Body Modification

TattooingTattooing is one of the most commong forms of body modification. A tattoo is made by inserting indelible ink into a layer of the skin to change the pigment. Tattooing has been practiced for centuries in many cultures spread throughout the world. Since the 1990s, tattoos have become a mainstream part of global and Western fashion, common among both sexes, to all economic classes, and to age groups from the later teen years to middle age.

Tattoo MachineThe most common method of tattooing in modern times is the electric tattoo machine, which inserts ink into the skin via a single needle or a group of needles that are soldered onto a bar, which is attached to an oscillating unit. The unit rapidly and repeatedly drives the needles in and out of the skin, usually 80 to 150 times a second.

The tattoo artist must wash not only his or her hands, but he or she must also wash the area that will be tattooed. Gloves must be worn at all times and the wound must be wiped frequently with a wet disposable towel of some kind. The equipment must be sterilized in a certified autoclave before and after every use.

Lucky Diamond Rich

Tā moko -Maori Facial Tattoo

Irezumi

Tribal Tattoo

PiercingBody piercing, a form of body modification, is the practice of puncturing or cutting a part of the human body, The reasons for piercing or not piercing are varied. Some people pierce for religious or spiritual reasons, while others pierce for self-expression, for aesthetic value, for sexual pleasure, to conform to their culture or to rebel against it. Some forms of piercing remain controversial, particularly when applied to youth.

The display or placement of piercings have been restricted by schools, employers and religious groups. In spite of the controversy, some people have practiced extreme forms of body piercing, with Guinness bestowing World Records on individuals with hundreds and even thousands of permanent and temporary piercings.

Tongue Piercing

Ear Stretching

Lip Plate

ScarificationScarification involves scratching, etching, burning, or cutting designs, pictures, or words into the skin as a permanent body modification. Scarification is often more popular than tattooing among darker skinned ethnic groups as scars are more visible than tattoos depending on a persons complexion.

Cutting is generally the most widely used form of scarification in the west, since finer lines and details can be achieved with a scalpel than with a brand.

BrandingThe second most widely used form of scarification is branding. In branding, a hot piece of metal is used to burn patterns into the skin. While branding can not match the level of detail achieved in cutting, the results are often much more prominent, lasting, and visible.

What do you think?

• What do you think of people who have tattoos?• What do tattoos symbolize in your culture?• Is there any difference between piercing your

ears and piercing your lip?• Do you think scarification is any different from

tattooing?• Do you think more people will have tattoos in

the future?

Ocular ImplantAn extraocular implant (also known as eyeball jewelry) is a cosmetic implant involving a tiny piece of decorative jewelry which is implanted within the superficial, interpalpebral conjunctiva of the human eye.

Eyeball jewelry was developed first in the Netherlands as a radical new form of body modification in 2002. It was first designed at the Netherlands Institute for Innovative Ocular Surgery and is marketed there under the name JewelEye.

Tongue SplittingTongue splitting or forking, is a type of body modification in which the tongue is cut centrally from its tip to as far back as the underside base, forking the end. In the late 1990s tongue splitting was almost unheard of, but is now considered a common alteration among body modification enthusiasts. A tongue that has been properly split will function as two completely independent tongues that can do anything a normal tongue can.

Subdermal ImplantsA subdermal implant refers to a kind of body jewelry that is placed underneath the skin, therefore allowing the body to heal over the implant and creating a raised design. These kinds of implants fall under the broad category of body modification. Many people who have these implants use them in conjunction with other types of body modification to create a desired, dramatic effect. This process is also known as a 3-D implant or pocketing. One common form of subdermal implant are horn implants on the forehead.

Transdermal ImplantsTransdermal implants are a form of body modification used both in a medical and aesthetic context. In either case, they consist of an object placed partially below and partially above the skin, thus transdermal. The skin around it generally heals as if it were a piercing. This type of body modification is somewhat rare due to the possibility of infection.

What do you think?

• Are people with extreme body modifications frightening to you?

• Are there any of these modifications that you would like to try?

• Should people be able to show their strange modifications at work?

• What is “normal”? Is normal the same for everyone?