The secret journey of people who ‘break bones’ to increase height

In the world of Jack, a young man in his 20s of Pakistani origin living in Australia, confidence is not measured by ability or personality, but by centimeters. With an estimated height of about 1.6m to 1.65m, Jack always feels like he is lost in the crowd. That feeling of loss became more oppressive when he moved to Australia, where the average height for men is approximately 1.79m. “The world is much bigger here, and that difference made me see a psychiatrist,” Jack admitted. But instead of just treating his mind, he found a more extreme solution in the dark corners of the internet, which is to trade physical pain to lengthen his legs.

Jack is not alone on this journey. Hidden behind social networking platforms and encrypted chat rooms is a thriving underground community. Here, thousands of men share a burning desire but also full of guilt: limb lengthening surgery. This is a cruel medical procedure where the femur or tibia is deliberately broken, then gradually separated so the body can fill in the gap with new bone.

In essence, limb lengthening surgery originates from the Ilizarov method developed in the Soviet Union in the 1950s to treat congenital defects or serious injuries. However, in the era of social networks, regenerative medicine has transformed into a multi-million dollar cosmetic industry. This procedure requires the doctor to drill into the root canal, nail intramedullary nails, and use specialized equipment to stretch the bone at a rate of less than 1mm per day. Along with bones, nerves, blood vessels and muscles are also stretched to the limit. After the “pulling” stage, the patient must spend months, even years of painful physical therapy to relearn how to walk, run and jump.

Although there are no official global statistics on the number of cosmetic surgeries of this type, the explosion of specialized clinics in Türkiye, India and South Korea is testament to the skyrocketing demand. According to a report from BBCthe industry is being fueled by aggressive marketing campaigns on TikTok and Instagram. There, videos of patients learning to walk with their legs in iron braces but their faces beaming, accompanied by promising captions about “achieving their dream height”, overshadowed the terrible risks.

Medical experts in Australia warn that the reality is much more cruel than what the ads portray. Complications may include bone infection (osteomyelitis), permanent nerve damage, fat embolism, or bone nonunion. Even though he knew these risks, Jack was still caught up in them. He spends hours every day watching transformation videos, where pain is romanticized as a worthy price for a new life.

The driving force behind people like Jack is often called “height dysphoria” in the online community. Although the term does not exist in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), the suffering of sufferers is real. Dr. Toni Pikoos, a clinical psychologist in Australia, commented that people who have been bullied or feel weak often see height as a symbol of strength and power. This view is not without basis. Economic studies, such as the famous article above Journal of Applied Psychologyhas shown a positive correlation between height and income, reinforcing the belief that “taller equals more success”.

However, Dr. Pikoos warns that cosmetic surgery rarely addresses the root of insecurity. Unlike rhinoplasty or eyelid surgery, limb lengthening is a life-or-death gamble with a long recovery time. Instead of psychological healing, it can push patients into new physical and financial crises. The cost for this dream is not cheap. In “surgical paradises” like Türkiye, prices range from 35,000 USD for basic methods, to “super luxury” packages of up to hundreds of thousands of dollars, including 5-star hotels and Istanbul tours.

During his research, Jack met Victor Egonu, a highly influential figure in this community. Egonu, who runs the YouTube channel Cyborg4Life and manages closed groups on Discord with a femur-shaped logo, once had to have his leg lengthened due to injury, not cosmetic reasons. He became a reluctant “gatekeeper”, trying to warn young people about the dark side of this industry. In the virtual world that Egonu manages, members are identified by target numbers such as “1m70 to 1m76” or “+31mm”. To them, those are badges of honor, but to Egonu, it’s dangerous naivety in the face of unverified promises.

In fact, the lack of strict medical supervision on online forums is alarming. Dr. Beth O’Gorman said that, although Western society still has the stereotype of worshiping male height, seeking medical advice from strangers on Reddit instead of a professional doctor is a serious mistake. Jack also almost became a victim of that mistake. He planned to secretly fly to Türkiye, lying to his family about a skiing trip to hide his recovery time, but negative reviews about low-cost clinics kept him there. His goal shifted to a more advanced treatment package in South Africa for $110,000.

Now, thanks to the intervention of a psychiatrist and antidepressants, he has regained balance. He deleted his social media apps, stopped obsessing over numbers, and felt like he was living a normal life again. Deciding to stay away from harmful content helps him have a more rational view. However, the inner struggle has not completely disappeared. Although his reason has been somewhat appeased, deep down, Jack’s savings account is still growing every day for the sole purpose of bone breaking surgery, which he still does not have the courage to completely give up.