Lily Lu isn’t your typical mom—or dad, as she still prefers to call herself. A heavily tattooed, extensively modified transgender woman, Lily defies conventional norms while embracing her identity as a loving parent to her 14-year-old daughter, Maya. From head-to-toe ink to extreme body modifications, Lily’s appearance shocks many, but she insists her looks don’t define her ability to be a caring and devoted parent.
Based in Tengen, Germany, Lily is an independent filmmaker and social media influencer whose striking appearance has garnered both fascination and criticism. Her body is a canvas of tattoos—every inch covered, including her tongue, the whites of her eyes, and even beneath her fingernails. She has split her tongue, removed her nipples and belly button, and replaced her teeth with black ceramic veneers. Yet, for Lily, these modifications are more than just aesthetic choices—they’re an extension of her identity.
“100% of my body is covered in ink,” she told The Daily Mail. “My looks don’t matter—it’s just a collection, and sometimes that grows and sometimes less.” Currently undergoing gender transition, Lily describes the process as a “crazy ride” but emphasizes that self-expression is her ultimate goal. “At some point, it doesn’t matter anymore. It’s my lifestyle and a part of me. My goal is to live and enjoy life.”
Breaking Stereotypes: Health, Success, and Parenthood
Despite assumptions that her appearance correlates with drug use or instability, Lily insists she lives a disciplined, healthy lifestyle. “I personally don’t drink, don’t smoke, and have not used drugs for 20 years,” she says. An avid athlete, she participates in Ultra Trail races and maintains a strict diet, even cutting back on sugar and coffee. Financially secure, she owns multiple properties and rents them out, proving that her unconventional looks haven’t hindered her success.
Her most cherished role, however, is being a parent. Maya, her teenage daughter, has grown up immersed in Lily’s world of body art. At just two years old, Maya picked up a tattoo machine and scribbled her first tattoo on Lily’s foot—an act Lily describes as “just as normal as painting on paper for her.” By age nine, Maya was tattooing clients at Psyland 25, Lily’s studio. “I always tell her to do whatever she feels like and go for her dreams,” Lily says.
Though she identifies as a woman, Lily still refers to herself as Maya’s “daddy,” a term that feels natural given their bond. “Most people who know me know me as a dad and know how high my daughter is in my priorities,” she explains. “It’s not a big secret that I’m a good daddy.”
Public Backlash and Unapologetic Authenticity
Lily’s social media presence—boasting nearly 100,000 Instagram followers, 60,000 Facebook fans, and 1.6 million TikTok likes—invites both admiration and harsh judgment. Critics question her parenting, with some calling her modifications “gross” and speculating about her mental health. “That poor child,” one commenter wrote, while another dismissed her healthy lifestyle claims, suggesting she must have “mental health issues.”
Yet Lily remains unfazed. “Being weird is a superpower,” she declares on Instagram. Whether through tattoos, body modifications, or her gender transition, her message is clear: Live unapologetically as yourself.
What Do You Think?
Lily’s story challenges societal norms, forcing us to reconsider how we judge appearance versus character. Is her self-expression harmful, or is she simply embracing freedom in its boldest form? More importantly—does her parenting deserve scrutiny, or is love what truly matters?
What’s your take on Lily’s extreme transformation and her approach to parenthood? Share your thoughts in the comments, and don’t forget to pass this story along to hear more perspectives. After all, in a world that often demands conformity, Lily Lu stands as a testament to the power of authenticity.
