Body modification
Consensual alteration of human anatomy
Body modification (or body alteration) is the deliberate altering of the human anatomy or human physical appearance. In its broadest definition it includes skin tattooing, socially acceptable decoration (e.g., common body piercing in many societies), and religious rites of passage (e.g., circumcision in a number of cultures), as well as the modern primitive movement.
Body modification is performed for a large variety of reasons, including aesthetics, sexual enhancement, rites of passage, religious beliefs, to display group membership or affiliation, in remembrance of lived experience, traditional symbolism such as axis mundi and mythology, to create body art, for shock value, and as self-expression, among other reasons.
01History
Body modification is recorded in ancient practices, with the tattoos on Ötzi's mummy dating to 5300 years ago.
02Cultural significance
What counts as "body modification" varies in cultures. In western cultures, the cutting or removal of one's hair is not usually considered body modification. Body modification can be contrasted with body adornment by defining body modification as "the physical alteration of the physical body [...] can be temporary or permanent, although most are permanent and modify the body forever". Around the globe, body modification has served as group ritual, rite of passage, and group membership.
03Types of body modification
- Piercing, permanent placement of jewelry through an artificial fistula; sometimes further modified by stretching
- Tattooing, injection of a pigment under the skin
- Scarification, cutting or removal of dermis with the intent to encourage intentional scarring or keloiding
- Branding, controlled burning or cauterizing of tissue to encourage intentional scarring
- Subdermal implants, implantation of an object that resides entirely below the dermis, including horn implants
04Psychology and motivations
Factors behind body modification include group identities, reclaiming bodies, and painful rituals.
05Health and safety
Complications of body modifications may include infection and allergic reactions.
06Legal considerations
Laws related to body modification vary across countries, and parental consent may be required for minors.
Sources and credits
This article is adapted from the Wikipedia article “Body modification”, written by its contributors and licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Fathomly has changed the layout, removed citation markers, navigation and maintenance notices, and adjusted punctuation. This adapted version is shared under the same license. For references, see the original article.
Images, from Wikimedia Commons:
- Scarification by Lestyn Flye.jpg by Ning Chang, CC BY 2.0
- First piercing.jpg by kill, CC BY 2.0
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