Back in the 1920s, people used to pay money to see men and women at carnivals that were covered in tattoos or had unusual piercings. There were so few modified citizens in the Unites States that not a single parlor existed in the mainland US until the 1890s, and for decades after only criminals, sailors, and circus performers were seen with visible tattooing. Thankfully, a lot of things have changed to reflecting shifting modern social norms, and now exposed tattooing and piercings are extremely commonplace.
So how is the body mod industry still evolving? Well, a lot of it has to do with the mainstreaming of modifications and the continuing growth of more extreme forms of temporary mod. For example, with the Halloween season officially in swing, the rise in play piercings is set for an explosion. Some of the most popular temporary piercings for All Hallows Eve last year? Corsets, horns, and wings.
Another extreme trend that’s currently becoming mainstream in Japan‘s modification scene is something affectionately termed by the US media as “bagel head.” Basically, it looks like a large doughnut shaped subdermal implant has been put in the forehead, but the trick is that the look is temporary. This faux subdermal artwork is accomplished pretty simply by the slow deposit of saline solution into the forehead which is then pressed through the center to create an indent. An interesting statement to be sure, but this mod only lasts for a few hours and leaves no noticeable aftereffects.
With these mods and many more making the slow transition into mainstream culture in countries around the world, it’s almost hard to imagine what they might come up with next. Almost.
