An Australian politician had her legs broken and stretched to become 3in taller in a bid to be taken seriously.
After nine months of excruciating pain, Hajnal Ban, 31, a councillor with Logan city council in Queensland, became a 'normal' 5ft 4in.
"A lot of young females have insecurities about their weight or their nose; mine was my height," she told Brisbane's Courier Mail.
Ms Ban was taunted at school and feared her height would damage her credibility as she entered the legal profession and later went into local politics.
So she paid the Ilizarov orthopaedic clinic in Kurgan, Russia, £19,000 to break both legs in four places and stretch them slowly for 1mm every day for nine months.
"From the time I flew to Russia to the time I was able to wear high heels again was about a year in total, but at least nine months of that was excruciatingly painful," she said.
Ms Ban had the surgery when she was a 23-year-old barrister but Australian media only latched on to her medical history this week.
She said she did not want to be remembered as "the girl who got her legs lengthened".
"I want people to take me seriously and to be known for the work I do as a politician in my local community," she said.
But she added: "I have absolutely no regrets. It was a decision I made in consultation with my family. I was prepared, I did my research and I'm very lucky because the results are good."
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