Body modification is not just for punks, bad to the bone bikers, and prisoners anymore. Everyone from your mom to the girl next door is now proudly modified and it’s just fine by society. Even the preppiest girls can rock a belly button piercing. The paper boy has stretched ear lobes and your teacher has tattoos. A tiny stud nose ring or a tattoo on your arm does not mean you are unemployable; you are just the average citizen. More and more jobs are beginning to accept visible piercings and tattoos in the workplace. The face of body modification (and the world) is changing. This generation finds it much more socially acceptable for different cultures and creeds to be pierced and tattooed, and that’s just awesome. The body mod community is not discriminating; anyone can participate. Individuality is celebrated, and all are encouraged to push the limits.
Puncturing or embedding any part of your body to adorn it with jewelry is called piercing. Body piercing is an ancient art that has been practiced throughout time. Some cultures use body piercing or tattooing as a part of religious or spiritual traditions. Piercings and tattoos are done for a variety of reasons, from beauty and trend, to ritual. All types of body modification require aftercare to help in the healing process. Ear and facial piercings are of course the most popular. Belly button piercings are also very prevalent amongst young women, and modifying your earlobes by stretching them is growing in popularity amid youth as well. Tattoos big and small are a popular means of self expression worldwide. Examples of body modification can be found all around us and in popular culture, entertainment, and advertising.
(source: WGSN)
Body modification is so much more than just a simple trend; it truly is a way of life. You have to be fully committed to your new look, because in many cases the change is permanent. It is expensive to cover up or remove tattoos, plastic surgery is required to sew up large stretched earlobes, and sometimes retired piercings can leave scars. Planning out the piercing or tattoo you want to get in advance is always a good idea. Get studded or inked in the usual places, or be bold and try something completely original. Not every piercing looks the same on every person, so always consider your anatomy and consult a professional before making that kind of commitment. Look at the image you want everyday and if you aren’t sick of it after a while, it’s meant to be. Try on piercings before you get them done with faux jewelry or even Photoshop; it’s fun to see what you are getting yourself into (and to make sure the decision is right for you).
A body piercing or tattoo that is perfectly located and executed can be one of the sexiest and most gratifying additions to your body’s natural beauty. You know that it was a good decision when it looks natural, like the piercing has always been there, part of you. I don’t regret any of my piercings or tattoos, and I love the attention and respect that I get from proudly displaying them. It is nice to feel like a piece of living art. It is a constant (and addicting) work in progress. Body piercing and modification is completely empowering, and makes you feel beautiful. With each addition and modification, your body becomes one step closer to the perfect version that you imagine for yourself.
