Body Mod

[Corey]

[size=1]Over the past year or so, I've gotten more and more into body modification.
I've stretched my earlobes to a 6 guage earring. I've gotten a tattoo ,with more on the way. I also plan on getting my ears pierced a few more times, getting a labret piercing, probably a few surface piercings on my arms, and maybe a tongue piercing too.

I was just curious what everyone here thought about body modification.
???
[b]20ga[/b]
staple
[b]18ga[/b]
small paperclip, most ear piercing studs.
[b]16ga[/b]
thumbtack tip, big safety pin.
[b]14ga[/b]
metal coat hanger, bike spoke, wire from triangular business clamp.
[b]12ga[/b]
wire hanger, spaghetti.
[b]10ga[/b]
round toothpick, q-tip shaft, small bamboo skewer.
[b]8ga[/b]
fire extinguisher pin, #5 crochet hook, small pilot lock, coffee swizzles, ink cartridge.
[b]6ga[/b]
juice box straw, lightsaber handles from Star Wars lego sets, lightbrite peg, mini-glowstick, Rold Gold pretzel stick, heroin-style medical tubing, round boot lace, lollipop stick.
[b]4ga[/b]
pilot stylus, large bamboo skewer, chopstick.
[b]2ga[/b]
drinking straw, power cord for N64, Bic automatic pencil, crayola colored pencil, yellow pipette tip, crossbow bolt, no.2 pencil.
[b]0ga[/b]
Bic round stic, candy cane, round chopsticks, Master Lock shackle, PCR tube, blue pipette tip, plastic clothes hanger.
[b]00ga[/b]
Bic round stic cap, 1/4" male headphone jack, lego person's head, fat crayons, American lock company #5200 shackle, beaded Christmas garland, Papermate Gel Roller pen.
[b]000ga[/b]
Sharpie marker body, wooden spoon handle, 1/4" female headphone jack, A/V adaptor plug head from Sony Playstation.
[b]0000ga[/b]
Sharpie marker cap, mini one-use hydrating shampoo/conditioner bottle, Eppendorf reaction vial.
Any other terms can be looked up at [url]http://encyc.bmezine.com/[/url] (The Body Mod Encyclopedia). The site does contain some mature content as it deals with [i]all[/i] body modifications. You've been warned.[/size]

[EVA Unit 100]

I want to get 3 earlobe piercings (two in one ear, one in the other), one cartalidge piercing, one eyebrow piercing, a nose piercing, and maybe a labret piercing. I'll probably get them when I go off to college.

I might get a tattoo, but it'll have to be something important. They're permanenant, so I'd have to make a good choice or else.

Overall piercings and tattoos look good in small-medium quantities. Maybe a large tattoo would look good on someone if it really fit them, but once you become Lizard Man they look butt-ugly.

[Corey]

[size=1]The Lizard Man is someone, no matter how you think they look, who is deserving of complete respect.
That level of determination and commitment is amazing no matter what you're doing with it.

When you say cartilage piercing, what part of the cartilage do you mean?[/size]

[elfpirate]

[quote name='EVA Unit 100']Overall piercings and tattoos look good in small-medium quantities. Maybe a large tattoo would look good on someone if it really fit them, but once you become Lizard Man they look butt-ugly.[/quote][b]It's all a matter of personal opinion... I'm sure that there's many people who find Lizard Man attractive... (yikes)[/b]

[b]I personally think that it all depends on your preference for design and placement when it comes to both tattoos and piercings.[/b]

[b]For instance, having a Maori-style facial tattoo can be quite attractive, in my opinion, as long as it's done well, with the structure of the face in mind. [/b]

[b]I mean, when you design a tattoo for a particular part of the body, attention should be paid to [i]complimenting[/i] the particular features of that body part, not over-riding them. [/b]

[b]For instance, if you're designing a tattoo for a woman's torso, it will look much better if the tattoo design incorporates curving lines, etc... to [i]accentuate[/i] her form, rather than to draw attention away from it.[/b]

[b]The idea of body art is to make your body a piece of art... not just to [i]wear[/i] art. If you want to wear art, buy a cool shirt...[/b]

[b]I have a number of piercings and tattoos, but they are well-placed and I have been careful to have them accentuate my features, not draw the gaze away from them.[/b]

[b]Even my earlobes, which are stretched to a little bigger than 1/2 an inch, have retained their beauty and don't look gaudy... or creepy...especially with the fat pirate rings [/b][b](:D yay!) that go through the eyelets.. and the two other rings in each ear.[/b]

[b]My nose is pierced (through the cartilage of the septum) with a 6-guage ring, and I have a labret. [/b]

[b]I also wear two tiny rings on either side of my bottom lip, which lay entirely flush against the lip, so they look like subtle silver lines of lipstick. [/b][b]And... I have my nips and my tongue pierced.[/b]

[b]All of my piercings were well thought out, and I've done all of them myself over the years (since way before the whole "grunge" thing was popular, so it was considered [i]really[/i] freaky/unusual to be pierced back then... but I was always into the traditional tribal thing, so I didn't care what people thought...) [/b]

[b]Most of them have special significance outside of being a form of self-expression, too. I'm all about incorporating meaning into your piercings and tattoos.;) [/b]

[Panda]

I am definitely nowhere near extreme when it comes to body modification. I have my ears pierced twice on both sides. I did have a third piercing in one ear but it kept getting infected so I removed it. As for tats I have only one right now on my left ankle. I plan on getting another one. I want to get a panda (suprise, suprise) but I need to get some money.

I love looking at people's skin art. I don't have a problem asking people if it is ok to appreciate their work. I don't stare and gawk. That is just rude. I think if people choose to express themselves through body modification then it is their choice. I wouldn't go and get those implants on my forehead or cover my entire body in tats, but I don't think it is wrong if some one does it.

On the note of body modification there are also the people who do self amputation. They feel that their body isn't the way they like it so they cut off their fingers, toes or go Van Gogh and cut off ears. I am not sure about this, skin art and piercings I can handle but self amputation is waaaay to extreme to me. :animeblus

[dd protector]

[COLOR=Indigo]I personally have 9 ear piercings (soon to be 11) 4 on one side and 5 on the other. I have 4 16 guage piercings and one 14 and two 12's. Im alos soon getting a navel done. Im not that big on tattoos for myself though. Im scared of needles. :animeswea

But piercings and tattoos really are a personal preference. One of my best friends does piercings for a living and he has 00 earings, 2 lips rings, tongue, nipples, navel, and soon to have venoms. And they look good on him. I have another friend who has a lip ring and it looks horrid. Some people are made for piercings and some people look horrible with them. The same goes for tattoos, but it all comes down to what you want to look like and how you want people to view you.[/COLOR]

[MillenniumChaos]

Eheh. I never could do body mod. I don't even have my ears pierced since I'm terrified of needles. O__O Some of it doesn't sound so bad. I mean, a hole the size of a staple or of a paperclip seems okay, but a sharpie marker cap is a little too far for someone like myself. Can you reverse it, by the way? I always wondered. ^^

[future girl]

[size=1]I think tattoos are pretty cool, but like elpifrate says, it always depends on the person, the placement and the art. I've gotten a couple of ideas for some, but I've yet to decide if I'm willing to deal with a myself as a 50 year old women with a one-up mushroom on her hip. I'm leaning toward yes right now for what it's worth though. With that said, I love intact ears. I don't even have piercings in mine. Actually, I tried upon my mother's request but took them off after freaking out over a small infection. I have a couple of friends that are increasing the gauge in their ear and I admit it can look cool, but I don't like the feeling of it so yea ::shrugs::[/size]

[Corey]

[size=1][b]elfpirate-[/b] You are a work of art, and I wish I could have the determination you have.
What you've made yourself is the level that I want to go to. I have even more respect for you now then I ever have before. :D

[b]Millennium Chaos-[/b] Some things are reversable, and some are not. If you want to close up most regular piercings all you have to do is take out the jewelry. If you're stretching your lobe, or any other part of your body, anything from 20ga-6ga is definitly reverseable. Anything from 4ga-00ga has a chance of healing, but the area might look like a cats butt once healed, all sunken in and stuff. Anything higher than 00ga is probably permanent without surgery.
Tattoos are also reversable, though the process is painful and considered 'medium' surgery.

As for self amputation, that's something I could never even consider. I love every part of my body.
A friend of mine, one that is very into body modification, said probably one of the deepest things I've ever heard on the subject.
[list][i]"My body is a temple. Why do I do these things to myself? My temple needs to be properly decorated."[/i][/list]

I don't think I could just rip a section of my temple away.[/size]

[Morpheus]

I see absolutely no point in modding my body. A tattoo is just, for lack of a better word, stupid. I like different pictures, but putting them on my body is rediculous. Can you not live without seeing a picture every single minute? I have a nice printer, and I can carry that awesome dragon pic I found online in my pocket for about a cent.

I don't see a point in crazy piercings either. I'll never get one, but I like them on girls. Ears only. I know a girl that has a metal stud in her eyebrow and it looks horrible. The skin is stretched and red.

As for other modding, I won't do any of it, but there are certain things that, as a guy, I wouldn't mind a girl modding. As long as it doesn't look stupid(like this one girl with, erm, basketball-size). That is rediculous and unattractive.

[elfpirate]

[quote name='Morpheus'] I know a girl that has a metal stud in her eyebrow and it looks horrible. The skin is stretched and red.[/quote]
[b]*heh*... sounds like whomever pierced her didn't do it right or she neglected to take care of it. In either case, it does look awful when a piercing ain't quite right...[/b]

[IceWolfEyes]

---------------------------------------

[Fall]

I've got an eyebrow bar in my left eyebrow. And that's it. It's something there for looks for me, really. I wouldn't get anything else, like an ear pierced, I don't think. Or a tatoo.

[DeathBug]

[quote name='IceWolfEyes']Well, I'd have to say I'm all for body mods. I love what I've done to my body and I expect to always love it.[/quote]

Yes, because people never, ever regret things they did when they were younger. Ever.


[QUOTE] Even when I grow old and saggy, lol.[/QUOTE]
There's a lovely thought.

Seriously, I have no idea of even the thought process behind body modification. Why would I want hot ink injected beneath the surface of my skin, that's only removable by surgical procedures? Why would I want metal-filled holes in my face and tongue and...other parts?

[elfpirate]

[quote name='DeathBug'] Why would I want hot ink injected beneath the surface of my skin, that's only removable by surgical procedures? [/quote]
[b]Er... um... FYI--the ink[i] isn't [/i] hot... it's room temp... and in a tattoo parlour,"room temperature" is kept pretty low... [/b]

[b]I wouldn't want hot ink injected beneath the surface of my skin either- the design would bleed out:animesmil [/b]

[Pumpkin]

[QUOTE=IceWolfEyes]
2 wolf paws, one on each breast both about palm sized. One has the chinese symbol for death and is dark red, the other for life and is light blue.
[/QUOTE]

[FONT=Georgia][SIZE=2][i] Is this kinda like Eve's cat paws? that actually sounds like it'd look really pretty. As far as I go, I've never had a problem with body modification. Infact on guys, tattoos are especially sexy. Girls as well, if its placed in the right place, you know on good features. Like stated above, tattoos can be sexy if you know where to place it. I have four earrings. Two on each ear and I recently got my second one, it doesnt hurt, and I love how it looks. Most of my friends have their nose, tongue or belly button done. I find belly button rings extremely attractive for some reason and once I get older I'm definately going to get one and maybe a nose piercing who knows. I think piercings and tattoos are looked at as a way to express yourself as an indivual, if you think it looks good, or want to be different, then who's to say its wrong and stop you? [/SIZE][/i][/FONT]

[Corey]

[quote name='DeathBug']Why would I want ink injected beneath the surface of my skin, that's only removable by surgical procedures? Why would I want metal-filled holes in my face and tongue and...other parts?[/quote]
[size=1]Why wouldn't you?[/size]

[Retribution]

[SIZE=1]Because some people don't like things on their body. I suppose I fall under that banner. If you get a tatoo, you might not like it in another decade. Therefore, some people just refrain from getting them altogether.[/SIZE]