There’s no doubt that we live in a world which puts an individual under a lot of pressure to look his or her best.

In the name of aesthetics, how much aches and pains are you willing to bear? How much money are you actually willing to spend?

You just need to look at the health and beauty aisle of a grocery store to see how many over-the-counter cosmetic products are available that will make you look ageless, give you that youthful beauty, revitalize your skin – and everything else that these supposedly ‘miracle’ products are supposed to provide.

Aside from this, there is one other aspect in society that you can look at which just goes to show how obsessed some people can be in achieving perfection with themselves: the cosmetic surgery industry.

Liposuction, Botox surgery and similar cosmetic and surgical procedures are being performed to individuals who would like to look their best. But just how far can one go in the name of beauty?

What are the most bizarre surgical procedures which a person is actually willing to undergo? And would you try any of them yourself?

The Case of the “Stalking Cat”

First, let us take a look at the case of the “Stalking Cat”.

You might have already seen television features or read articles online about a man named Dennis Avner. Although he’s popularly known as the “Catman”, Avner prefers to be called by his Indian name which is the “Stalking Cat”.

What makes his story worthy of being a human interest segment on TV shows is that he has undergone several surgeries to modify his body so that it resembles a tiger.

Some of the surgical procedures include facial tattooing; hairline modification; facial transdermal and subdermal implants; surgically modifying his ears; silicone injections and bifurcation of his upper lip. He even wears green contact lenses with split irises to make his face really resemble that of a tiger.

In this case, the reasons behind his undergoing of extensive bizarre surgical procedures are a combination of aesthetics and tradition. He wants to bear a resemblance to a tiger based on an ancient Huron tradition of altering yourself to look a lot like your own totem. After a Native chief reportedly inspired Avner to follow the ways of the tiger, that is exactly what he did.

A Look at the Top 8 Most Bizarre Surgical Procedures

Now, take a look at the top eight most bizarre surgical procedures that some individuals have actually gone through – and ask yourself whether you’re willing to try them out for yourselves or not.

1. All in the name of music: From rounded to pointed ears.

If you’re not satisfied with the shape of your earlobes, would you like to give this bizarre surgery a try? Basically, what the doctors will do is put you under local anesthesia so that the upper part of your earlobes will be reshaped.

A slit will be placed on the top rounded edge of your ear and it will be stitched and bandaged immediately. It is supposed to enhance the attractiveness of your face – while at the same time giving you a more ‘natural’ way of appreciating music.

The way that pointed ears are shaped are said to improve your music listening experience.

If you would like to attain the look that the character of Orlando Bloom has in “Lord of the Rings” – this time on a permanent basis – then this is the bizarre surgical procedure for you. Just remember that the cut needs bandaging for weeks before you can show off your new pointed ears.

2. Permanent eyeglasses surgery.

Perhaps one of the most bizarre surgeries that anyone could ever come up with is having their eyeglasses permanently attached to their faces through a piercing across the nose.

If you’re the forgetful type, it will probably be convenient for you to not misplace your eyeglasses – and for some people, having permanent eyeglasses through surgery is the best way to do it.

3. Get six pack abs with abdominal etching.

Instead of the typical liposuction which just sucks the fat out of your belly – abdominal etching takes things one step further. Here, the fat which will be sucked out of your abdomen will be the ones covering that oh-so-elusive six pack abs.

The downside is that you would need to wait for a few months before the swelling goes down – enough that you can see your new ripped abs. So don’t stuff yourself with junk food just yet and succumb to being a couch potato again – unless you want to throw the thousands of dollars that you spent down the drain.

4. Get the legs of a hunk with calf implants.

Okay, so women do it. They get implants to make their breasts look bigger – and sometimes, an upgrade of your cup size is all you need to boost your self-confidence.

But did you know that skinny guys who have ‘chicken legs’ can do the same thing with their calves? Yes, there is such a thing as calf implants wherein your legs will be injected with the same material used in breast implants.

The result? A hunkier-looking you minus the workout needed for calf exercises.

5. How about a toe-shortening surgery?

If you always get ribbing from your friends because your second toe is way too longer than your biggest toe, there is a surgery that will make the lines of your toes perfect.

The procedure involves having your extra-long toe surgically shortened.

6. Do you feel that you’re too short? Try lengthening your legs – literally.

You might have seen an episode in “Grey’s Anatomy” where a character came in with a contraption wrapped around his legs that caused a complication to his legs.

What he tried to do is similar to an existing bizarre surgical procedure done in southeast Russia. It’s performed by the Ilizarov Scientific Centre where your legs will be broken apart at the shin bone.

Then, the surgeons will gradually push your bones further apart by a metal frame. What happens is that the metal frame prevents the bones from healing naturally – so new bone cells will form on the gap and your legs will literally be given an extension.

7. Tongue or lip bifurcation, anyone?

Dennis Avner has his upper lip bifurcated so that his mouth will resemble that of a tiger. It’s probably perfectly understandable since he has a ‘model’ to pattern the look after – but is it also really necessary to bifurcate your tongue?

Basically, what this surgical procedure does is to split the muscle using either a laser or the traditional way of cutting tissue. It is typically someone who has a tongue piercing who considers to have his tongue bifurcated so that when he sticks it out, you will either be amazed or creeped out at the sight of a human tongue split halfway – feel free to take your pick.

8. Putting a little dazzle on your eyes.

There is such a surgery called eyeball bedazzling, where a tiny jewel will be permanently affixed to your eyeball. It’s similar to the procedure of eye lens replacement – and once the tiny jewel is in place, the flap of the eye is laid back in place.

Ahh, the things that people do in the name of beauty. Whether it’s for the sake of tradition, beauty, or there’s just a ‘quirk’ in your body that you would like to appear as normal-looking – or as odd-looking – as compared to everybody else, then you are in luck.

Medical science has made it possible for these modifications in one’s face and body to be performed. As these bizarre surgical procedures break the norm of medicine, what they actually do is cater to a clientele of patients who would like to look – and feel – as unique as they can be.