A self-described “trans-species” man in Argentina is using plastic surgery to transform himself into an elf. So far his operations include liposuction on his jaw, rhinoplasty, full-body hair removal, laser skin bleaching, and what he says are painful operations to change his eye color.

Luis Padron, 25, from Buenos Aires, Argentina, became fascinated with the fantasy realm after being bullied as a child. He wanted to look like otherworldly characters from the films Labyrinth and The NeverEnding Story. But his self-actualization comes at a cost, with a $5,000 monthly bill to bleach his skin and hair, contact lenses, and specialty make-up.

Next up for Padron is surgery to make his ears and jaw pointed, hair implants for a heart-shaped hairline, and a limb-lengthening operation. “My aim is to look inhuman, ethereal, graceful and delicate,” he told the Daily Mail. “I consider myself trans-species. In the same way transgender people feel, I need to become how I feel inside. I don’t expect people to understand but I ask they respect it.”