A MAN who had his nose surgically removed, ears trimmed, and eyes tattooed as part of a series of extreme surgical procedures designed to leave him looking like a 'living skull' has gone viral.
Kalaca Skull, or Eric Yeiner Hincapie Ramirez as he was originally known, has been under the knife on numerous occasions over the past two years.
One of the first procedures saw the lower half of his nose removed along with his earlobes.
He followed those surgeries up with a procedure that saw his tongue split in half and tattooed a blue-grey colour.
Kalaca Skull then had large black eye-sockets inked around his eyes, while large teeth and a hollow space were also tattooed around his mouth.
He also shaved his hair into a distinctive mohawk style, adding several striking head tattoos in the process.
The result is something close to what the 22-year-old has dreamed of since childhood.
A local celebrity after becoming the first person to have his nose and ears voluntarily mutated, the 22-year-old only got into body modification after the death of his mother.
She had always been against the idea, despite Kalaca's continued fascination with human skulls from an early age. Her unfortunate death allowed him to pursue his dream.
A social media sensation, Kalaca Skull's striking looks have helped him garner nearly 10,000 followers and counting on Instagram.
And while he's garnered plenty of criticism for his unusual look and extreme methods, Kalaca appears unmoved.
Body modifications are a personal decision and should not be judged," he told Rio Noticias.
'It is like judging a woman for getting breast or buttock implants. For me, a skull is like my sister, a part of my family really, I feel very attached to them.'
Kalaca Skull's story is reminiscent of the legendary Jeremy Kyle guest, Mad Dog Deon, who famously appeared on the daytime chat series sporting a skull-like tattoo all over his face.
Mad Dog appears tame by comparison now, of course.
