Extreme Body Modification: A Growing Trend

Tattoos and body piercing has become a growing trend in today's young people. Although body modification has been around for centuries, today's youth are taking it to extremes. More and more teenagers are getting body piercing and tattooing regardless of parental consent. They are finding ways to get tattoos and piercings and many schools have been trying to ban this practice, but have been unsuccessful.

Years ago, an individual with tattoo's was considered a rebel, or an outcast. Today, tattoo's and body piercing are more acceptable in society. People with tattoo's and piercings are no longer associated with drug use as they were in the past. However, this is not directed at a few innocent tattoo's or a simple nose or belly ring. Body modification has been taken to dangerous extremes.

Some procedures involved with body modification can cause extreme pain, not to mention they pose a risk of infection and some involve a long healing process. One form of body modification is tongue splitting. Tongue splitting is actually one of the more simple procedures in body modification. The most common way is a surgical procedure using a laser. The tongue is split with a single cut and the laser cauterizes the blood vessels during the cut. The two halves of the tongue is then sutured to prevent them from rejoining. Tongue splitting can be reversed, but reversal may cause severe scarring and loss of sensation.

Another form of body modification that is quickly becoming the latest trend is body implants. This is sometimes referred to as 3-D body implants. These implants are created by placing an object under the skin to create a design, the most popular design is creating the look of vertebrae. The most commonly used material is titanium, solid silicone, and Teflon. A serious risk of this type of modification is nerve damage, which can cause loss of muscle function. In some cases, an individual may reject the implant and in this case, the body will literally push the implant out through the skin.

There are many other forms of body modification like teeth filing, creating the look of vampire fangs, genitalia modification, tattoo's, body piercing, facial piercing, and one that I find really disturbing, is "suspension." Suspension involves placing deep sea fishing hooks through the skin on the back or chest and suspending the person by the hooks rigged up to a rope to suspend the individual in the air. The reason behind this practice is really unclear. The most common risk with suspension is the skin tearing.

Another procedure that is considered to be in the category of body modification is voluntary amputation. It can be argued whether this is something that a person does to make a statement, or really a psychiatric issue. People who choose amputation generally do the amputation themselves. It is morally wrong for a physician to perform an amputation on a perfectly good limb, therefore, the individual performs the amputation themselves. This is extremely risky and the end results can be fatal.

Many forms of body modification can be reversed, however, many cannot. It is a decision to truly think about before proceeding with any type of modification. Is it something you want to live with for the rest of your life? I've often heard that getting tattooed can be addicting, I can see where this may be the case, but to see an individual with 95 percent of their body tattooed is not exactly attractive, and to some considered scary.

Although tattooing is a creative form of art, some forms of body modification to some may be categorized as self mutilation. Some of the extremes taken to change ones appearance can be dangerous not to mention permanent. Before deciding to do something drastic, think about the long term outcomes. Although some forms of body modification are more socially acceptable in today's society, some may find it difficult to land a job. They may not be taken seriously by perspective employers, and some employers may not see the appearance as professional.

One example of extreme body modification is "The Lizard Man." The Lizard Man has been working on his look for more than a decade. He has full body tattooing to have the appearance of scales, and bumpy implants in his forehead. His tongue is split, and he has his teeth filed to points. Lizard Man does not necessarily have a reason to worry about his looks keeping him from getting a job. His looks are his job, he travels and performs as a side-show. There are many performers who have transformed their bodies by tattooing, plastic surgery and implants to take on a look of a certain animal or species. If you plan on being a traveling side show, then I'd say go for the gusto! Always remember, beauty is in the eye of the beholder.