Anthony Loffredo, a 33-year-old Frenchman, has pushed the boundaries of body art to craft the persona he calls “The Black Alien.” His metamorphosis is striking: he has removed his nose, ears, and upper lip, amputated two fingers to mimic a claw, tattooed every inch of skin—including the whites of his eyes—and even split his tongue.

Loffredo documents each stage on The Black Alien Project Instagram account, where more than 700,000 followers track his quest—one he says is only 34 percent complete. Because French law restricts many of these procedures, he regularly travels abroad for surgery; his nose removal, for instance, took place in Spain.

Public reaction ranges from awe to alarm. Admirers praise his fearlessness and commitment to self-expression, while critics recoil at the extremes he has embraced. The most tangible cost, however, is practical: potential employers often refuse to look past his appearance, leaving him struggling to land steady work.

His odyssey began at 24, when a moment of soul-searching compelled him to quit a security-guard job and move to Australia. Body modification soon became his north star. A decade later, Loffredo remains resolute: regardless of public opinion—or job prospects—he intends to finish the transformation that makes him feel utterly at peace in his own (heavily altered) skin.