This woman wanted to elongate her neck so she used to coils to do. When she finally decided to take them off, the outcome was remarkable. You may be asking yourself what the reason for doing this in the first place was? Well, read more to see what wearing the coils did to her body!
Why They Use It
They are many reasons why people were such coils around their neck. One theory suggests that they made tribal women look less appealing and thus protected them from being sold into slavery. However, another theory says the opposite.
Why They Use It
For Beauty
In certain cultures, males and females wear these neck coils. However, it is usually women who do so. According to this theory, the coils represent beauty. After an extended period, your neck tends to appears longer. This is not because your neck stretches, but instead because your collarbone is shifted downwards.
For Beauty
Beliefs
It is also assumed that these coils make women look better and more presentable. As a general rule, thin necks are classified as more appealing and could be achieved through tactics like this. This body adjustment is unique to this tribe.
Beliefs
The Dangers And Risks
It is not shocking that people are concerned about the safety of such a ritual. If you haven’t grown up with this then it probably seems dangerous or strange. Truthfully, it is safe and it does not elongate the neck.
The Dangers And Risks
Cultural
These coils are successful because they push down the collar bone and compress the ribs. However, after a long period, this can get complicated. Kayan women say that they wear these necklaces because they are an essential part of who they are.
Cultural
Lifelong Goal
A 28-year-old girl named Sydney V. Smith always imagined being considered a giraffe woman. She spent three years attempting to extend her neck by using 11 copper rings as seen in these tribes.
Lifelong Goal
The Motivation
She was fixated on body modification ever since she was a kid and grew fascinated with the tribal women of Thailand and Burma. ” “I’ve always had a long neck,” said Sydney. “In middle school, they called me ‘giraffe girl’. After she saw pictures of long-necked tribes in Thailand and Burma in National Geographic she became obsessed with them.
The Motivation
Experimenting
These photos inspired Sydney so she cut up coat hangers and began to wrap them around her neck when she would go to sleep. Her parents thought this was absurd, but she refused to stop. She wholeheartedly believed that this bedtime routine would give her the results she longed for.
Experimenting
Attachment
Sydney knew she was different than others. Her neck was incredibly long, but she didn’t think it was abnormal. She started to think about if she wanted to wear the rings and be known as the “long neck girl.” Soon after she realized she formed a connection with the rings and wasn’t ready to part with them.
Attachment
Slow And Steady
Even though Sydney is not a member of the Kayan tribe, she chose to take on this challenge on her own. Sadly, it was tougher for her since she was already physically mature when she made the decision.
Slow And Steady
The Beginning
She was happy with the way the coins felt on her neck and shoulders. They made her feel comfortable and excited. Starting in 2011, she began wearing a fitted copper necklace that was specific to her requests.
The Beginning
Adjusting To The Rings
She was 28 years old at this point and her body was not growing much more. She started with a small number of rings and would only add more as she got used to them. Soon after she had 10 rings around her neck!
Adjusting To The Rings
Shy Girl
Sydney was more of an introvert, so it made sense she didn’t feel comfortable showing off her neck rings. She even used to wear turtle necks to cover them up. She also chose jobs that would help her avoid being seen such as behind the scenes jobs in restaurants. Sydney was hoping to avoid any unwanted attention.
Shy Girl
The Mastermind
She consulted with her friend who helped make them specific to her. They were soldered around her neck but have a screw attached to help take them off easily if there is an emergency. However, Sydney still treats them like they are permanently part of her body.
The Mastermind
The Risks
Sydney admits that although the process of putting the rings on her neck was entirely safe, she still managed to get burned a bit. Her neck is around 10-11 inches long and she is incredibly satisfied with the rings!
The Risks
A Worldwide Sensation
The attention started to pick up for Sydney and she was featured in comic books by Ripley’s Believe It Or Not. For those who are not fans of the show, it focuses on the most abnormal stories there are. She qualified.
A Worldwide Sensation
In The Media
Her story quickly spread and everyone wanted to hear more. Her decision was quite special and very rare. so it caught the media’s eye. Once the media gets their hands on a story, there’s no stopping them!
In The Media
A Comic Book Character
Her popularity spread so much and so fast that she even got a comic book character inspired by her! We are unsure if she has a superpower but she looks like she could qualify for Elastigirl. Regardless, she had made a name for herself and people wanted to hear more.
A Comic Book Character
Making Progress
Sydney posted this photo online and entitled it “Progress.” It is pretty self-explanatory if you ask me. She had been adding coils over time and it looked like her body was beginning to change already.
Making Progress
Too Heavy
At a certain point, the coils were taking a toll on Sydney. They were so heavy that she had to take them off. At that time she was carrying 15 neck coils and they weighed as much as five pounds!
Too Heavy
Not Worth It
It does not sound like it is heavy, but wearing an extra five pounds around your neck all the time can certainly be exhausting. Sydney is special because I think this would be torture for almost anyone else.
Not Worth It
Medical Issues
An orthopedic surgeon from Southern California recommends not doing this since it can damage the nerves located in the neck. Also, he says that given her age, she is done growing and at this point, she is just stretching her skin.
Medical Issues
Not Giving Up
Even after hearing this Sydney persisted and wanted to keep wearing her coils. She even thought about adding one, that would make 12! She also considered the options of making money for her look. “I’d like to work as a specialty model, but my original intent was not to exploit myself,” she said. “However, it seems to be my calling.
Not Giving Up
Health First
Later on, Sydney would pay for this decision and the tolls would cause detrimental effects. Eventually, she would have no choice but to remove them. Her health was the most important thing and she wasn’t willing to ruin it just to try out something new.
Health First
They Dominated Her Life
In a recent interview, she explains that she decided to remove her coils based on the fact that she no longer could function as a normal woman with fifteen rings choking her neck.
They Dominated Her Life
Her Life Changed
Of course, it was hard for her going around with these 15 coils wrapped around on her neck! After they were removed, she started to notice things that she took for granted before. She began appreciating life more.
Her Life Changed
All About The Rings
Everyone was interested in her neck accessories. Unfortunately, after the same questions over and over for five years, she began to grow tired. She felt separate from the world and was no longer a human being, but instead, just amusement to look at.
All About The Rings
Where Did Sydney Go
No longer was she important as a person, but instead the focus was on her rings. She started to go with it and would stick her neck out. After a while, she became fed up with this life.
Where Did Sydney Go
Freedom At Last
At the end of five years with these rings, she decided it was time for the big revealing. They were just not worth the stress and exhaustion anymore. They began to take their toll on her life.
Freedom At Last
Not Practical
Sydney describes her coils in a very matter of a fact way. She said in an interview that the only way to wear these coils for so long is if you are willing to separate yourself from the world, have endless money, and no reason to go anywhere. This is unlikely for most people.
Not Practical
Still The Giraffe Woman
Although she has taken the coils off, she still sees herself as an honorary “Giraffe Woman.” She has no remorse for what she did for five years, despite the impact they have had on her body.
Still The Giraffe Woman
It Took A Toll
After taking off the coils Sydney noticed intense bruising in her collarbone area. But this makes sense given that she had them on for a lengthy five years. Given how long she had them on her body, she is fortunate that this was the only effect!
It Took A Toll
In A Lot Of Pain
Right after she took the coils off her neck was extremely weak. She compared it to being like the arms of a toothpick. Although isn’t something great to picture, its equally important to know what the outcome was.
In A Lot Of Pain
Trying To Recover
Although she had plenty of damage between the bruises and stiffness, the doctors told her that the recovery would go faster than she expected. She came out of this situation the luckiest she could have.
Trying To Recover
Not The Only One
Although her story is special, she is not the first person to go to such drastic masters to improve her appearance. Continue to see people got severe surgeries to look like their favorite celebrity role models.
Not The Only One
Romario Dos Santos Alves
The Incredible Hulk is a figure that many admire. Tons of celebs have taken on this role and Brazillian man Romario Dos Santos also wanted to give it a try. He managed to grow his biceps 25 inches by using painkillers, alcohol, and Synthol.
Romario Dos Santos Alves
Almost The Hulk
Unfortunately, this was a terrible idea and the results severely damaged his health. He almost had to have both arms amputated. They also took out the Synthol rocks he put on his arms. Since this fiasco, he has stopped drugs and works tirelessly to be a proficient bodybuilder.
Almost The Hulk
Nadya Suleman
Nadya Suleman, Octomom, was famous first and the plastic surgery came next. You probably know her as the woman who gave birth to a set of 8 children in January 2009. People began to notice an uncanny resemblance between her and Angelina Jolie. After this, she went to great lengths to enhance their similarities and decided to get collagen injections and rhinoplasty.
Nadya Suleman
Octomom
Her viewers claimed she did this to look more like the star, but her after operation photos do not confirm this. In an interview, she said, “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 spent almost his whole live savings trying to imitate the look of Ken. He engaged in nearly 190 surgeries to reach this goal. None of this was to get rich or became a supermodel, he and his husband were already rich and successful with their business.
Justin Jedlica
Real-Life Ken
He got several surgeries, some of which were cal were calf implants, chest implants, rhinoplasty, gluteoplasty, thigh implants, lip augmentations, biceps implants, cheek augmentations, brow shaving, brow lifts, and shoulder implants. By age seventeen he was also dissatisfied with his looks and this sparked his obsession with plastic surgery. He has his first procedure four days after he turned eighteen.
Real-Life Ken
Mikki Jay
It is no secret that Michael Jackson, the late king of Pop underwent plenty of surgeries throughout the years. His surgeries were so publicized that they nearly outshined his musical talent. One of his fans, a British woman named Mikki Jay, poured out thousands of dollars on surgery to look like Michael.
Mikki Jay
Michael Who?
She did all kinds of surgeries just to look like her role model. Coincidentally, she also has an incredible voice, making her that much more similar to Michael. Back in 1992, she began her career on tour as a Michael Jackson impersonator. She also performed for Michael himself. Good for her!
Michael Who?
Crystal U
It does not come as a shock that people who get plastic surgery would want to look like Britney Spears. On the MTV show called I Want A Famous Face, an office worker named Crystal U always wanted to look like the celeb. She paid $25k on several surgeries such as a nose job, fat grafts, lip injections, and breast implants. She was desperate for these changes to help her become a stripper or an Anaheim Angels Strike Force. We still don’t know if either dream came true but we hope the best for her.
Crystal U
Claire Leeson
A young girl named Clair Leeson was bullied during her school years. She has been through two suicide attempts and has found her beacon of hope with the Kardashians. Her friend even once mentioned that she looked similar to Kim Kardashian. After this, she spent more than $30,000 to look more like her.
Claire Leeson
Not Quite Kim
Debt collectors were on her tail trying to get all the money she owed from her surgeries. As a way to pay for this, she went on TV Shows as an impersonator. Recently she says she wishes that she didn’t get all the surgeries and hates being compared to Kim Kardashian. She also has been bullied online, which makes this even more difficult.
Not Quite Kim
Toby Sheldon
A German musician by the name of Toby Sheldon decided to pick up and move to LA and follow his dreams of becoming a celebrity singer. He admired Just Beiber and became so obsessed with him. He went to great lengths to look like him and spent over $100k to make this possible. He found little fam with his appearance on TV shows like The Doctors, Botched, and My Strange Addiction. However, a tragedy occurred when they found his dead body after an overdose at age 35. Police revealed that he had consumed a cocktail of sleeping aids, Xanax, Valium, and alcohol. This occurred just a few days after his breakup with his boyfriend.
Toby Sheldon
Tiffany Taylor
Ivanka Trump was a successful model for companies like Tommy Hilfiger, Sassoon Jeans, and Versace. Also, she was seen in AskMen and Maxim Hot 100. This woman who worked as an oil and gas consultant thought that she could increase her self confidence if she altered her looks to be like the first daughter. Tiffany Taylor paid $60k for two nose jobs, an eyelift, a mini facelift, and two breast augmentations. Even though this may seem like more than enough, she has no plans to stop with the surgeries.
Tiffany Taylor
Donna Marie Trego
Donna Marie Trego has been successful in her work in clubs with acts like Boyzone and Angie Brown. She was fawning over Lady Gaga when she decided to change her career path. She spent more than enough money on plastic surgeries but she didn’t stop there. She also paid more money to recreate Gaga’s outfits and hire dancers for live shows.
Donna Marie Trego
Donna Gaga
She has been seen in several shows across Europe like GlastonBudget, a huge tribute concert in the area. In 2014 she got the opportunity to meet Gaga herself and Gaga was impressed by very Maria!
Donna Gaga