'World's most modified man' who had his hand surgically cut in half reveals why he did it

An artist has opened up about his decision to undergo three operations to modify one of his hands.

Marcelo De Souza Ribeiro - who goes by 'B-boy' - from Bocaiúva, Brazil got his first tattoo at the age of 15 and has continued to alter his body ever since.

With over 1,500 tattoos and counting, the father-of-two embarked on a more drastic change in the form of undergoing three one-hour-long surgical procedures to modify his left hand.

Already having had his ears modified to look like elf ears, implants in his arms, an implant in his forehead and ears, lips, eyes and tongue tattooed, it's fair to say Ribeiro wasn't as fazed by the prospect of getting his hand modified as most of us would be.

He told Business Insider the three procedures conducted on his left hand were 'smooth, quick, and not painful,' despite being performed by a friend for free - although, thankfully still under anaesthetic.

Ribeiro - who has over one million followers on Instagram - explained: "I can now open the hand laterally and fold it in two parts."

Well, Ribeiro explains he thinks of his body much like an 'art exhibition'.

And it certainly has a price tag to match, the artist reportedly having spent around $35,000 dollars on his alterations, tattoos and implants.

While Ribeiro is known to many as 'the most modified man in the world' - which seems believable given the lengthy list of procedures he's undergone - that's not actually the case, at least according to Guinness World Records.

As per Guinness World Records, 62-year-old Rolf Buchholz from Germany currently holds the world record title for not only the 'most body modifications (male)' but also the 'most piercings, single count (male)' too.

Verified in 2012, 'he totalled 516 body modifications, among which there are several implants and 481 piercings (278 alone on his genitals), but the number has increased over the years,' the site explains.

Buchholz reflected: "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."

Although, with Buchholz's world record verified over 10 years ago, perhaps it has since been overtaken and potentially by Ribeiro?

UNILAD has contacted Guinness World Records for comment.