Believe it or not, extreme body modification has been happening since the dawn of civilization. Different tribes from across the world have scarred their bodies with various tattoos and piercings in an effort to show that they were brave, could take pain, and were in touch with the spirit realm. But in the modern era, extreme body mods have taken on a completely different meaning.
Men and women are able to get piercings and tattoos at the drop of a hat, so the practitioners of extreme body piercing have had to branch out further in to set themselves apart from all the squares who decided to gauge their ears after seeing a Hawthorne Heights music video. If you have a weak stomach, prepare yourself for this list of the most extreme body modifications ever.
Extreme body modifications have taken on many forms in recent years. From getting patterned facial scarring, to spending hundreds of thousands of dollars to look like a children’s toy, and even installing microchips in your body to better communicate with technology, people all over the world are taking body modification and applying to their own truths. Even though it might seem a bit strange now, it’s entirely possible than in a couple of decades, extreme piercing, and body modifications might be the normal standard of beauty.
Vote up the most extreme forms of body modification, and the people who altered their bodies in the craziest of ways. And if you want, leave us a comment about the totally insane butterfly tattoo you have on your shoulder.
The Most Extreme Body Modifications Ever,
The Vampire Woman of Mexico
María José Cristerna, or the Vampire Woman, is a former lawyer and current mother of four who also happens to hold the world record for the woman with the most body modifications. She has a collection of transdermal implants on her forehead, chest, and arms, as well as all the piercings.
The Lizard Man Is More Than a Pretty Face
Erik Sprague was born in Fort Campbell, Kentucky and he (presumably) was not covered in scales. Before he began undergoing a transformation that left him with sharpened teeth, a full body of green scale tattoos, a bifurcated tongue, and sub-dermal implants, he was a PhD candidate at the university of Albany. Now he just hangs out in Austin and makes that sweet sweet Lizard Man money.
Crocodile Scarification
Papua New Guinea is a place full of curious tribal customs, but the most painful custom is that of crocodile scarification. Traditionally, the young men of the tribe are inflicted with hundreds of deep cuts in cascading patterns down their backs, arms, chest and buttocks to give their skin the look and feel of a crocodile’s body. All of this work is done with a sliver of bamboo.
Giraffe Woman of Los Angeles
While in middle school, Sydney V. Smith became obsessed with the women of the Kayan Lahwi tribes of Thailand and Burma who encase their necks in brass rings. Since the age of 28, she's been wearing brass rings around her neck in an attempt to elongate it and she says it's working!
Sudanese Body Scarification
The scars carved across the faces and bodies of Ethiopian and Sudanese tribe members are some of the most painful types of scarification known to man. Many of the markings are etched onto the tribe's members bodies at a young age, and they're done so without any anesthetic. If the receiver shows any signs of pain, they'll be seen as weak. Many of the women of the tribe see the scars as an ability to cope with pain and a sign that they will be able to cope with childbirth in future.
Valeria Lukyanova, Human Barbie
Although the modifications of the human Barbie are highly debated, there's no denying that through contacts, breast augmentation, and a ~ totally legit workout routine~ Valeria Lukyanova has made herself look like a Barbie doll, and has worked her way into your nightmares.
Magnetic Finger Implants (How Do They Work?)
For people who are interested in sensory augmentation, magnetic finger implants make total sense. Pun intended? The piercings supposedly give the wearer the ability to sense electromagnetic shifts around them, and they can pick up small pieces of metal with their fingers.
Most Pierced Woman Marries Balding Old Frump
The most pierced woman in the world, Elaine Davidson, has 6,925 piercings, and some of them weigh up to seven pounds. In 2011 she married the love her life, a pretty boring-looking guy with nary a tattoo. The story of their wedding is very sweet because duh, they're in the kind of love that can only occur when one of you has almost 7,000 piercings.
Ladies Are Getting Elf Ears
A body modification that really took off after the Lord of the Rings films was having your ears shaved into points at the top to give the impression that you're a creature of the elven variety. Out of all the extreme body modifications on this list, elf ears might be the one that's the creepiest.
Man Tattoos Eyeballs
Rodrigo Fernando, a man with 70% of his body tattooed, had black ink put in his corneas in 2013. When he was interviewed a few days after the session, he said, "I wept ink for two days."