With over 1,500 tattoos, the father of two decided to take a more significant step by having three one-hour surgeries to modify his left hand.
Having already altered his ears to resemble elf ears, as well as receiving implants in his arms and forehead, and tattoos on his ears, lips, eyes, and tongue, Ribeiro approached the hand modification with less apprehension than most might.
He shared with Business Insider that the surgeries on his hand were “smooth, quick, and not painful,” even though they were performed for free by a friend, albeit under anesthesia.
With over a million followers on Instagram, Ribeiro stated: “I can now open the hand laterally and fold it in two parts.”
Ribeiro views his body as an ‘art exhibition’ and has reportedly spent around $35,000 on his various modifications, tattoos, and implants.
While many consider Ribeiro to be ‘the most modified man in the world,’ this title is not officially his according to Guinness World Records.
According to Guinness World Records, Rolf Buchholz from Germany, aged 62, holds the record for the ‘most body modifications (male)’ and the ‘most piercings, single count (male)’.
The record, verified in 2012, notes that Buchholz has 516 body modifications, including numerous implants and 481 piercings, with 278 on his genitals. This number has reportedly increased over time.
Reflecting on his record, Buchholz commented: “I didn’t do it for the record. I got the record at the end, yes, but I did the modifications for me. I like the modification, I find it good, so I did it.”
Given that Buchholz’s record was verified over a decade ago, there is a possibility it has been surpassed, possibly by Ribeiro.