You must have already seen or heard of these women who – out of conviction and/or tradition – lengthen their necks, from an early age, by means of rings that they put on one after the other as they go. over the years. These women are called “giraffe women”. Giraffe women are usually members of tribes, but the one we are going to tell you about here is an exception to the rule since she became a giraffe woman of her own free will, as an adult. And when this young woman finally decided to take off her neck rings after five years of wearing them, the result was surprising, it has to be said. We managed to arouse your curiosity? Do not hesitate to read this article in its entirety, you will not regret it!

The explanation behind the neck rings that giraffe women wear

One can legitimately wonder what drives giraffe women to inflict the pain that seems to be caused by wearing their neck rings. There are many reasons why these women wear such accessories. One theory suggests that these rings worn around the neck made the women of the tribes less attractive and thus protected them from sale and slavery. Apart from that, another theory gives another reason, totally different…

Another theory talks about intensifying the beauty of women

In most cases, when we talk about these neck rings we automatically visualize giraffe “women”. Well, be aware, however, that in some cultures, both men and women wear these neck rings. Let’s get back to the reasons for wearing these rings. Well according to another theory, neck rings are there to intensify the beauty of the person wearing them. Indeed, after a prolonged period of wearing these accessories, the neck tends to appear longer. “To appear”, because the neck does not stretch, it is rather the collarbones which are pushed down.

An ancestral tradition

Giraffe women have been around for decades, if not hundreds of years. It is an ancestral tradition in some cultures that sometimes even has to do with specific beliefs. In these tribes, it is believed that these neck rings make women more beautiful and presentable. Indeed, as a general rule, thin necks are considered more aesthetic and neck rings make it possible to obtain a more elegant head carriage.

Neck rings are not safe

Just as some wonder what drives giraffe women to inflict rings around their necks, others worry about the risks of wearing these accessories for the men and women who wear them. Indeed, for anyone who did not grow up with these traditions or steeped in these beliefs, neck rings can seem like a dangerous thing in the long run. But contrary to what one might think, the specialists confirmed that this was a safe practice, without danger, while emphasizing the fact that wearing neck rings did not in any way allow elongate the neck.

The rings are part of the identity

Don’t get me wrong: even though giraffe women’s (and men’s) neck rings are safe, and don’t lengthen the neck, they still aren’t comfortable! Indeed, after a long period of wearing them, it can even become rather unpleasant and uncomfortable, as they weigh on the collarbones which they push down. So why do giraffe women continue to wear them? Kayan women confide that they wear these neck rings because they are an integral part of who they are culturally. It’s a custom they don’t want to give up.

A life goal for Sydney V. Smith

So far we have told you about these giraffe women and men for whom wearing these neck rings is part of a real custom. But for Sydney V. Smith, it turned out to be a real life goal. This 28-year-old girl always wanted to know what it was like to live as a giraffe woman, so she put herself in an immersive situation. As part of this, she spent three years attempting to extend her neck using a total of 11 copper rings, as seen in these tribes.

A fascination for “Giraffe Women”

Sydney V. Smith is an extraordinary young woman. From an early age, she has been passionate about everything directly or indirectly related to the anatomy and situations of modification of the human body. It therefore makes sense that she has since developed a real fascination for giraffe women, particularly the female members of the tribes of Thailand and Burma. “I’ve always had a long neck,” Sydney said. “In middle school, they called me ‘the giraffe girl'”. And it was after seeing National Geographic stories about the long-necked tribes of Thailand and Burma that she became what you might call obsessed.

She launched her experiment with the means at hand

National Geographic photos had inspired Sydney. More than that, the young woman was obsessed to the point of cutting out hangers and wrapping them around her neck before going to sleep. Her parents thought it was absurd, but she refused to stop. She wholeheartedly believed that this bedtime routine would give her the results she longed for.

She got used to the neck rings

Sydney knew she was different from the other girls around her. But not that it was abnormal. After all, her neck was incredibly long, but she didn’t think it was anything that abnormal. She started asking questions, including whether she really wanted to wear the neck rings during the day and being referred to as the “long neck girl.” But soon after, she realized that she had developed some kind of connection with the rings and was not ready to part with them.

Slowly but surely

Even though Sydney is not a member of the Kayan tribe per se, she still chose to take on this challenge on her own. Unfortunately, when she made the decision, things were much more difficult for her than for the women of the tribe since, given her age, she was already physically mature.

How did the beginnings of the experiment go?

Sydney was happy with the way the rings weighed down on her neck and shoulders. She was quite comfortable and very excited to start the experience. It was from 2011 that the young woman began to wear a first copper necklace around her neck, exactly as she wanted.

Her body had to get used to the neck rings

She was 28 at the time and her adult body was no longer in the growth phase. So she started with a small number of neck rings and added more as she got used to it. In just a short time, she managed to wear 10 rings around her neck!

She had always been a shy person

Sydney was more of an introverted young woman, already basic, and so it made a lot of sense that she didn’t feel comfortable showing herself in the open with her neck rings, at least the first few times. She even got into the habit of wearing turtlenecks to hide them. She had also chosen jobs that would keep her out of public view, such as jobs in the back kitchens of restaurants. Sydney hoped to avoid any unwanted attention.

She had thought about everything

Sydney spoke about neck rings with one of her closest friends, who helped her get these rings to fit her perfectly. Indeed, the rings were welded around his neck, but a screw was attached to them to help remove them easily in an emergency. Anyway, despite the fact that they are “removable”, Sydney treated them throughout as if they were a permanent part of her body.

His experiment was not without risk

Sydney admits that while the process of fitting the rings to her neck had been entirely safe and secure, wearing them on a daily basis had caused her some minor burns. In the end, her neck was about 10-11 inches long and she was incredibly happy with the neck rings she wore!

She caused a sensation all over the world

Public attention began to shift to Sydney, and the young woman was even featured in comics like Ripley’s “Believe It Or Not.” For those who aren’t fans of the show, the comic focuses on the most anomalous stories out there. And clearly, Sidney’s could be called such.

She garnered media attention

Her story quickly went viral and everyone wanted to know more about Sidney and her motivations. Her decision to become a Giraffe Woman outside of a tribe was quite special and very rare. This decision therefore drew media attention to Sidney. And we know it, once the media manages to get their hands on a story, nothing stops them!

A cartoon character

His story spread with impressive speed. She became known to everyone and very quickly, so much so that she even inspired a comic book character! It’s unclear if she managed to inherit a superpower in this comic, but if she did she could qualify as “Elastigirl.” Either way, she had made a name for herself and people wanted to know more.