Lets face it; puberty is an awkward and confusing time for adolescents. In what can seem like overnight, changes to the body start happening spontaneously. Body hair starts growing all over the place, acne pops up everywhere, and lets not forget about the cruel stench of body odor.
The ultimate body modification may be on the horizon: head transplants.
Imagine a future where your own body was disposable, where people transplant their heads onto entirely new bodies when their own begin to fail. Is it possible?
A female with an hourglass or defined waistline has been a long sought after classic body ideal –regardless of a womans weight or body type.
The Medical Bags body modification series has explored everything from permanent makeup to lip and eyelid sewing, but this edition has more of a technological twist.
Triple nipples is yet another way to innovate the human body. And a third nipple doesnt necessarily have to be grafted onto your chest. It can go anywhere: the elbow, the knee, the foot; whatever turns you on.
The professional name for it is clear lens face piercing. Put simply, its a hole in your face: a hole in your face thats then sealed with a clear plug so people can see inside your mouth without you ever having to open it.
Body piercing in the Western world has evolved considerably in recent decades.
Like to wear high heels but dont like the foot pain they can cause?
Just cut off your pinky toe. Thats what some women are doing in order to wear high heels for long periods of time, without the accompanying discomfort. In fact, pinky amputation for that purpose is becoming so popular that it has been given a name: stiletto surgery.
The history of body modification goes back to ancient times, of course, and isnt just a product of todays medical/surgical advancements. Felines have been a major inspiration, as seen in a variety of attempts to look like cats, tigers, and similar animals. Perhaps the appeal is the animal magnetism? The wearing of animal skin capes and headdresses by African tribes is one example. Other indigenous cultures have used facial and body tattooing and modification of anatomical features to achieve their own unique sense of beauty, such as Burmese neck lengthening or African lip plates and ritual body modifications, to help them identify as belonging to a particular cultural, ethnic, or tribal group.
Tired of filling in your sparse eyebrows every day? Is your eyeliner not dramatic enough? Do you need to add definition to your lips? Are you sick of having to put on a fresh coat of lipstick throughout the day, every time it smudges?
Body tattoos have become so mainstream that its no longer unique or ultra-cool to sport inked skin anymore, which is why the latest body modification fashion trend is now trending: tooth tattoos! But if you want to get in on the fun, youll have to make a trip to your dentist to get one or more of your teeth inked up.
Today we travel outside the US to explore the lip plate, a form of body modification thats still practiced in Africa among a few indigenous tribes, particularly in the central and southern part of the continent, as well as among some tribes in the Amazon rain forest. Women from the Mursi tribe in southwestern Ethiopia are particularly notable for this practice because their village has turned into a tourist attraction for Westerners to come and get their gawk on.
Ah…the earlobe.
Its filled with nerve endings, it turns red when were embarrassed, and for most people its also an erogenous zone. Stretching the earlobe has been practiced for thousands of years, and still continues today as a cultural tradition in many indigenous tribes around the globe, including the Mursi in Ethiopia and hill tribes in northern Thailand, where it can be a rite of passage, a spiritual symbol, or a sign of status.
Lip and eyelid sewing are on the list of extreme forms of body modification. They’re a type of cosmetic procedure that is certainly not meant to improve one’s looks. Sometimes referred to as “play piercing,” this bizarre practice falls under the category of ritualistic body modification because it is typically connected to personal symbolism for individuals who undergo this painful process to make a point, for example, as an act of protest. This body ritual may also be incorporated into a public performance at a body mod conference, or one may feel the need for assistance in focusing their mind when meditating; lips sewn together can effectively remove the temptation to speak.
Uvula piercing is an infrequent form of body modification because it has a high failure rate due to the intensity of the gag reflex, which makes it extremely difficult to apply or receive the piercing. It may take numerous attempts to clamp and secure the uvula for piercing. Mucus bubbles typically appear, making the process even more frustrating to accomplish. And once in place, mucus bubbles can form on the ring at any time.
Gaining in popularity in the body modification subculture is having a magnet implanted beneath the skin for the purpose of…well…we’re not quite sure what the point is! The procedure is known as “body hacking” or “bio-hacking.” People who’ve had it done report that they can now perform cool party tricks, such as picking up paperclips and bottle caps with the tip of their finger. (Guys, this implant could be a literal “chic magnet!”)
Don’t blink—surgically implanted eyeball jewelry takes body piercing to a whole new level. It was developed in the Netherlands 10 years ago, slowly made its way to Los Angeles, and recently arrived in New York. The technical medical term for eyeball jewelry is extraocular implant. Eye surgeons at the Netherlands Institute for Innovative Ocular Surgery created the cosmetic procedure where a tiny piece of jewelry (which they market as “JewelEye”) is inserted under the surface of the eyeball for decorative purposes. The institute’s website says that the implant is completely safe and does not affect visual performance, mobility, or other ocular functions.
When Frank Sinatra sang his hit song I’ve Got You Under My Skin, we’re sure he wasn’t crooning about subdermal implants, because they weren’t around in his time. Today, there is a whole new meaning to Frank’s phrase about love, in the growingly popular practice of implanting “body jewelry” beneath the skin’s surface, which results in a raised design.
Women who want a great-looking butt before bikini season—or men who are concerned about the flatness of their buttocks—may be flirting with undergoing any number of surgical enhancements, because when it comes to the appearance of your gluteus maximus, modern plastic surgery techniques and advanced cosmetic procedures offer an array of ways to acquire a kick-ass butt.
“Round eye.” It was once a derogatory slang term Asians would use at times to refer to Westerners, but particularly, it applied to Americans. Now the term “round-eye” has taken on a whole new meaning in Asian culture and is associated with more than a touch of envy and beauty. How ironic that an Asian woman’s almond-shaped eyes, thought to be mysterious and alluring to many Western men, are now considered an ugly deformity in some Asian cultures, most notably in Korea and China, where the Western look is now coveted.
