Some people consider tattoos and body piercings to be a new trend in society. Body modification is really an age old tradition in every corner of the world. It has long been a way for people to express their individuality and allegiances, but tattoos and piercings are only the beginning. The lengths people will go to modify their appearances are becoming more and more extreme and today it not uncommon to know several people with body mods. In the hustle of modern society, people are still relying on this ancient tradition to have an ultimate human experience.
Tattooing is an ancient tradition has no real point of origin. It has been practiced concurrently by indigenous peoples all over the world since the Neolithic Era. The Ainu people of Japan have been practicing this permanent art for the last ten thousand years. In 1991 the mummy of a man was discovered in the Italian Alps that dated to 3300 C.E. When the mummy was examined scientists found 57 carbon tattoos on his body, probably created by cutting the skin and then rubbing wood ash into the wound. The technology of tattooing has come a long way in the last century; what was once done with a rock and a sharp stick is now done with a hand-held, electronic tattoo machine.
Body piercing is another practice with roots in the distant past. The same tattooed mummy discovered in 1991 also had ten millimeter ear piercings. The Bible makes several references to piercings, dating them as far back as the time of Abraham. Women in India and Pakistan have been piercing their noses since the 16th century. Today piercing is the most common type body modification among men and women in Western and Eastern societies. The act of gaging, stretching a piercing from a few millimeters to several inches, is also becoming much more common in mainstream culture.
Extreme forms of body modification are becoming more popular today. In the last decade more people have been opting for branding or scarification, burning designs into their flesh instead of using ink. Silicone shapes are implanted under the skin to create raised patterns. Tongue bifurcation is accomplished by splitting the tongue starting at the base to create a fork, and it is a rapidly growing trend. Some people are even engaging in cosmetic amputations by cutting off fingers and toes with no medical purpose.
Older generations tend to look down on the practice of body modification, but they neglect to see the everyday ways in which people try to alter their appearance. Someone might be aghast at the idea of a person covered in tattoos, yet they straighten or cap their teeth without a second thought. One might never consider cutting off a finger for cosmetic purposes, but shaving a centimeter off the nose is perfectly acceptable. Body modification may be considered to be an extreme behavior by people in the fringe of society, but it is a common thread that binds together cultures from all over the world.
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