These bizarre images show how a professional piercer sticks 30 surgical needles in his face and arms at one time, leaving him covered in blood.
Miguel Andrés, 28, from Armenia, Colombia, says he was always fascinated by people with piercings, getting his tongue pierced when he was 12.
He says from a young age he knew he would want piercings himself.
When he was 11, Miguel pierced his lobes using a sewing needle and a year later got his tongue pierced at a professional studio.
Since then, Miguel has 15 plug piercings across his ears, lips, nose and nipples.
Plug piercings are a type of modification in which a pierced hole is gradually stretched using larger and larger earrings to make a wider tunnel in the flesh.
Due to Miguel's line of work as a piercer, he can trade his services with pals in the same industry - meaning he gets most of his modifications for free.
Miguel also has a ‘Prince Albert’ piercing through his penis, a split tongue that looks like that of a snake and over 50 tattoos across his face and body.
Miguel has become involved in ‘play piercing’.
This involves piercing himself for fun, often sticking up to 30 surgical needles through the skin on his arms and face at once.
Miguel says he has a much higher pain tolerance and even finds being a human pin cushion a pleasant and even pleasurable experience.
When Miguel is out and about, strangers often do not react fondly towards him, often whispering about his unique look and saying he looks disgusting and asking why he would disfigure himself.
Miguel doesn’t mind too much as he jokes that he always manages to get a seat to himself on the bus.
He said: "I have loved the look of piercings since I was really young and always knew I wanted to get loads.
“At the age of eleven I pierced my lobes with sewing needles and by twelve I got my first piercing at a studio, getting my tongue pierced.
WARNING: IMAGES CONTAINING BLOOD
“I have fifteen plugs now. Four through my nose, five through my ears, one on my lower lip, two on my nipples, two on my belly button, and one Prince Albert on my penis.
“The Prince Albert really hurt very little, but the healing process was a bit tedious and took a while.
“I also have two implants on my hands and ten scarifications. I don't know how many tattoos I have, but I think more than fifty.
“Play piercing, as its name implies, is all about having fun piercing yourself with needles.
“Most of the designs come from my mind and the idea is to create geometric shapes with needles in my skin.
“Because it is only in the skin for a moment, it leaves no mark after it heals.
“Of course, it hurts, but I think those of us who do it have a slightly higher pain threshold.
“For me, I would say that it is a pleasant experience.
“The final part when removing the needles and bleeding, you feel a little bit of ecstasy and it’s enjoyable.
“The people I surround myself with react well to my look and my play piercings, but for my family, it has been difficult for them to understand it.
“They are religious and my father is a strict retired police officer, but they do accept that piercing is my job.
“Strangers in most cases do not react very well and will look at me funny and whisper things behind my back.
“I have had people say that I look horrible and say ‘ew, gross’, but I don’t mind too much.
“It has its advantages too. I always get a seat on the bus.
“Of course, I also receive good comments from people who admire what I do and people who would like to do what I do but are self-conscious.
“I sometimes even get stopped by people who want a photo with me.”
Whilst a face full of needles certainly isn’t for everyone, Miguel has no plans to stop modifying his body or playing with needles.
For Miguel, piercings are a way in which he can express his personality, even if strangers and family members are not so keen on his look.
He said: "I just think that as long as you feel happy and comfortable with your appearance, the opinion and comments of others do not matter in the least.
“I still don’t even have half the modifications that I want, so there is a lot of work left for me to do.
“On my list is some scarification on my face and I also want to tattoo one of my eyes.
“But I am going to take my time so that I always have a modification to look forward to."