Maria Jose Cristerna, a former attorney and mother of four, transformed herself into the Vampire Woman through extreme body modification, including tattoos, steel implants, and dental work to make her teeth look like fangs as a way to deal with an abusive childhood. She currently uses her appearance as a way to bring attention to the issue of domestic abuse.
At first people were interested in my looks because it was cool, because it attracts attention and because it’s something different,” she said. “But I see it as something good among all the bad, because I’m giving a message. I won’t be able to change the thinking of the entire world, but I’m always there to help the people that need it.”
In 2011, Ms. Cristerna was immortalized by Ripley’s with a wax statue of her likeness.
