Body modifications can range from small ear piercings to something extreme like permanently dyeing the eyeball. One of the more extreme on the list is horn implants. Yes, you read it correctly – artificial horns implanted into the skull via surgery. For some people, it is essential to have their mental and physical self-image be the same. Michel Praddo, also known as “Diabao,” is a person who believes that going to the extremes of body modification is his way of making a fulfilling mark on the world. In the previous year, his name went into the Guinness World Records for being the man with the most number of subdermal horn implants.
Michel Praddo has another name – “Human Satan”. As can be ascertained from the name, his body modifications push his appearance toward being as demonic as possible. He hails from Praia Grande in Brazil and holds several records alongside the one for horn implants. These include extreme tattoos, amputated fingers, and quite a few more modifications. Michel received his horn implant record for having 33 of them. In February 2023, in Milan, Guinness confirmed the record during the Lo Show Dei Record. This is the first record of its kind, and he is the first holder of it.
The Horn Implants Are Just One Part Of Michel’s Story
Praddo’s preference for such extreme body modifications stems from his desire to be seen as something more than a human. Even in the tattooing and modifications world, he is an extreme example. Apart from the horn implants, Praddo’s ears, nose, nipples, and his left hand’s ring finger have been removed, and 80% of his skin is covered in tattoos. His eyeballs have also been inked. Praddo had reportedly even eaten one of the amputated nipples. It is a remarkable transformation; however, admittedly, he suffers from phantom pain at the location of his amputated fingers. He has undergone over 60 surgeries throughout his life, and as a consequence, has difficulty working.
48-year-old Praddo had traveled to Italy in February 2023 to attend the local TV show where the record was verified. He had competition as another applicant had turned up with 18 subdermal horn implants. Back in Brazil, Praddo spoke about the emotional moment in length: “It was something very special and surreal. A dream come true to enter Guinness and go to Europe. At several moments, I was emotional, with tears in my eyes, as I went over my life. An experience that I will cherish forever in my heart and memory.”
Praddo had also spoken of his dreams and hopes before winning the record. He had hoped that winning this one would mean more such records could be won. Furthermore, he described his being there as a realization of his project. It would prove that he did not just stop imagining it, like most others. He would have proof that he “made it happen”. Moreover, for Michel, the ultimate step is to attain the title of being the most modified man in the world. As such, the horn implants are only one step towards that.
Subdermal Implants, And Other Modifications
Praddo is married to Carol Praddo for over a decade. Carol also has the moniker “Mulher Demonia” or “Demon Woman”, and is similarly extremely modified. In 2022, Michel had been in the headlines for planning to modify his hands into claws. He would do so by joining his middle and index fingers. This was planned to follow the subdermal horn implants.
Subdermal implants are usually small pieces of silicon inserted underneath the skin. The insertion would let the skin naturally heal over it, and thus create a bump or a lump. The silicone’s shape and position of insertion are used to determine and create all kinds of shapes, such as horns and braille tattoos. However, the process is very expensive and is sometimes called “3D implanting”. The first subdermal implant was made in the early 1990s. Steve Haworth, a specialist in body modifications, discovered that implanting a row of beads underneath the skin of a woman’s wrist can give an impression of a bracelet. In 2017, Haworth revealed in an interview that “there are about 10,000 people with implants now and 30 mod artists worldwide.”
Having such extreme body modifications is life-changing, to say the least. For people like Michel, it is integral to making them feel better about their selves and their bodies. However, we do still live in a society, where such appearances are not common. As a result, there is discrimination when it comes to getting employed, and other social necessities. Sometimes, the problem becomes that you just can’t stop regardless of the health risks. Nevertheless, if such extreme horn implants can help people be happy and attain their desired selves, they can be wonderful.
Keep Reading: “I did it for me”: Meet the man with 516 body modifications
Sources
- “Body-mod addict dubbed ‘Human Satan’ wins world record for most horns on head.” Mirror UK. Florence Freeman. March 30, 2023.
- “Most subdermal ‘horn’ implants on the head.” Guinness World Records
- Instagram. diabao.praddo_diablo.praddo.
