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^{[citation needed]}. 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 statement 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.^{[citation needed]} Some people experience an abstract but distinct compulsion to modify their body that appears to have no underlying or external reason. List of bones of the human skeleton Human anatomy is primarily the scientific study of the morphology of the adult human body. ... Spirituality, in a narrow sense, concerns itself with matters of the spirit. ... Collars are a commonly used symbol of BDSM and can be ornamental and utilitarian. ... In BDSM, edgeplay is a subjective term for types of sexual play that are on the edge of the traditional safe, sane and consensual creed. ... The Parthenons facade showing an interpretation of golden rectangles in its proportions. ... An earring with an intricate design An earring is a piece of jewelry that is worn on the ear. ... This article is about male circumcision. ... Corporal punishment is the deliberate infliction of pain intended to change a persons behavior or to punish them. ... Tongue bifurcation, or tongue splitting, is a type of body modification in which the tongue is cut centrally from its tip part of the way towards its base, forking the end. ... Epinephrine (INN) or adrenaline (BAN) is a hormone and a neurotransmitter. ... For other uses, see Endorphin (disambiguation). ... Self-harm (SH) is deliberate injury to ones own body. ...

Some futurists, such as those who identify as transhumanist, 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^{[citation needed]}, this has been explored in fiction such as the The Six Million Dollar Man or Doctor 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. Futurists is a term often used to describe management consultants who advise corporations on a wide range of global trends, risk management and potential market opportunities. ... Posthuman Future, an illustration by Michael Gibbs for The Chronicle of Higher Educations look at how biotechnology will change the human experience, has become one of the secular icons representing transhumanism. ... By the mid 20th century humans had achieved a mastery of technology sufficient to leave the surface of the Earth for the first time and explore space. ... For other uses, see Cyborg (disambiguation). ... The Six Million Dollar Man is an American television series about a cyborg working for the OSI (which was usually said to refer to the Office of Scientific Intelligence, but sometimes was called the Office of Scientific Investigation). ... This article is about the television series. ... The Cybermen - 1966 vintage (from The Moonbase). ... A pacemaker (or artificial pacemaker, so as not to be confused with the hearts natural pacemaker) is a medical device designed by Nitish and Raheel to regulate the beating of the heart. ... Brain implants, often referred to as neural implants, are technological devices that connect directly to a biological subjects brain - usually placed on the surface of the brain, or attached to the brains cortex. ... Illustration of the internal parts of a cochlear implant. ...

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^{[citation needed]}. Complex Kadakali makeup is a form of body art Body art is art made on, with, or consisting of, the human body. ...

Types of body modification

Ceremony in Benin

• Anal stretching [1]
• Body piercing - permanent placement of jewelry through an artificial fistula; sometimes further modified by stretching
• Branding - controlled burning or cauterizing of tissue to encourage intentional scarring
• Breast implants - Insertion of plastic bags filled with silicone rubber or saline solution into the breasts to increase their size
• Breast ironing - Pressing (sometimes with a heated object) the breasts of a pubescent female to prevent their growth.
• Eyeball tattooing - Injection of a pigment into the cornea.
• Ear piercing - the most common type of body modification
• Ear shaping [2] (which includes Ear cropping [3], Ear pointing or "elfing" [4])
• Extraocular implant (eyeball jewelry) - The implantation of jewelry in the outer layer of the eye.
• Female genital cutting - removal of the labia minora or the clitoral hood
• Frenectomy [5]
• Genital beading - also known as pearling
• Genital bisection - splitting of both the underside and the top of the penis, including Genital inversion [6]
• Male circumcision - removal of the foreskin, sometimes also the frenulum--conversely some men choose to take up foreskin restoration.
• Meatotomy - splitting of the underside of the glans penis
• Headsplitting - splitting of both the underside and the top of the glans penis
• Nullification involves the voluntary removal of body parts. Body parts that are removed by those practicing body nullification are for example Fingers, Penis (penectomy), Testicles (castration), Clitoris, Labia or Nipples. Sometimes people who desire a nullification may be diagnosed with body integrity identity disorder or apotemnophilia. ^[1]
• Scarification - cutting or removal of dermis with the intent to encourage intentional scarring or keloiding
• Subdermal implant - implantation of an object that resides entirely below the dermis, including Horn implants [7]
• Subincision - splitting of the underside of the penis, also called urethrotomy
• Tattooing - the mechanical placement of ink in the dermis
• Tongue splitting - bisection of the tongue similar to a snake's
• Transdermal implant - implantation of an object below the dermis, but which exits the skin at one or more points
• Trepanation [8]

|accessdate=2007-08-29|date=09/16/2004}}</ref>^[2][3][4] Image File history File links Metadata No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links Metadata No higher resolution available. ... Anal stretching is a practice used by some to train relaxation of the muscles of the anus. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... In medicine, a fistula (pl. ... Stretching, in the context of body piercing, is the deliberate expansion of a healed fistula, for the purpose of wearing body piercing jewelry. ... Branding persons refers to the use of the same physical techniques as in livestock branding on a consenting or constrained human, a form of body modification (see that article for general considerations) similar to scarification (see that article for technical details). ... For other uses, see Burn. ... Cauterization is a medical term describing the burning of the body to remove or close a part of it. ... A breast implant is a prosthesis used to enlarge the size of a womans breasts (known as breast augmentation, breast enlargement, mammoplasty enlargement, augmentation mammoplasty or the common slang term boob job) for cosmetic reasons; to reconstruct the breast (e. ... Breast ironing is a form of body modification practiced in parts of Cameroon. ... Corneal tattooing is a form of cosmetic surgery applied to the cornea, used to improve the visual look of the eye, improve vision or reduce the effects of scarring. ... The cornea is the transparent front part of the eye that covers the iris, pupil, and anterior chamber, providing most of an eyes optical power [1]. Together with the lens, the cornea refracts light and, as a result, helps the eye to focus. ... A little girls pierced ear with a small earring. ... Ear shaping is the process of altering the shape of the human ear(s) as a body modification practice, often resulting in a non-human appearance. ... Docking is used as a term for the intentional removal of part of an animals tail or ears. ... An extraocular implant is a cosmetic implant involving a tiny piece of decorative jewelry which is implanted within the superficial, interpalpebral conjunctiva of the human eye. ... For other uses, see Eye (disambiguation). ... Female genital cutting (FGC), female genital mutilation (FGM), or female circumcision (FC), is the excision or tissue removal of any part of the female genitalia for cultural, religious or other non-medical reasons. ... The labia minora (singular: labium minus) or nymphae[1] are two [longitudinal]] cutaneous folds, that normally vary widely in size from woman to woman. ... The clitoris is a sexual organ that is present in biologically female mammals. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Pearling refers to the practice of permanently inserting small beads made of various materials beneath the skin of the shaft or foreskin of the penis. ... Pearling refers to the practice of permanently inserting small beads made of various materials beneath the skin of the shaft or foreskin of the penis. ... Genital bisection in males involves the splitting of the penis (and often the scrotum as well). ... This article is being rewritten at Circumcision/temp Circumcision is the removal of some or all of the prepuce or foreskin though often the frenulum is also excised. ... The foreskin or prepuce (a technically broader term that also includes the clitoral hood, the homologous structure in women) is a retractable double-layered fold of skin and mucous membrane that covers the glans penis and protects the urinary meatus when the penis is not erect. ... A frenulum (or frenum, plural: frenula or frena, from the Latin frēnulum, little bridle, the diminutive of frēnum ) is a small fold of tissue that secures or restricts the motion of a mobile organ in the body. ... Foreskin restoration is the process of expanding the residual skin on the penis, via surgical or non-surgical methods, to create the appearance of a natural foreskin (prepuce) covering the glans penis. ... A meatotomy is a form of penile modification in which the underside of the glans is split. ... The glans penis (or simply glans) is the sensitive tip of the penis. ... A meatotomy is a form of penile modification in which the underside of the glans is split. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... The penis (plural penises, penes) is an external male sexual organ. ... Penectomy is the surgical removal of the penis for medical reasons. ... Look up testes in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Castration (also referred as: gelding, neutering, orchiectomy, orchidectomy, and oophorectomy) is any action, surgical, chemical, or otherwise, by which a male loses the functions of the testes or a female loses the functions of the ovaries. ... The clitoris is a sexual organ that is present in biologically female mammals. ... Parts of a vulva The external genital organs of the female are collectively known as the vulva (also sometimes called the pudenda). ... This article is about the anatomical structure. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... Apotemnophilia (from Greek αποτέμνειν to cut off) or BIID is the overwhelming desire to amputate one or more healthy limbs. ... Scarification is a term that is used to describe the act of scarifying. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... A keloid is a special type of scar which results in an overgrowth of tissue at the site of a healed skin injury. ... A subdermal implant is form of body modification, a foreign object surgically implanted beneath the skin. ... Subincision is a form of body modification consisting of a urethrotomy, in which the underside of the penis is incised and the urethra slit open lengthwise, from the urethral opening (meatus) toward the base. ... For other uses, see Tattoo (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Ink (disambiguation). ... The dermis is a layer of skin beneath the epidermis that consists of connective tissue and cushions the body from stress and strain. ... Tongue bifurcation, or tongue splitting, is a type of body modification in which the tongue is cut centrally from its tip part of the way towards its base, forking the end. ... For other uses, see Tongue (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Snake (disambiguation). ... Transdermal implants are a form of body modification used both in a medical and aesthetic context. ... The term implant has different meanings: in Scientology, see Implant (Scientology) in medicine, see prosthesis This is a disambiguation page &#8212; a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... 18th century French illustration of trepanation Trepanation (also known as trepanning, trephination, trephining or burr hole) is a form of surgery in which a hole is drilled or scraped into the skull, thus exposing the dura mater in order to treat health problems related to intracranial diseases, though in the...

• Dermal anchoring similar to transdermal implants[9]
• Microdermal implants [10]
• Nipple removal [11]
• Nipple splitting [12]
• Scrotal implants [13]
• Silicone injection [14]
• Tongue frenectomy [15]
• Tooth filing [16]
• Scrotal bisection - splitting of the scrotum
• Superincision - splitting of the top of the penis

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 - 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. A luxury hourglass corset from 1878. ... Cathie Jung (born 1937), wearing a sterling silver corset, holds the Guinness World Record for the smallest waist of any currently living person, at 38. ... Waistline The waist is the part of the abdomen between the ribcage and hips. ... The human torso Torso is an anatomical term for the greater part of the human body without the head and limbs. ... Artificial cranial deformation or artificial deformation of the skull is any practice of intentionally deforming the skull of a human being. ... “Baby” redirects here. ... X-ray of bound feet. ... Physical compression is the result of the subjection of a material to compressive stress, resulting in reduction of volume. ... For other uses, see Foot (disambiguation). ... A Kayan woman in Northern Thailand The Kayan are a group of the Karenni people, a Tibeto-Burman ethnic minority of Myanmar (Burma). ... A Kayan woman in Northern Thailand The Kayan are a group of the Karenni people, a Tibeto-Burman ethnic minority of Myanmar (Burma). ... A woman from the Sara tribe with two large lip plates (about 1900). ...

Controversy

The head of a man with conspicuous tattoos and other body modifications

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^{[citation needed]}. 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^{[citation needed]}. Unlicensed surgery performed outside of a medical environment can often be life-threatening, and is illegal in most countries and states^{[citation needed]}. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1200x1600, 941 KB) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Tattoo Metadata This file contains additional information, probably added from the digital camera or scanner used to create... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1200x1600, 941 KB) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Tattoo Metadata This file contains additional information, probably added from the digital camera or scanner used to create... Body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) is a mental disorder that involves a distorted body image. ... A mental illness or mental disorder refers to one of many mental health conditions characterized by distress, impaired cognitive functioning, atypical behavior, emotional dysregulation, and/or maladaptive behavior. ...

"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^{[citation needed]}. "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^{[citation needed]}. For other uses, see Torture (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Ear (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Eye (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Foot (disambiguation). ... A sex organ, or primary sexual characteristic, narrowly defined, is any of those parts of the body (which are not always bodily organs according to the strict definition) which are involved in sexual reproduction and constitute the reproductive system in an complex organism; namely: Male: penis (notably the glans penis... For other uses, see Hand (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Nose (disambiguation). ... Types of teeth Molars are used for grinding up foods Carnassials are used for slicing food. ... For other uses, see Tongue (disambiguation). ... Partial hand amputation Amputation is the removal of a body extremity by trauma or surgery. ... For other uses, see Burn. ... Whipping on a post Flagellation is the act of whipping (Latin flagellum, whip) the human body. ... Body piercing is a form of body modification. ... Skinning commonly refers to the act of skin removal, from the verb to skin. ... The breaking at the wheel) was a form of punishment used during the english civil war. ... Circumcision is the removal of some or all of the prepuce (foreskin). ... A sex organ, or primary sexual characteristic, narrowly defined, is any of those parts of the body (which are not always bodily organs according to the strict definition) which are involved in sexual reproduction and constitute the reproductive system in an complex organism; namely: Male: penis (notably the glans penis... This article is about male circumcision. ... Female genital cutting (FGC) refers to a number of procedures performed for cultural, rather than medical, reasons on the female genitalia. ... Castration (also referred as: gelding, neutering, orchiectomy, orchidectomy, and oophorectomy) is any action, surgical, chemical, or otherwise, by which a male loses the functions of the testes or a female loses the functions of the ovaries. ... An intersexual is a person (or individual of any unisexual species) who is born with genitalia and/or secondary sexual characteristics of indeterminate sex, or which combine features of both sexes. ...

Individuals known for extensive body modification

• Dwayne Michael Carter, Jr (Lil' Wayne)
• Travis Barker
• Pete Burns
• Michal Jackson
• Elaine Davidson
• The Enigma
• Lolo Ferrari
• Julia Gnuse ("The Illustrated Lady")
• Cindy Jackson
• Michael Jackson
• Katzen ("Cat woman")
• Tom Leppard
• Eric Sprague
• Lucky Diamond Rich
• Hao Lulu
• Horace Ridler ("The Great Omi")
• Stalking Cat ("Cat man")
• Stelarc
• Jocelyn Wildenstein
• Davey Havok(Lead Vocalist of American rock band "AFI")

Dwayne Michael Carter, Jr. ... Travis Landon Barker (born November 14, 1975) is an American drummer, who achieved most of his fame by drumming for the band blink-182. ... Peter Pete Burns (b. ... For other persons named Michael Jackson, see Michael Jackson (disambiguation). ... Elaine Davidson Since having her first body piercing in January 1997, Brazilian born Elaine Davidson has had 2,500 piercings over and inside her body, as of 13 October 2004. ... The Enigma (birth name Paul Lawrence[1])is a sideshow performer and musician who has undergone extensive body modification, including horn implants and a full-body jigsaw-puzzle tattoo. ... Lolo Ferrari, born Eve Valois (March 4, 1962 - March 5, 2000) was a French dancer and actress billed as the woman with the largest breasts in the world, though their size was artificially achieved. ... Julia Gnuse, commonly known by the nickname The Illustrated Lady, holds the Guinness Record for being the most tattooed woman in the world,[1] having coverage of 95% of her body (including her face). ... Cindy Jackson Cindy Jackson (born in 1955 in Ohio) is the person with the Guinness World record for having had the most plastic surgeries of anyone in the world. ... Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958), commonly known as MJ as well as the King of Pop, is an American musician, entertainer, and pop icon whose successful career and controversial personal life have been a part of pop culture for the last three decades. ... Katzen holding a bass guitar. ... Tom Leppard, more widely known as Leopard Man or the Leopard Man of Skye, was formerly considered by The Guinness Book of World Records to be the worlds most tattooed man. ... Erik Sprague (June 12, 1972 –) is a freak and sideshow performer, better known as The Lizardman due to his sharpened teeth, full-body tattoo of green scales and bifurcated tongue. ... Lucky Diamond Rich is the worlds most tattooed person (a title formerly held by Tom Leppard), and has tattoos covering his entire body, including the inside of his mouth and ears. ... Hao Lulu (&#37085;&#29840;&#29840;, born 9th January 1979) is a young Manchu Chinese woman who has become famous in Mainland China for having undergone extensive cosmetic surgery in 2003 to alter her appearance, tagged The Artificial Beauty (&#20154;&#36896;&#32654;&#22899;). Born in Beijing, Hao entered the China University... Horace Ridler (1886-1969) was a professional freak and sideshow performer, exhibiting himself as tattooed man, under the name The Great Omi. ... Stalking Cats extensive body modifications Dennis Avner (born August 27, 1958) of Whidbey Island, Washington, United States, is widely known as the Catman, though he prefers his Native American name, Stalking Cat. ... Stelarc (born Stelios Arcadiou on June 19, 1946) to Greek Cypriot parents is an Australian performance artist whose works focus heavily on futurism and extending the capabilities of the human body. ... Jocelyn Wildenstein, (born August 5, 1940 in Lausanne, Switzerland),[1] sometimes referred to as The Lion Queen or The Cat Woman, is a wealthy socialite who has frequently been seen in the tabloid press due to her numerous cosmetic surgeries. ... David Marchand [1] (born David Anthony Passaro, on November 20, 1975, in Rochester, New York) more commonly known by the stage name Davey Havok, is the lead vocalist of the American rock band AFI. // Havok was born in Rochester, New York and is of Italian ancestery. ...

See also

• Fakir Musafar, the grandfather of body modification
• Full body tattoo
• Apotemnophilia
• Attraction to disability
• Blood ritual
• Suspension (body modification)
• BME, a large website devoted to body modification

Fakir Musafar (born 1930 in Aberdeen, South Dakota) is considered the father of the modern primitive movement. ... Katzen, a woman that has a full body tattoo. ... Apotemnophilia (from Greek αποτέμνειν to cut off) or BIID is the overwhelming desire to amputate one or more healthy limbs. ... Attraction to disability is a stigmatic-eligibilic paraphilia which entails a sexualised interest in the appearance, sensation and experience of disability, an imperative to pretend to be disabled, and even to become disabled. ... A blood ritual is any ritual that involves the intentional release of blood. ... Hooks Suicide-Suspension A suspension is the act of suspending a human body from hooks that have been put through body piercings. ... BME stands for Body Modification Ezine. ...

Notes

1. ^ {{cite web|url=http://www.slweekly.com/index.cfm?do=article.details&id=1CA812CA-2BF4-55D0-F1F09D9BE9B80EB9 Underground|publisher=Salt Lake City Weekly|author=Jamie Gadette
2. ^ Shannon Larratt. nullification, the voluntary removal of body parts. BMEzine. Retrieved on 2007-08-29.
3. ^ Shannon Larratt (March 18, 2002). ModCon: The Secret World Of Extreme Body Modification. BMEbooks. ISBN 0973008008. 
4. ^ Adam Callen. What is TOO Extreme for Body Modification?. Ezine Articles. Retrieved on 2007-08-29.

The Salt Lake City Weekly is a free alternative weekly tabloid-paged newspaper published in Salt Lake City, Utah. ... BME stands for Body Modification E-Zine. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 241st day of the year (242nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 241st day of the year (242nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

External links

• Pictures of scarification in Africa - Features by Jean-Michel Clajot, Belgian photographer
• Body Modification E-Zine Encyclopedia entry showing various inappropriate uses of ear piercing instruments
• Body Modification E-Zine article on the Studex System 75
• A video of a child geting her ears pierced
• http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=1002889546481214555
• Church of Body Modification
• Tattoo Body Modification Discussion
• The Official Body Modification Organization