Meet Giraffe Woman, The Woman With Coils Around Her Neck

The woman in this story wore coils around her neck for several years. But what happened when she finally took them off? You will be shocked by the results of this little experiment. But what was the reason she did it in the first place? Keep reading to see what it did to her!

Why They Use It

There are a couple of reasons why people wear coils around their necks. Theory said that the woman from a particular tribe wore them to appear less attractive and keep them safe from slavers. However, there was another theory that claimed the exact opposite! Which of these is true?

For Beauty

There are also cultures in which men wear neck coils as well. While it is more commonly seen in women, this is not always the case. The coils are often believed to symbolize beauty. After you wear them for a certain period, your neck will look longer. However, this does not happen because your neck is stretched out but because it pushed down your collarbone.

Beliefs

People believe that wearing the coils would make them seem more attractive. After all, slender necks are generally thought to be more appealing. The coils make up one way to achieve that look. In any case, this type of body medication is considered special within this tribe.

The Dangers And Risks

We are not surprised to hear people voice out their concerns about this practice. If this is unfamiliar to you, it must look dangerous. The truth is that it is pretty safe since it doesn’t elongate the neck.

Cultural

The coils merely compress the ribs and push down the collarbone. Still, this can get risky after some time. The Kayan women said that they use the necklaces since the practice is part of their culture.

Lifelong Goal

Sydney V. Smith is a woman in her twenties who always wanted to be a “giraffe woman.” She wanted to extend her neck and did this by wearing 11 copper rings for 3 years. How did it go?

The Motivation

She always had a fascination with body modification, especially those practiced by tribal women in Burma and Thailand. “I’ve always had a long neck,” she explained, “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.”

Experimenting

After she saw the photos of long-necked tribal women in Burma and Thailand, she fashioned coils from coat hangers and used them around her neck before going to bed. Her parents thought that she was being ridiculous, but she kept doing this. She thought that it would make her neck longer.

 

Attachment

Sydney was aware that she had a neck that was longer than others. However, this was more natural and not at all freaky. She started considering wearing the rings in the hopes of being a “long neck girl.” She eventually realized that she had an attachment to the rings she wore.

 

Slow And Steady

While Sydney is not a part of the Kayan tribe, she decided to accept the challenge anyway. It was a little unfortunate that it was not particularly easy since her body was already mature when she did this.

The Beginning

Sydney said that she liked the pressure on her shoulders and neck. She wanted exhilaration and comfort at the same time, so this felt like the right choice for her. In 2011, she got a tight-fitting copper necklace that was tailored to her size.

Adjusting To The Rings

She was already an adult, so her body was not growing anymore. Sydney chose to do this slowly and did not add more rings until she was used to the current set. She ended up with 10 rings after a little while.

Shy Girl

Sydney felt a little shy when it came to her neck rings. When she was based in Maryland, she liked to wear thick turtleneck sweaters and hide them. Aside from that, she took on behind the scenes jobs in restaurants to avoid getting unwanted attention.

 

The Mastermind

Her rings were customized by her friend. They are soldered to her neck and come with a special screw that will let her take it off. They had medical emergencies in mind when they added that feature. However, she always thought of them as permanent.

 

The Risks

Sydney said that they prioritized safety when they added the rings to her neck. However, she has admitted that she got burned a bit. She believes that her neck is about 10 to 11 inches long. This woman could not be happier about the rings.

 

A Worldwide Sensation

You can be sure that you have made a name for yourself when you get featured in a comic book series released by Ripley’s Believe It Or Not. The popular show, after all, features only the weirdest and most unusual stories on the planet!

In The Media

Her story was included because it cut! Soon enough, her story started to make rounds. It is not every day that you hear about someone doing what she did. It is not a surprise to hear that the story caught the attention of the press.

A Comic Book Character

Very few people can boast that there is a comic book character based on them. We do not know if Sydney is hiding a superpower, but it would be perfect if she could do the same thing that Plastic Man and Elastigirl could. We cannot think of a power that is more fitting for her!

Making Progress

Sydney posted this photo and wrote this in the caption: “Progress.” Well, it is pretty obvious what she meant by that. Her neck ended up growing after a few days, and her body was already seeing changes!

Too Heavy

Sadly, the coils ended up becoming too heavy for her. There was no other choice but to remove them in the end. At that point, she had been wearing 15 rings around her neck. The total weight was 5 pounds.

Not Worth It

Does this sound light to you? Maybe, but this is not the whole picture. Let us keep in mind that she had it all the time. It would probably feel like torture if you are wearing them 24/7.

Medical Issues

Dr. Jonathan Nissanoff is an orthopedic surgeon based in Southern California. He does not recommend this procedure to anyone since it can injure the neck nerves over time. Aside from that, he said that she is already finished growing. This means that she is only stretching her skin and not her neck.

 

Not Giving Up

Even so, there was no stopping her. She was already thinking of getting a 12th ring even after the doctor expressed his concern. She wanted to make money from her looks as well. “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.

 

Health First

The coils eventually took a toll on her body, however. Sydney was left with no other choice but to take the coils off. After all, there is nothing more important than her health! If the rings did not work out anymore, she did not want to risk her life and health for her experiment.

They Dominated Her Life

During a recent interview, Sydney talked about the reason she took off the coils. Let us find out what she had to say about it. She explained, “I couldn’t function properly as a long neck woman with fifteen rings around my neck in the United States of America.”

Her Life Changed

We have no doubts that it was difficult for her to wear the tight coils around her neck every single moment of the day. She probably started to notice things that she used to take for granted.

All About The Rings

People were, of course, intrigued and curious when they saw the accessories she had on. However, Sydney said that she started to hate all the questions after a few years. The rings eventually made her feel isolated too.

Where Did Sydney Go

She said, “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.” We are sure that it was not nice to feel that way.

Freedom At Last

Five years after Sydney first got the rings, she decided to get them all off. She realized that they were not worth it. The coils only made her life a lot more challenging.

Not Practical

She explained it by saying, “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.”

Still The Giraffe Woman

She might have gotten rid of the coils, but Sydney still thinks of herself as the “Giraffe Woman.” We are glad to hear that she has no regrets about her past actions even if they changed her body in some ways.

It Took A Toll

Sydney suffered severe bruising in her collarbone area. However, this was pretty much a given since she wore them for 5 years. She was lucky that she only got bruises and nothing else.

In A Lot Of Pain

She eventually said that her neck area was “very weak, kind of like arms on a toothpick.” We know that it does not sound very pleasant, but it was brave of her to talk about the result of her experiment.

Trying To Recover

While she did get stiffness and bruises, the doctors told her that her recovery was happening at a quicker rate than they thought it would go. Sydney had luck on her side the whole time.

Not The Only One

Sydney is not the only one who did something drastic in the name of changing their looks and bodies. Read on to hear about people who got extreme operations to look like a different person.

Romario Dos Santos Alves

There have been several people who brought the Incredible Hulk to life in the past. Lou Ferrigno might be our favorite of the bunch! However, Romario Dos Santos decided to try it out as well. The Brazilian man expanded his biceps to 25 inches with the help of alcohol, painkillers, and Synthol. This was how he tried to make his dream of looking like the character a reality.

Almost The Hulk

It was a bad idea since his health ended up suffering. He almost had to get both arms removed. At one point, he also attempted to take his own life. They needed to get the Synthol rocks out of his arms as well. We are glad to hear that he is now sober and working hard on his bodybuilding career.

Nadya Suleman

Nadya Suleman became famous before she even got plastic surgery. Maybe you would remember her if we call her “Octomom.” Her claim to fame was giving birth to octuplets in January 2009. Some people said that she had a resemblance to actress Angelina Jolie. After that, she decided to step up her game by undergoing rhinoplasty and taking collagen injections.

Octomom

It was said that she did it to look more like the Hollywood star. Her post-surgery photos said otherwise. 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.”

Justin Jedlica

Justin Jedlica is a New Yorker who shelled out nearly a quarter of a million dollars to look like Ken the doll. To accomplish his goal, he needed to undergo around 190 procedures. A modeling career was not his mission. After all, he and his spouse already run a business based in Chicago.

Real-Life Ken

Do you want to know what procedures he got? They include calf implants, gluteoplasty, thigh implants, lip augmentations, biceps implants, shoulder implants, cheek augmentations, chest implants, brow lifts, rhinoplasty, and brow shaping. He was not happy about his looks when he was 17 years old. It marked the start of his obsession with plastic surgery. His first one happened just 4 days after his 18th birthday!

Mikki Jay

Michael Jackson, the late King of Pop, underwent several plastic surgery procedures in the past. This is a pretty well-known fact. They almost overshadowed his unrivaled music talent. Mikki Jay is a British woman who happens to be a big fan of the singer. She spent thousands of dollars to get rhinoplasty, chin implant, and cheek implants.

Michael Who?

She decided to do these things so that she could look like her late idol. She boasts a great voice to go with her appearance. In 1992, Mikki Jay began to tour as one of the most popular MJ impersonators. Not only that, but she got to perform for the pop icon himself.

Michael Who?

Crystal U

We are not surprised to hear that many folks ask their plastic surgeons to make them look like Britney. There is an MTV program called I Want A Famous Face. Crystal U is an office worker who got featured on the show. She paid around $25k for her nose job, lip injections, breast implants, and fat grafts to look like the pop star. Her goal was to become either an Anaheim Angels Strike Force member or a stripper. We do not know if her dream became a reality, but we want nothing but the best for her!

Claire Leeson

Claire Leeson used to get bullied when she was a student. She had two suicide attempts in the past but finally found peace by following Keeping Up With The Kardashians. She used to hear that she looked just like Kim Kardashian, so she decided to make this even truer by spending $30k!

Not Quite Kim

Debt collectors were onto her thanks to the increasing costs of plastic surgery procedures. She chose to appear in TV shows and get a job as an impersonator to shoulder the fees of the operations. However, she recently confessed that she regretted the procedures and despises being compared to the famous reality TV star. She gets attacked online as well, which makes things even harder.

Toby Sheldon

A German musician by the name Toby Sheldon decided to move to Los Angeles to chase his dreams of being a pop star. His idol was none other than Justin Bieber. He was so obsessed with JB that he shelled out over $100k to have the same appearance. He earned some fame when he appeared on TV shows such as My Strange Addiction, The Doctors, and Botched. Sadly, he was found dead at the age of 35. He overdosed on a cocktail of alcohol, sleeping aids, Valium, and Xanax. The final straw could have been his breakup, which happened several days before his death.

Tiffany Taylor

Did you know that Ivanka Trump has modeled for brands like Tommy Hilfiger, Versace, and Sassoon Jeans? Not only that, but she was also featured in Maxim Hot 100 and AskMen. Tiffany Taylor is an oil and gas consultant who wanted to look like the presidential daughter and improve her self-esteem this way. This was the reason she spent $60k for a mini facelift, an eyelift, two nose jobs, and two breast augmentations. That might sound extreme, but this Texan mom of three is not planning to stop soon!

Donna Marie Trego

Donna Marie Trego previously worked in clubs that featured acts like Angie Brown and Boyzone. She is a huge fan of Lady Gaga and eventually decided that she had to change her career. She shelled out $60k for several plastic surgeries. That is not all, however. The South Wales native also paid a lot of money to recreate the outfits of the singer and even got dancers for her live shows!

Donna Gaga

She was featured in several events across the European continent. She appeared in GlastonBudget, which is a big tribute concert. In 2014, she must have been thrilled to receive the opportunity to meet Mother Monster herself! The pop star was impressed by her dedication!

Nileen Namita

Nefertiti must be one of the most famous queens in all of history. The historical figure has been featured in several TV shows and movies. Nileen Namita is a woman who believes that she is the reincarnation of this Egyptian queen.

Queen Nileen

She underwent counseling when she was in her early 20s and wanted to look like Nefertiti. In 1987, she started to get procedures to do just that. She has undergone 51 procedures and spent about $100k since then. They include 5 eye surgeries, 6 mini facelifts, and 8 nose jobs. She has gotten the approval of her children, so we are sure that she will get some more work done in the future.

Matt And Mike Schlepp

Matt and Michael Schlepp are twins who attended North Canyon High School in Phoenix, Arizona. The brothers are big fans of Brad Pitt and got featured on an MTV show called I Want A Famous Face. They had the opportunity to look like doppelgangers of the Hollywood actor. They got chin implants and nose jobs for $20k.

Pitt Twins

Michael got cheek and jaw implants on top of that. Unfortunately, the results did not turn out the way they wanted. People claimed that they did not look like the star after everything they got! One online poll said that the twin brothers look more like Steven Cojocaru, who is best known for his work on Access Hollywood and Entertainment Tonight.

Kitty

Kitty is a Houston native who was completely in love with Jennifer Lawrence. She started to gain some weight after her pregnancy, so she decided to go all-in by looking just like the Oscar winner. With the help of First Surgical Hospital’s Dr. Franklin Rose. She underwent rhinoplasty, breast augmentation, and liposuction. Nightline was there to cover and feature the entire process. While Kitty was happy with the result, her husband Eric did not really like it. Apparently, he is not a huge fan of the actress. However, he still respected his wife’s life choices.

Jordan James Parke

Jordan James Parke was just a regular guy working as a makeup artist. Things changed for him when he started to be obsessed with Kim K and Keeping Up With The Kardashians. He underwent several procedures so that he can look like the reality TV star. He underwent laser hair removal, eyebrow tattooing, and lip-filling procedures. He wanted to be the male Kim K and shelled out over $150k to achieve his goal. He does not plan to slow down yet. Even though he gets many negative comments and long stares, he only views them as motivation to become a better person.

Xiaoqing

At the age of 21, Xiaoqing underwent plastic surgery operations to look like Jessica Alba. In 2010, this Chinese woman started her transformation by donning a blonde wig from her boyfriend who instructed her to hide her dark hair. However, the true pivotal moment for her was the breakup. In the hopes of winning him back, she paid for these operations. He had an obsession with the Hollywood actress, apparently. Reports said that he kept photos of Jessica Alba on his walls, as well as on his phone.

Jocelyn Wildenstein

Get ready to hear about a woman who made drastic moves to change her appearance for a man. Jocelyn Wildenstein, however, did not want to look like an actress or actor. No, the Swiss socialite wanted to look more feline! She spent millions of bucks to achieve this look and keep her husband Alec Wildenstein happy. He was a fan of jungle cats and owned a private African reserve. Unfortunately, her efforts did not keep them together. In the end, the couple still got divorced.

Jack Johnson

For Jack Johnson, the dream was to look like David Beckham, his soccer icon. He tried to achieve that goal by spending $26,000 in government benefits. He underwent procedures such as cheek and chin fillings, teeth enhancement, and tanning injections.

Biggest Fan

Did he assume that he would get more luck with women or improve his soccer skills by doing this? We do not know his reasoning. What we do know is that Jack Johnson proclaimed, “I’m happy looking like David Beckham.” As long as he is happy, right? Good for you, Jack!

Carolyn Anderson

Even though Carolyn Anderson shares a last name with Pamela Anderson, the former was not happy with that similarity. She ended up shelling out $40,000 to look more like the star. Over 14 years, she ended up getting Botox, hair extensions, teeth whitening, breast implants, skin peels, fake tans, teeth straightening, and beauty spot tattoos. According to her, she now believes that she is “better than the original.” Not only that, but she also spent another $160,000 so that she can have a wardrobe that rivals that of the actress and model. It sounds like a ridiculous amount of money to us, but it is worth it to her.

Rodrigo Alves

Rodrigo Alves had a mission to have the perfect face and body. He tried to make this come true by getting nose jobs, eight-pack abdominal implants, eyeball plastic surgery, calf shaping, laser liposuction, silicone chest implants, and a butt lift. He underwent so many procedures already that medical professionals said that his body has had enough. Alves, meanwhile, claims that he is “100% happy with his looks.” However, his doctors advised him to get therapy for body dysphoric disorder.

Sarah Burge

Sarah Burge survived the terrible ordeal of being beaten up and getting left for dead. We are very happy that she lived to tell the tale, but this came with an obsession. She was determined to look like Barbie! It all started when she got a number of operations after the horrifying incident.

Human Barbie

She has spent more than half a million pounds to look like everyone’s favorite doll. The housewife and beautician already underwent over a hundred procedures and operations to make her dream a reality. The long list includes facial laser procedures, liposuction, and breast surgery. Just so you know, she had to get her nipples removed for that last one!

Valeria Lukyanova And Olga Oleynik

Valeria Lukyanova always wanted to look like a Barbie doll as well. Not only has she gotten drastic procedures to make her dream come true, but she has also dropped thousands of dollars for this. She also has a friend called Olga Oleynik who shares the same obsession. Their friendship started online and is anchored on their makeovers. They both hail from Odesa, Ukraine. The two of them have attracted many clients for their spiritual lectures. They got even more business by becoming internet sensations.

Herbert Chavez

We want you to meet Herbert Chaves, a dressmaker from the Philippines who transformed himself into Clark Kent or Superman over a decade. His cleft chin operation already set him back by thousands of bucks. His obsession with the superhero started when he was 5. He also holds the record for the biggest Superman memorabilia and merch collection! He already underwent 19 procedures but does not plan to stop soon. He 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.”

Guerra

Guerra, also known as Venus D’Luite, is most famous for his RuPaul’s Drag Race stint. The drag queen impersonates Madonna, but he is not happy with doing so by donning wigs and putting on makeup. He shelled out $175k on procedures so that he can look like her! He is passionate about this quest of his, and his fixation is a borderline addiction already. He has gotten cheek implants, brow surgery, and jaw filling to do this.

Gavin Paslow

Gavin Paslow is a security guard who wants to impersonate the devil! The 39-year-old man has spent thousands of dollars to look like Satan. Among other things, he has gotten fangs, horns, pointy ears, and a forked tongue. His horns are Teflon implants placed on his head. Aside from that, he changed his name to Diablo Delenfer (“devil from the inferno”). He likes to wear green contacts and has 29 tattoos as well. We are impressed that he is dedicated enough to wear a long tailcoat and frilly shirt to go with everything. Just so you know, he is only a body mod and not a Satanist.