Body Modification Through History

The term body modification, depending on the context in which it is used, can have multiple interpretations across cultures including ideas about the individual, about ones culture, and as a form of rebellion. The road of body modification, piercing, and mutilation is untraveled by most people, yet it holds an undeniable fascination for many. The culture of body modification has superceded the limits of tattoos and piercing and has now gone on to include such extreme methods as scarification, implants and beading. In this sense, body modification serves as but another manifestation of the body projects that contemporary society enforces upon us. By the 1990’s, body modification was making substantial penetration into the mainstream culture and today it is pervasive, with tattooing, piercing, and cosmetic surgeries receiving extensive media coverage. Another form of body modification involved ear stretching with the use of counterweights.Any type of body modification requires sterile supplies and proper after-care. Some attempts at body modification can also have unintended negative consequences that might reduce self-esteem. Extreme forms of body modification are occasionally viewed as symptomatic of body dysmorphic disorder, other mental illnesses, or as an expression of unchecked vanity.

In the modern age, body modification is considered as a form of fashion accessory. This is why I think body modification is acceptable if it is tasteful, not too obvious and emphasises your already beautiful self. I would argue that body modification , rather than a marginal activity reserved for social deviants, is something that is becoming increasingly relevant to our understandings of the body. Many people believe body modification refers exclusively to such alterations as tattoos or piercings. While this is true, body modification can also include things such as implants (for example, breast implants or facial cheek implants) or plastic surgery to any part of the body

In ancient cultures, body modification was a rite of passage from youth to adulthood, which symbolized bravery, strength and tribal affiliations. Maybe in our society, body modification gives us a way to hide behind who we are. In the U.S., forms of body modification that people once considered rebellious or strange have become increasingly mainstream. Unfortunately, with the growing popularity of alternative and extreme body modification in the mainstream, there is a large number of people saying that they can safely suspend you that absolutely do not have the experience or knowledge to do so. Despite its growing popularity, there are still negative connotations surrounding certain kinds of body modification, while others are completely commonplace, for instance, it would be pretty hard to find a woman these days who doesn’t have her ears pierced, and one of the most involved, long-term, and committed types of body modification, bodybuilding, is not often even considered to be so. In the past two decades, there has been concern about the increasing frequency of "body art" among adolescents and the potential complications of these practices. Body modification also includes tattooing, piercing, branding and scarification.