Cosmetic surgery can enhance beauty, sometimes in very impressive ways. But for some people, it becomes an obsession, and they take it to extremes, pushing ever further along the path of transformation. Some of these folks undergo such drastic changes that they scarcely resemble their former selves. In several of the stories that follow, the individuals have achieved a kind of beauty that few would likely aspire to, given the price they’ve paid. Here are 10 people who took plastic surgery too far.
Anthony Loffredo aka The Black Alien
At 26, Anthony Loffredo started modifying his body, beginning with bisecting his tongue. He has called his metamorphosis “The Black Alien Project.” His increasingly perilous alterations have encompassed many parts of his visage, including (but not limited to) the complete removal of the nose and ears—done, he says, with the help of two different doctors—amputating several fingers, and tattooing his body (almost) completely black.
Dennis Avner aka Stalking Cat
Dennis Avner, known as Stalking Cat, underwent more than 14 extreme body modifications to resemble a tiger, earning a world record for “most permanent transformations to look like an animal.” His procedures included extensive facial tattoos; silicone implants; reshaping of the ears; flattening of the nose; and splitting of the upper lip; and many of them were performed without anesthetic due to legal restrictions.
Valeria Lukyanova aka Human Barbie
Called the “Human Barbie” for her resemblance to the doll, Valeria Lukyanova may owe that likeness to more than just artistry. Makeup, contact lenses, and breast implants certainly contribute to Lukyanova’s look. (She always insists the rest of her body is natural.)
Justin Jedlica aka Human Ken Doll
Justin Jedlica, called the “Human Ken,” has put more than $1 million into his looks, undergoing approximately 200 different cosmetic surgery procedures. The first he had was a nose job at 18. It was the result of too much inspiration taken from the kinds of lives lived by those on Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous. Since then, the Missouri native has had nearly every part of him altered by scalpels and stitches, all in the name of beauty.
Rick Genest aka Zombie Boy
Rick Genest, known as “Zombie Boy,” covered 90% of his body in tattoos, holding a Guinness World Record for the most tattoos of human bones. His striking skeletal look led to a successful career in sideshows before launching him into high fashion, modeling for Thierry Mugler and appearing alongside Lady Gaga in her Born This Way music video. After his death in 2018, his legacy was immortalized in an 11.5-foot sculpture at London’s Science Museum.
Chiara Dell’Abate
Chiara Dell’Abate, aka Aydin Mod, is on a quest to make herself as much like a cat as possible. She has had 20 or more body modifications to effect this transformation. They include split tongues, pointed ears, and forehead implants, in addition to claw-like nails, which have been added for good measure. Blepharoplasty (eyelid surgery) has also been performed to up the ante on the cat forever look.
Elaine Davidson
Elaine Davidson, a Brazilian-Scottish former nurse, holds the Guinness World Record for the most piercings, with over 6,005 by 2009 and a goal of reaching 20,000. She has undergone extreme body modifications, including 500 piercings in her genitalia and a total internal piercing weight of about 3 kilograms.
Lucky Diamond Rich
Fortunate Diamond Rich, a performer from New Zealand and Britain, secured the Guinness World Record as the world’s most inked individual. He holds the title for having his entire body covered in tattoos. His tattoos reach to the most hard-to-reach, extreme areas, such as the insides of his eyelids, mouth, ears, and even his foreskin. His metamorphosis, his ink-splashing journey, took more than a thousand hours to complete and involved the work of many hands, many artists.
Tiamat Legion Medusa
Tiamat Legion Medusa, born Richard Hernandez, is a transgender artist who has made extreme body modifications to become an artist and to resemble a dragon. Their transformation includes removing their ears and nostrils, staining their eyes green, implanting horns, and tattooing scales across their bodies. They consider themselves interspecies and claim to be the most body-modified transsexual in the world.
Maria Jose Cristerna aka Vampire Woman
Maria Jose Cristerna, also known as The Vampire Woman or The Jaguar Woman, is a Mexican lawyer, businesswoman, and tattoo artist recognized as the most tattooed woman in the world. Hers is a virtual work in progress, 96% of her body covered in tattoos, with a split tongue, subdermal implants, piercings, and eye tattoos. Her body has been modified in an ongoing series of public performances, starting more than ten years ago, as a form of activism against domestic violence. See more cool style and fashion stories at: Lifestyle Fortress
