A woman with the Guinness World Record for having the most body modifications has issued a stern warning to those following her lead.
Maria José Cristerna, dubbed the "real-life vampire" for her extreme appearance, has spent most of her life working on her extensive collection of ink, having had her first tattoo at just 14 years old.
The Mexican woman, who secured her place in the Guinness World Records as the most modified woman in 2022, now boasts a total of 50 body modifications.
Cristerna's distinctive alterations include forehead and arm implants, various piercings, a split tongue, and an impressive array of tattoos covering nearly her entire body, including her eyeballs.
Speaking to Guinness World Records, Cristerna admitted: "In the beginning, my dad didn’t agree with the idea. But after that, he took me to the tattoo studio to get my very first tattoo."
She emphasized her deep connection to art, stating: "Art runs through my veins. Since I was a little kid, I loved art, and now I can express it through my body."
She attributes her transformations to a decade-long marriage marked by repression and abuse, aiming to stand for women who have suffered similar emotional, psychological, and physical abuse. "The only way to escape from violence and abuse is by loving yourself. We came to this world to be happy," she asserted.
Her body modifications serve as symbols of courage, strength, and freedom from her past. While each modification holds personal significance, the most painful for Cristerna was her eye pigmentations and the implants she had put into her arms.
Celebrating her Guinness World Records title, Cristerna remains resolute in her pursuit of self-expression. "You always can reach your goals. There are no limits. Nothing is impossible if you set your mind to it," she declared.
She envisions covering 100 percent of her body in tattoos, proudly stating: "I don’t care what people think about me. I put myself in first place. I know who I am, and that is what is important."
She did however issue a cautionary message to young people contemplating similar drastic alterations, as Cristerna said: "The advice I would give is that you have to think about it a lot as it is irreversible."
She continued: "I love the way I look, but you have to understand that there are young people who are very open to tattoos and piercings and everything. It’s become fashionable, so we might get to a point where it’s not what we want anymore, and we might not like it anymore.
“So you have to think about it very hard in order to love it and be able to defend it your whole life."
Despite warning others not to go under the needle unless they were certain about their tattoos, the 'Vampire Woman' has not stopped getting her own ink as she posted about a new design this week.
Unveiling her latest transformation on Instagram, a snapshot captures her in a tattoo parlor, with an artist working on her back. The accompanying caption reads: "One more stripe for my brother's tiger Rene Camarena Laus Satanus."
