| One very strange aspect of our society's culture and | | | | reserved for specific social groups. This is not the |
| the culture of many societies around the world is that | | | | case anymore and people are tattooing themselves |
| of body modification. Body modification has been going | | | | simply because it is the popular thing to do and it has |
| on for hundreds of thousands of years for different | | | | become more culturally accepted. |
| reasons. Early modification had something to do with | | | | More severe forms of body modification include |
| cultural significance in many cases but in other cases it | | | | branding. When a person is branded, a very hot metal |
| was simply due to vanity. People from cultures around | | | | device is heated to super high temperatures and that |
| the world throughout time have been concerned with | | | | instrument is held against the skin for several seconds |
| their personal appearance and would go to great | | | | to cause a severe burn. When the burn heals it leaves |
| lengths to improve it. | | | | be hing a raised scar of a particular design that the |
| The concept of beauty would seem to be one that | | | | individual chose. This particular type of body |
| was the same throughout the globe and throughout | | | | modification is quite dangerous as burns easily become |
| time but that is simply not the case. In one particular | | | | infected. |
| African culture long necks are considered beautiful. It is | | | | One very strange body modification that is coming into |
| in fact considered so important that women have long | | | | vogue with the underground pop culture is implants. A |
| necks that they place metal rings around their neck | | | | stainless steel or Teflon piece is implanted under their |
| starting at a very young age and progressively add | | | | skin to form bumps on the outside of the skin. This is |
| more rings to force their necks to stretch into | | | | quite rare still but it is gaining in popularity. |
| abnormally long proportions. This modification is so | | | | Another strange type of body modification is called |
| severe that if the metal rings were to be removed | | | | "guaging". Having ones ears pierced is certainly not |
| from their neck, these women would not be able to | | | | new but this particular spin on ear piercing is |
| hold their heads up. | | | | somewhat new. It starts by an individual simply having |
| At one point small feet were considered beautiful and | | | | their ears pierced. Then a larger device is inserted in |
| very important for women to have in Japan. It was | | | | the hole every week or so until the hole stretches up |
| considered so important for women to have small feat | | | | to 2 inches in diameter. |
| that starting from an infant, Japanese women had their | | | | Whatever form of body modification one chooses, |
| feet bound in tight ribbons to prevent their feet from | | | | whether it be tattooing or having metal implements |
| growing. | | | | implanted under the skin, the reasons are generally |
| One of the most common types of modification is | | | | very personal nature. Although it is becoming more and |
| tattooing. Tattooing has been going on throughout the | | | | more popular to see people with strange body |
| ages and it is only getting more popular as time goes | | | | modifications many of these body modifications are still |
| on. One of the reasons for this increase in popularity is | | | | quite taboo. The only exception would be getting a |
| due to television programs that have glamorized the | | | | tattoo. This is one particular type of body modification |
| tattooing culture. People from all walks of life are being | | | | that is gaining in popularity at surprising rates. |
| tattooed these days. In days past, tattoos were | | | | |