Body modification

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Body modifications

Body modification (or body alteration) is the permanent or semi-permanent deliberate altering of the human body for non-medical reasons, such as spiritual, various social (markings), BDSM "edgeplay" or aesthetic. It can range from the socially acceptable decoration (e.g., pierced ears in many societies), to the overtly religiously mandated (e.g., circumcision in a number of cultures) to corporal punishment, to provocative statements by the rebellious (e.g., tongue splitting). Some even become physically addicted to the adrenaline/endorphin release associated with a painful procedure in a way analogous to that experienced by those who "self-injure". Some people experience an abstract but distinct compulsion to modify their body that appears to have no underlying or external reason.

Some futurists, such as those who identify as transhumanists, believe that eventually, humans will pursue body modification with more advanced technological means, such as permanently implanted devices to enhance mental and physical capabilities, thereby becoming cyborgs; this has been explored in fiction such as The Six Million Dollar Man or Dr. Who's Cybermen. For the substantial number of people with heart pacemakers and brain implants such as cochlear implants and electrical brain stimulators for Parkinson's disease, this is already a reality.

Body art is any body modification for artistic or aesthetic reasons. However, the term is often extended to all socially significant markings, often displaying the bearer belongs to some hereditary (e.g. tribal), age, religious or other group, and therefore on body parts that remain or can be 'decently' exposed in public, except if the group is private or even secret.

Types of body modification

Ref - Nullification, the voluntary removal of body part
Ref: What is TOO Extreme for Body Modification
Ref ModCon: The Secret World Of Extreme Body Modification by Shannon Larratt

Body modifications occurring as the end result of long term activities or practices

  • Corsetry or tightlacing - binding of the waist and shaping of the torso
  • Cranial binding - modification of the shape of infants' heads, now extremely rare
  • Foot binding - Physical compression of the feet to modify them for aesthetic reasons
  • Non-surgical elongation of organs by prolonged stretching using weights or spacing devices. Some cultural traditions prescribe for or encourage members of one sex (or both) to have one organ stretched till permanent re-dimensioning has occurred, such as
    • The 'giraffe-like' stretched necks (sometimes also other organs) of women among the Burmese Kayan tribe, the result of wearing brass coils around them. This compresses the collarbone and upper ribs but is not medically dangerous. It is a myth that removing the rings will cause the neck to 'flop'; Padaung women remove them regularly for cleaning etc.
    • Stretched lip piercings - achieved by inserting ever larger plates, such as those made of clay used by some Amazonian tribes.

Besides the obvious extreme forms of body modification more simple forms of change exist. Modify the movie shows that modification came come in a variety of forms: piercing, flesh suspension, make-up, tattoos, branding, stretching, scarification, splitting, plastic surgery, tanning, waxing, colored contacts, hair modifications, body building, tooth modification, implants, elective amputations, and trans-gender surgery. Of course this is not an exhaustive list but the idea should be known that almost anything that is physically done to the body is considered modification.

Controversy

Some sources of controversy stem from the notion of attempting to artificially beautify the natural form of the body, often leading to charges of disfigurement and mutilation. Extreme forms of Body Modification are occasionally viewed as symptomatic of body dysmorphic disorder, other mental illnesses, or as an expression of unchecked vanity. Often the general public are unprepared for some forms of modification and reports of the ostracism of modified individuals are widespread within the modification community. Unlicensed surgery performed outside of a medical environment can often be life-threatening, and is illegal in most countries and states.

"Disfigurement" (a subjective term) and "mutilation" (regardless of any appreciation this always applies objectively whenever a bodily function is gravely diminished or lost, as with castration) are terms used by opponents of body modification to describe certain types of modifications, especially non-consensual ones. Those terms are used fairly uncontroversially to describe the victims of torture, who have endured damage to ears, eyes, feet, genitalia, hands, noses, teeth, and/or tongues, including amputation, burning, flagellation, piercing, skinning, and wheeling. "Genital mutilation" is also used somewhat more controversially to describe certain kinds of socially prescribed modifications to the genitals, such as circumcision, female circumcision, castration, and surgeries performed to conform the genitals of individuals with intersex conditions to those of typical males or females.


See also

External links


Articles related to Body Modification
Addition to Tissue
Body art • Breast implants • Eyeball tattooing • Pearling • Tattooing • Scarification • Branding • Cutting
Modification of Tissue
Piercing • Corsetry • Tightlacing • Anal bleaching • Foot binding • Tongue splitting • Genital bisection
Removal of Tissue
Amputation • Liposuction • Mutilation
Genital Modification
Male circumcision • Female circumcision • Castration • Penectomy • Urethrotomy
History
Body piercing history • The History of Piercing


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