Hajnal Ban decided she was tired of being what she considered short. The five-foot-one Australian woman had been made fun of most of her life, and she was convinced her height was the sole reason she wasn't being taken seriously in the professional world. But what do you do about something as seemingly set-in-stone as your height?

Ban found a solution in Russia—albeit a painful one. According to an article in the Times of London, Russian doctors agreed to "break both her legs in four places and stretch them slowly for 1mm every day for nine months." After all the breaking and stretching, Ban then wore plaster casts for three additional months to make the changes permanent. The whole process cost her $40,000.

In the end Ban gained three inches. But she insists that more importantly, she gained respect, quickly pointing out that she is now a city councilwoman in Australia. When asked by a Times reporter if she would pursue further cosmetic enhancements, Ban said, "I haven't made a decision on whether I will in the future or not. I know I'll get wrinkles and put on weight, and I'll even shrink as I get older, so we'll see what happens. But I'm not fixated on self-image."