There are many people today who indulge in extreme forms of body art and full body art. If you go to any tattoo convention you can find scores of them. Modifications range from minor procedures such as stretched lobe piercings or ‘gauges’ to far more major procedures such as tongue bifurcation or ‘tongue splitting.” It is quite fascinating when you really think about it – what spurs people to want such a fundamental alteration in your physicality?
There is actually quite a storied tradition of body modification and full body art. The process of ‘pearling’ whereby one implants a foreign object underneath the skin (usually under the sternum or genitals) has been observed by seamen and the Japanese Yakuza for hundreds of years as a sign of honour. Furthermore, in 1991 the corpse of “Otzi the Ice Man” was found frozen on a mountain between Austria and Italy with 57 tattoos. He is the only known corpse found from the Bronze Age, and has amazed historians with regards to the significance of his tattoos.
However, nowadays tattoos and body modification are stigmatised to an extent within society. The historical significance of the tattoo seems to have been somewhat lost during the industrial revolution and has now deferred to societal norms. Nowadays, the explanation for why people go to such lengths to modify their bodies can usually be reduced to a psychological explanation.
Presumably, the reason that tattoos carry such a great deal of stigma is due to the sociologists who view body modification as a form of “cultural deviance.” These theorists argue that body modification is a simple way of being eccentric, and that in reality, they pose no benefit to one’s personal life. If you are reading this article, like myself, you probably don’t agree with this perspective.
Luckily, there are a far greater number of theorists who view body modification as a form of expression. While they acknowledge the fact that some people may modify their body simply for the social attention, the feel that on the whole, body modification is a personal insight to a person’s life. Body modification can create something truly beautiful; a living piece of art.
Whether you have a tattoo, or are planning on getting one, I think it is safe to say that it should mean something to you. It seems that almost everything nowadays has some sort of controversy around it, so in the end, modifying your body should be a decision that gives you satisfaction. For any sort of tattoo, recent or not, you can be assured that After Inked Tattoo Aftercare will help preserve your tattoo so it looks great for years to come.
Check out some more great examples of body modification!
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