For some men, the desire to be taller is so strong that they are willing to undergo a gruelling procedure that involves breaking their own leg bones. The surgery, which costs thousands of pounds, is offered by clinics in Turkey and involves inserting metal rods into the femurs and slowly stretching them over weeks or months.
Frank, a 38-year-old man who is 5ft 6in, travelled to Istanbul's Wanna Be Taller clinic to gain 9cm of height. He describes being short as 'a curse' and says he has lived his life as a 'short man'. His goal is to reach 5ft 9in, which he considers average. The process requires turning a key on a metal bracket multiple times a day to force the bones apart, allowing new bone to grow in the gap.
The recovery is agonising. Patients spend months in a hotel near the clinic, undergoing daily physiotherapy to stretch their muscles and tendons. Frank, who has 'self made' tattooed on his knuckles, says the pain is worth it: 'I am very ambitious: if I want something, I go for it. Until I do it, it almost torments me.'
While most patients are men, some women also undergo the procedure. One female patient, who was 5ft 3in before surgery, described shortness as 'the last acceptable prejudice in society'. The clinic also offers leg shortening surgery, though this is less common, with only nine patients having undergone it, mainly women.
