The Intriguingly Mysterious Story of Sydney Smith, The Giraffe-Necked Woman
The Possible Complications
Sydney was concerned about acquiring contamination or infection while wearing the coils, but there was no indication of any skin illness after they were removed. However, she had severe red and purple bruises all over her shoulders and neck. She had to apply concealer to cover up the bruises for a while after removing the hoops when posing for photos.
The main issue, however, was her neck’s insufficient strength, since she felt it was very weak. In fact, she referred to it as “arms on a toothpick.” Doctors had previously told her that the procedure was hazardous and could result in neck nerve damage.
Inspired by the Kayan People
The Giraffe-loving Sydney Sydney recalled glancing at some Cambodian natives with odd cultural practices as a young girl. But as a grown-up, she chose to copy the Kayan people of Myanmar, who wore neck rings. Myanmar is a tiny South Asian nation that borders India.
The Kayans are indigenous people who are part of the Tibeto-Burman ethnic minority. The bulk of these people live in Myanmar, which is separated into two states, Kayah and Shan. However, there are also extremely minor groups in Vietnam, Thailand, and the United States. At least she’s found a way to emulate her most beloved animal, Sydney must have thought!
Deep Connection to Cultural Identity
The Kayans are subdivided into clans, which include the Lahwi, Gekho, Lahta, Kakhi, and Gebar. Only members of the Kayan Lahwi ethnicity (also called Padaung in Myanmar’s Shan state) wear the brass necklaces. This is a common practice by women.
When questioned about the practice, women stated that it was done to feel linked to their tribe and develop a strong cultural identity. Anthropologists believe it was for cosmetic purposes because long-necked women were considered more feminine. Some say it rendered women unappealing, thereby safeguarding them from enslavement by competing tribes. Others say it was to tie them to the dragon, a key Kayan mythological character.
The Modern-Day Backlash
Women have recently begun to remove their neck rings to expand their social prospects. By removing the circles, they can integrate better into society and seek higher education and other careers. Women in Mae Hong Son removed their bands in 2006 to protest the abuse of their tradition and the mistreatment of women in their clan.
As contemporary influences invaded Myanmar, the authorities pushed women to remove their neck coils to avoid coming across as barbaric and unenlightened to the West. The authorities desired to project an intelligent image to civilized countries, but the neck bands made this impossible. Talk about the passage of time!
Others with the Same Practice
Neck collars appear to be a common tradition in many communities throughout the world. While Sydney has stated that she was influenced mostly by the Asian states of Thailand and Myanmar, the tradition is also found on the African continent.
In South Africa, the Ndebele use neck circles known as “idzila,” which are taken as a sign of wealth and marriage in African tradition. It’s a present from a husband to his wife, and it’s made of brass or copper and commonly worn in multiples of three. These bands are also worn by women on various areas of their bodies, such as the arms.
The Awakening Induced by Lady Gaga’s Outfit
Sydney realized that she felt she could be free to be herself after seeing Lady Gaga’s meat dress at the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards. Gaga, fondly known as Mother Monster by her followers, has promoted expressing the genuine self via her songs throughout the years. Sydney stated that she identified with Gaga’s liberation message.
Despite the public outcry, the “Poker Face” songstress has never shied away from adopting the most outrageous aspects of herself and wearing whatever she wanted, including a flesh costume. Sydney was inspired to follow her greatest goal of having a long neck by the meat suit.
Starting Out with Clothing Hangers
Sydney did not experiment with neck ornaments for the first time in her 20s. Sure, she began wearing professionally created bands in her 20s, but she began discreetly pursuing her fascination while still in her teens. She made the neck gear herself out of garment hangers twisted into circular shapes.
In her 20s, her first pendant was bulky, but it did the job. It was soldered together and composed of copper. Sydney began with three hoops and, after she mastered the art of it, she began adding more as she was eager to lengthen her neck. She wanted to be like a giraffe.
A Second, Narrower Sculpted Necklace
When she went on to her next collar, Sydney made certain that it was perfectly fitted for her. She commissioned designer James Hill to create her latest masterpiece. He created it with a distinct back and front section that could be combined. It was priced at $1K, but she thought it was worth it.
Sydney stated that it was more pleasant to wear than her previous one. It didn’t only appear better, but it was precisely what she had imagined for herself when she began wearing it. Better yet, this piece rarely needed to be taken off for maintenance, something she despised.
Mechanics of the Rings
The collar bones and ribs are compressed by the neck bands. By applying force to the bones, it’s possible to permanently distort them, especially when initiated at an early age when the bones are malleable. The Kayan Padaung natives start their daughters at age five.
Anatomically, the collarbones and ribs are modified to a 45-degree angle, greater than the normal slant. The neck does not expand; rather, it seems to stretch because the bones are now considerably lower in position. Except for the lengthening of the space between each neighboring vertebra, the spine does not change form. Basically, there’s a greater absorption of intervertebral fluids.
Slower Painful Progress
Sydney began with three bands and gradually increased her collar count until she had 15. However, it caused her a lot of agony and anguish, so she removed some. Her development would be gradual this time to enable her body to adapt to the alterations. She was initiating the rite as an adult, unlike Kayan kids, and her body could not take it well.
When she first started, she found it challenging to wear bands, so she enlisted the assistance of a friend. Sydney’s companion assisted her in putting on the first circles, but she gradually learned to operate on her own.
Gone with the Naysayers!
Sydney was well aware that her fascination with neck bands would cause many people to differ with her choices. So, she chose to shut off those who had bad things to say about her lifestyle choices to safeguard her mental health and spiritual attachment to the neck gear.
The issue was with her folks, who felt her experiments with coat hanger wires as a teenager were merely a phase. Sydney had to persuade them that it was a vital part of who she was and not just an ornament. It was a necessary process for her to engage with the Kayan people.
Matching Wardrobe with the Circles
The bands brought with them new fad options for the Los Angeles native. She discovered that some of her clothing didn’t match her now cherished copper bands. Her wardrobe needed a change, so she went shopping and bought herself new outfits to coordinate with her gems.
According to Sydney, the rings meant “beauty and grace” among the Kayans, so she needed to bring more sophistication to her life. She claims it was inadvertent; it happened organically with the circles. Sydney would even wrap a native Kayan color band, a strip of linen, around her neckpiece to express her great rapport with the Kayan people.
A Deeper Spiritual Connection
Despite her previous complaints about her neckpiece, Sydney stated that she planned to wear the bands her entire lifetime. She stated that she would only remove them if they became “life-threatening.” To her, there was no turning back. Her neck reached 5 inches long, but she felt that with consistent work, she could extend it 7 or 8 inches.
Sydney felt linked to the Kayan people whenever she had the circles on. Getting a new band pleased her since each indicated progress, spiritually and physically. She believed she didn’t have anything to prove to anyone and that she would rise through the ranks as time passed.
Regular Social Media Update
She began expressing ideas about her adventure through her Instagram profile and Facebook page. She kept track of her accomplishments with the circles as well as her regular activities. Her captions and postings evolved into a tool for social media marketing. She frequently compared herself to the giraffe, her favorite animal, on these sites.
People were amazed by what she was doing, and they cheered her on, and soon her relatives and family were on board. With each step forward, she grew more secure in herself. As she continued to publish, she went viral all over the Internet and achieved stardom she had never dreamed of.
With Fame, Came TV Shows
She appeared in the television series “My Strange Addiction” in 2015. The show portrayed her as someone who was preoccupied with lengthening her neck. She complained on the program about having to learn everything, even how to eat since she felt her neck press on her bands every time she gulped. She described using a toothbrush to clean her neckpiece. Maintaining cleanliness was critical for infection prevention.
Sydney informed producers that she was anxious without the item. The new star was also featured in “Ripley’s Believe It or Not,” and even went global when the German show “Taff” profiled her and her body alteration adventure.
The Biggest Deal of them All!
Penthouse magazine was looking for multidimensional women in the modern world in 2016. As a result, the publication’s founder, American photographer Bob Guccione, reached out. They asked three distinct women, each with a unique set of interests, to be photographed for the magazine, and Sydney was among them.
Managing Director Kelly Holland described Sydney as a “giraffe girl” in a news statement for the magazine, a nickname she had earned over the years. Her professional employment as a model thrilled her that she posted the good news on her social media, asking admirers and followers to purchase her cover before it ran out. She even signed a few copies.
Struggles with the Rings
Fame aside, Sydney gradually found it difficult to do her daily duties as time passed. Her restricted mobility made driving and parking difficult. She’d even run into a few bushes. It became a struggle to change lanes since her range of motion became limited. All this happened despite her conviction that her field of vision had improved.
Sydney missed exercising and engaging in other fitness activities. She couldn’t go trekking or run with her band without getting hurt. Her swimming ability was also limited, as she could only get into waist-deep water. What was intended to be a life-long commitment wasn’t giving her a good time.
The Challenge of Finding Love
If she thought doing daily activities was a problem, another underlying issue was waiting. The neckband’s weight overlapped with her dating life. It became extremely difficult to flourish romantically. When she first started dating, some boyfriends were fine with her coils, only to demand that she remove them later. Her lovers expected her to behave normally at their parents’ house.
Some men saw Sydney as nothing more than a giraffe woman. On dates, all they cared to speak about was her neckbands. She got exhausted because she wanted more and felt that she was being relegated to nothing more than a body decoration.
Then Came Mental Health Problems
The self-identified giraffe woman sought social solitude, her house becoming her safe haven. As the bands took over her lifestyle, she became introverted, admitting that it wasn’t about her. She avoided public engagement as she struggled with anxiety. People would approach her when she was grocery shopping to discuss her neckbands.
She began to dislike being seen with them, covering them up with turtlenecks, and reducing customer contact at the Maryland eatery where she served. In late 2015, she began to consider removing her bands. She struggled with the idea for more than six months, believing they were an essential part of her life.
Painful Separation
She made her choice that the bands had to go in April 2016. Sydney summoned a buddy to assist her in removing them. The ornamentation was made up of 15 loops and weighed five pounds in its full grandeur. The item was tough to remove since it was made up of two sections held together by a hardcore adhesive.
Sydney reported that the entire procedure took 15 minutes and was uncomfortable. First, they had to liquefy the adhesive that was keeping everything together with a chemical. The components had to be wrenched apart using bodily traction to remove her neck from the arrangement. It was a difficult procedure.
The Possible Complications
Sydney was concerned about acquiring contamination or infection while wearing the coils, but there was no indication of any skin illness after they were removed. However, she had severe red and purple bruises all over her shoulders and neck. She had to apply concealer to cover up the bruises for a while after removing the hoops when posing for photos.
The main issue, however, was her neck’s insufficient strength, since she felt it was very weak. In fact, she referred to it as “arms on a toothpick.” Doctors had previously told her that the procedure was hazardous and could result in neck nerve damage.
Chiropractors for Neck Strengthening
Sydney needed expert treatment to repair the harm caused by wearing 15 bands from her chin to her collarbones. She had to go to a trained and expert chiropractor many times a week to train and massage her neck to strengthen it. Her dedication was needed.
There was even a need to make an appointment with a physical therapist to address her neck tightness. Experts had cautioned her years before that she would require a neck brace if she removed the rolls. Fortunately for Sydney, this was not the case. According to medical authorities’ issued timelines, the giraffe woman’s rehabilitation was speedier than usual.
No Regrets at All
Sydney has no resentment or regrets for the time, work, and money she invested in her beauty modifications over the years. She misses the sensation of the coils pressing on her shoulders, though. It was actually comforting in some ways for her.
She stated that it’s difficult to operate in the United States with such bands, especially if you have to work and be a member of the community. Perhaps it would have been different if she lived in tribal Thailand. Sydney also stated that she would preserve her coils and place them in a container as a memorial to her previous passion.
Rings Don’t Lengthen Necks
Sydney insists that her neck has grown longer than it was years back, despite not wearing the bands having taken part of the length away. She’s always had a long neck, dating back to middle school when she acknowledged being compared to a giraffe.
Dr. Jonathan Nissanoff, an orthopedic surgeon in Southern California, rejected her claims in 2014. He noted that Sydney began as an adult when her bones had finished “growing.” All she was accomplishing by wearing the coils was tugging at her skin and altering her posture. He stated that removing them would bring her neck back to its original size.
A Cruising New Life
With the loops out of the way, Sydney has remained quite active on her Facebook page, where she publishes information about her life. She’s having a great time in her post-ring life. In fact, she embarked on the Celebrity Alaskan Cruise in June 2022 and posted on her account how she had fun on the cruise.
She also went to an Abraham Hicks Law of Attraction conference, where she learned about enlightenment and how to let go of her ego. Sydney argues that ego can obstruct the flow of one’s magic and that individuals should not feel superior to others since this might lead to sluggish growth.
Media and Brand Endorsement Commitments
Afluencer named her one of the best lifestyle champions to work with in 2021. She formerly worked with the cosmetics company Catkin, advertising their lipsticks. She selected the exact shade of red in a stylishly designed case. In 2018, she collaborated with Ricky Rebel for his “The New Alpha” album.
Sydney has also gained enough notoriety to be asked to do radio broadcasts. In 2019, she chatted with Laura Mazurek on her program “Style and Empowerment Chat with Laura and Friends.” In 2021, she also conducted a pop-up event in Houston where she spoke about “magick” and visitors practiced yoga, tribal dance, and respiratory work.
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