Body modifications are ways to alter your anatomy and physical appearance. It can be considered quite a taboo subject but I personally admire all forms of body modifications! Here is a list of some of my favorites. While some are more extreme than others, there is no particular order of this list.
- Split Tongue (Forked Tongue)
To get a forked tongue, a certified piercer or surgeon uses a scalpel to make a split. After the tongue is split, there will be open tissue on the tongue, which will require closure. The surgeon/piercer will then sew the exposed portion to stitch up each side of the split. This will result in faster healing and have a lower chance of your tongue growing back together. There are many health risks that come with this procedure such as risk of hemorrhage, infection and nerve damage, but many have taken good care of their split tongue and successfully healed it!
- Skin Stretching
Most piercings are able to be stretched, some of the most popular being stretched septums, ears, lip, and nostril piercings! There is a large range of sizes that you can choose to stretch to, and some prefer smaller sizes, others prefer larger ones. When it comes to stretching, the optimal method is dead stretching. This is where you gradually increase sizes naturally by massaging and loosening your skin to allow a larger size of jewelry to fit in, rather than forcing through a larger size when the piercing hole is not fully ready.
- Skin Implants
Transdermal
There are two different types of implants, subdermal or transdermal implants. Subdermal implants are entirely placed under the skin, are used for both cosmetic and medical purposes and often made of silicone. When the implant gets inserted under the skin, the body heals over it to display a design. Transdermal implants are only partially placed under the skin. The implant is shaped in a figure 8 and placed in between the layers of skin, allowing the skin to grow around the implant while a part of the implant protrudes out.
- Scleral Tattooing
Barcroft Media via Getty Images
This is a practice where dye is injected between two layers of the eye and then spreads throughout the scleral. Many professionals advise against this, and laws have been put into place to make this procedure illegal in Oklahoma and Indiana. The procedure of scleral tattooing is similar to the method surgeons use to install eye implants. Keep in mind that this body modification is rather new and long term effects have not been thoroughly studied yet, but there are possible risks and complications which include blindness.
- Body Piercing
This is definitely the least extreme body modification on this list, and most common in society as well. You can pierce almost any part of the body, while most popular piercings are septum, nostril, eyebrow, lobe, cartilage, and navel piercings.
Body modifications can be used as forms of self expression and as culture. I encourage society to be understanding and accepting of individuals who choose to express themselves in unique forms and practices. Our bodies are blank canvases and allow us to be our true, authentic selves.
