Body Modification
Today it is quiet common for people to sport tattoos or piercings.
But those are not the only options available, there are many different types of body modification out there. Some can be found in most tattoo parlours, while others are more tribal/cultural. These body modifications are not a new thing, they have been around for many, many years.
Back in the Elizabethan era high foreheads were thought to be a sign of great beauty, so women would often shave or pluck their hair as to give the illusion of having a higher forehead. Belladonna berry juice, also known as the ‘deadly nightshade’, was used to dilate women’s pupils in order to give them a doe like innocence. Unfortunately with the belladonna they risked glaucoma, retinal damage, and blindness. Popular this year was pale makeup and bright red lips, but this again was from the Elizabethan era. Corsets were used to give women miniscule waists, this was done by squeezing their ribs and internal organs. Often women were so bound that they were short of breath.
Nowadays, if women like the look of how corsets were laced up, they have the option of a group of piercings that can be laced together.
In China it was popular for many years for young girls to have their feet bound. A foot that was 3 inches long was considered the perfect foot. The feet were often crippled, with bones broken and deformed.
Today there are those out there who are into body mods. There are implants you can get under the skin, different piercings, tattoos, scarification, and cutting. Such cutting can be that of tongue forking, or the reshaping of ears to give the tips a point.
Websites you can view more information on are:
http://www.rankmytattoos.com/f/cool/cultural-tattoos-and-body-modification.html
http://modblog.bmezine.com/
If you have any photos of your own mods you would like to share, please email them to me at: xxquirkyxx@hotmail.com
