Anthony Loffredo said his “evolution” of becoming the “Black Alien” finally made him feel like himself. But he also said the extreme modifications, including amputating healthy body parts, came with a price he never expected.

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To millions online, Anthony Loffredo is instantly recognizable for the extreme body modifications that have transformed nearly every inch of his appearance.

The French body modification enthusiast has skull implants, removed his ears and nostrils, sharpened and dyed his teeth purple, split his tongue, covered his body in black tattoos and undergone finger amputations, all in pursuit of the look he has spent years creating.

The dramatic transformation earned him the nickname “Black Alien,” but 38-year-old Loffredo has long insisted the project isn’t about shocking people.

“It’s something that fascinates me: the extraterrestrial world. It’s something that really captivates me,” he told El Periodico, adding that his metamorphosis into an otherworldly being has helped him evolve.

“For me, this isn’t mutilation,” he said. “For me, it’s evolution. It’s my evolution. But it’s the same old fight with society.”

“People always tell me, ‘You need a psychiatrist,’ ‘You have a problem in your head.’ Always, always,” he said, adding that he feels “more normal than the people who talk about it,” he told the Barcelona-based paper.

“I don’t need a psychiatrist. Yes, it’s normal – it’s something very personal. People can’t understand me, really. It’s very, very delicate. Very, very deep. People can’t understand me.”

Transformation isn’t over
Although Loffredo has already undergone some of the most extreme body modifications ever documented, he says he hasn’t reached his goal.

One procedure he has discussed publicly is the possibility of amputating one of his legs, describing it as one of the most difficult decisions he has considered.

“It’s something really hard because I have a healthy leg, and an amputation is something big,” he said, explaining he’s traveled abroad for some of the more controversial modifications.

“It’s a very closed world. If I go to a doctor at the hospital and tell him I want to cut off my fingers, he’s going to tell me: ‘You’re crazy, go to a psychiatric hospital,” he said in his interview with El Periodico. “For me it’s not mutilation. For me it’s something aesthetic. Because in the end, I feel better, you know?”

Cost of becoming the ‘Black Alien’
The biggest challenge, however, has been finding work.

“I can’t find a job,” Loffredo said on the Club 113 podcast. “There’s lots of negative stuff. It could be positive because you feel better, but you have to know there’s also a dark side.”

Before starting his transformation in his mid-20s, Loffredo worked as a nightclub security guard. Today, he says employers often judge him before they get to know him.

“It’s a fight every day, because every day you find new people who don’t understand, who want to judge. It’s life, not everyone understands everything. Like me, I don’t understand lots of things about lots of people,” he said in on the podcast.

“You can’t judge someone. No one knows what’s inside someone’s head, why they’re doing that, you need to talk with this person.”

Body a ‘vehicle’ to ‘assert control’
Body modification has existed for thousands of years, but researchers say the reasons behind it have shifted over time.

While many cultures have historically used tattoos, piercings and other modifications to signal status, tradition or belonging, modern body modification is often linked to “self-empowerment and artistic expression.”

“The body has been an artistic canvas for thousands of years. It has also become more than an object. The body has become the vehicle through which people assert control in their lives, transform and heal in the face of trauma, and tell the world how they would like to be identified,” the study reports.

In addition, the research suggests that body modification can trigger the release of endorphins, chemicals associated with pain relief and feelings of well-being.

For Loffredo, however, the motivation has remained consistent throughout his transformation. Rather than trying to become someone else, he says he has spent years creating the version of himself that finally feels right – even if the rest of the world still struggles to accept it.

What do you think of the “Black Alien?” Would you give someone who looks like him a job? Please let us know your thoughts and share this story with your friends so we can hear from others!