Body Modification has come a loooong way in the Western world. Although humans have always changed and modified their bodies (be it through tattooing, piercing, corsetry, or something as simple as getting a new hairstyle), in more recent years we have really been pushing the boundaries. The body is a fascinating tool and canvas, and the skin is a mind blowing organ that deserves a lot more credit than it often gets. Don’t believe me? Read on my friend…
(Before I go any further I would just like to be very clear about the fact that I am NOT an expert in this field. I am not a body piercer or a doctor, nor do I practice extreme body modification. I am just a person fascinated with what the human body is capable of and what it can endure. Also, most of the photo examples I have used I got from Google Images. So if you see yours here and you would like me to remove it then contact me and I will do so immediately).
Interesting Piercings:
Achilles piercing
The Achilles piercing passes through the tendon and the ankle. Not surprising this is a pretty rare piercing and considered a high risk one at that!
Eyelid piercing
Yup this one actually goes through the hood of your eyelid and comes out the other side. Amazingly enough it apparently doesn’t irritate the eyeball.
Transfinger piercing
This is a piercing which actually goes through your finger. The process doesn’t look too gory but you need to take into consideration the amount of nerves and tendons in your fingers. For pictures and more information go to http://wiki.bmezine.com/index.php/Transfinger_Piercing
Genital piercings
There are a great many different piercings possible down south for both men and women. The most extreme I have come across is the Isabella piercing for women. It is a very deep clitoral piercing that starts just below the clitoris and exits at the hood. This is also considered to be a high risk piercing due to the risk of hitting a nerve. I won’t post a picture but if you interested you can go to http://wiki.bmezine.com/index.php/Isabella_Piercing for a peek.
Corset piercing
These are a pretty cute, temporary only (!!) series of piercings particularly popular with fetish groups. Basically two vertical lines are made down the back (although there are many other places you could do them too) with hypodermic needles or captive bead rings, and then ribbon is laced through them to give the appearance of a corset.
Stretching
The stretching of piercings has become very popular, in fact you’d be hard pushed to walk down the street and not spot somebody with a stretched earlobe. Stretching is a great example of how amazing the skin is because you can really keep stretching an earlobe until you run out skin… which can take a while! Just be warned that once you’ve stretched your skin to a certain point (or too fast) the hole may shrink a little but won’t close up again. Your only option then is plastic surgery, so think about it first! Earlobes aren’t the only body part that can be made wider, lips, nostrils, nipples etc can also be stretched.
Suspension
Suspension is said to be as much about the mental as it is the physical. This is very serious business and as I am not an expert in the matter and have never done a suspension I’d rather not pretend I know what I’m talking about. For more information visit http://wiki.bmezine.com/index.php/Suspension or talk to an experienced body piercer.
Implants
Implants involve putting foreign objects under the skin. They come in a pretty wide range of materials, as well as shapes and sizes. Basically a small insertion is made into the skin to create a pocket where the object is put into, when the wound heals the object is trapped under the skin creating shapes and forms.
Scarification
Branding
Branding is a way of purposely scarring your skin. Basically you inflict a serious burn on your skin by either using heated metal, or more commonly now a form of laser branding. The idea is that you burn a pattern/ picture onto your skin and as it heals it leaves a raised, slightly different coloured scar. If your still not sure of what I mean then think about cattle branding… it’s a pretty similar process.
Cutting
This is the most common form of scarification and it’s certainly not just reserved for depressed teenagers. An expert can create amazing images in the skin using surgical or hobby blades. The cuts are generally no deeper than 3mm, and the pain is compared to that of a tattoo (which I would compare with being flicked with a rubber band over and over again!). The end results can be surprisingly delicate and beautiful.
There are many other forms of scarification available these days but these are just two of the most common examples.
Tongue splitting
Tongue splitting involves cutting the median fibrous septum which is that bit in the middle of your tongue. There are several different ways in which this can be done. The end is result is a fork like tongue (think of a snakes tongue), and each side of the split can move separately. It is possible to make the tongue whole again although it is said to be a lot more painful and heal much slower than the split itself. Splitting is not strictly reserved for the tongue and can be done on many other body parts, particularly genitalia.
Corsetry
Corsetry or tightlacing is a way of binding the body to produce a small waist, this results in an exaggerated hourglass figure. It is usually a short term effect and your body goes back to normal once the corset is removed, however with a lot of training (tightening the corset bit by bit over time) organs can move and the body shape can change permanently. This needs to done with great care because it is possible to do serious internal damage. Corsetry is most popular with women however there are many men who use them too.
I have really just touched the tip of the ice berg here when it comes to body modification. There are endless options and they are constantly growing. Modification is/ and should be a very personal decision and everybody gets it done for different reasons. The most important thing when you decide to get something done (even if it’s just getting your ear pierced) is to go to a professional. Modification is not natural for the body and there are many risk factors associated with cutting, scarring, piercing and altering the body. Be smart about it! If you have any quesions or queries about Body Modification go and check out http://wiki.bmezine.com/index.php/Main_Page
