born socialite spent millions to look like a cat and not a celebrity! She was trying to keep her then-husband Alec Wildenstein happy since he loved jungle cats and owned a private African reserve. Sadly, it did not work.
Jocelyn Wildenstein
Jack Johnson
Jack Johnson dreamt of looking like soccer player David Beckham. He even spent $26k in government benefits to do this. He underwent teeth enhancement, chin and cheek fillings, and tanning injections to make his dream come true.
Jack Johnson
Biggest Fan
Did he assume that looking like David Beckham would grant him luck with women or improve his soccer skills? We have no idea. However, he said, “I’m happy looking like David Beckham.” Good for him!
Biggest Fan
Carolyn Anderson
Carolyn Anderson already shared a last name with Pamela Anderson but wanted more. She spent $40k to resemble the actress more! In 14 years, she shelled out $40k for breast implants, Botox, fake tans, skin peels, beauty spot tattoos, teeth straightening, and teeth whitening. She said that she now thinks she is “better than the original” after spending another $160k for a new wardrobe. Whoa.
Carolyn Anderson
Rodrigo Alves
Rodrigo Alves wanted to get the perfect face and body. This was why he got 10 nose jobs, calf shaping, abdominal implants, chest implants, eyeball plastic surgery, and a butt lift. Medical professionals said his body cannot handle more procedures at this point. He said he is “100% happy with his looks,” but doctors said he should get therapy for body dysphoric disorder.
Rodrigo Alves
Sarah Burge
Sarah Burge was beaten up and left for dead, which is terrifying. Fortunately, she survived the ordeal. However, she gained an obsession with becoming a real-life Barbie doll. After the incident, she fell into an addiction about getting different procedures.
Sarah Burge
Human Barbie
She has spent more than half a million pounds to look like a doll! The beautician and housewife got over a hundred procedures to do this. She has gotten facial laser procedures, breast surgery, and liposuction.
Human Barbie
Valeria Lukyanova And Olga Oleynik
Valeria Lukyanova always wanted to look like a Barbie. She did some drastic things to make this her reality. She shelled out thousands of dollars for this, but she is not alone in this. She met Olga Oleynik online, and they had the same obsession. The two of them hail from Odesa, Ukraine. The two of them also hold spirituality lectures and have gone on to be internet sensations!
Valeria Lukyanova And Olga Oleynik
Herbert Chavez
This guy spent thousands of dollars to look like Superman! Herbert Chavez is a dressmaker who transformed into a superhero in a decade. He has been obsessed with the comic book character since he was five years old. The Filipino man also holds the world record for the largest Superman collection. Now at 19 procedures, he has said, “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.”
Herbert Chavez
Guerra
Guerra is also known by his alias Venus D’Lite. He is famous for going on RuPaul’s Drag Race! He likes to impersonate pop icon Madonna but was unsatisfied by putting on wigs and makeup. He paid $175k for surgeries as well! He has gotten cheek implants, brow surgery, and a jaw filling over the years.
Guerra
Gavin Paslow
Gavin Paslow is a security guard who wants to look like Satan! He shelled out thousands of bucks to do this. He has given himself fangs, horns, pointy ears, and even a forked tongue! Aside from that, he changed his name to Diablo Delenfer or “devil from the inferno.” He has 29 tattoos and wears green contacts as well. To top it off, he likes wearing frilly shirts and long tailcoats too. Just so you know, he is not a Satanist, only a body modification addict.
Gavin Paslow