Now this is what I call stretching it!

The women of the Padaung tribe in northern Thailand hold the record for the longest necks in the world. According to tribal custom, even before they reach puberty, girls must start wearing iron coils around their necks and more and more are added through the years. The Padaung women say they only feel initial discomfort, as the distance between the ear lobe and the collar bone is stretched to 10 inches, double the average.

Photo: Paul Arps/Flickr

Although only girls born on a Wednesday of a full moon, were meant to wear the coils, to please the ever-growing tourist masses, other young girls are used as well.

Photo: Flickr

The longest recorded neck reached 40 cm in length.