Too far over the edge?

Will

In between study breaks recently I've been reflecting somewhat on things... consequences really of pursuing what I like i.e body piercing. It's hard to put this into words.

A bunch of things spring to mind, job opportunities, relationships, how general public view you, what is too much? Suppose it's down to each individual person and how they convey themselves.

See myself every morning in the mirror, I don't see drastic changes in my appearance compared to people who haven't met me in a few years. That there lies the issue, if you chose to pierce or ink yourself you see the change but after a few weeks you feel like you've had it your whole life. Other people however, see the change.

I went abroad for a year, in that space of time I stretched my lobes about 12mm. 12mm over a year is un-noticeable but for someone who hadn't seen me in that time, went from normal lobes to 12mm. Big shock. Just using this as an example to try get my point across.

If we don't see or notice the drastic/minute changes in ourselves how do we know what is too much? Demanding or expecting people to accept you as 'you' is an idealistic approach, it just doesn't happen. Especially if they don't know you.

I walk down the street, some stranger is just gonna see piercings, they're going to form an opinion. That opinion is most likely going to be negative. Now, personally I don't care too much for strangers... but change the scenario to an interview situation/ a prospective partner anything involving another human being. You are already battling against the tide to show you aren't just some thug or waster.

Not so much complaining, just making my own observations known.

What's your opinion on it all?

@lantis

Will wrote: »

If we don't see or notice the drastic/minute changes in ourselves how do we know what is too much?

Well, in my opinion it's only you yourself who should get to decide what is "too much".. I mean you can't do, or not do things because other people might think it's a bit OTT or indeed "too much".

It depends on who you are and who you ask I suppose, some people feel that any alteration to your body is wrong, others may think that you should stretch the limits, and go all crazy, just because you can - hence people altering themselves to look like lizards or cats or what ever..

One thing I find funny is the argument that some people use, in order to NOT get alterations, especially tattoo's is the fact that you might feel silly when your old, and sitting in a nursing home - but come on, when I'm that old, most people in there with me will indeed have tattoo's and even piercings.. And besides, it doesn't work for me thinking about what my life is gonna be like when I'm 80...then I'm missing out on life, since it's here and now..and I must say that I love my tattoo (even tho it might be concidered a bit "too much" by others" :rolleyes:

Will

I think ya missed my point. I'm saying if we don't notice how we are changing physically how do we know where to stop? I'm not talking about what is socially acceptable, I'm talking about where you change yourself to the point that it's detrimental to your life/job/etc

The old age thing is a bit boring alright and a weak argument for some maybe 25 or over. however, when lets say an 18 year old wants a full sleeve...

@lantis

Well, knowing people from "both sides" so to speak, the ones that is not in to alterations and the ones who can't stop, I must say that I never heard about one of them not getting a job they wanted because of the way they looked...

I'm not saying that it's not happening, and I do understand that a human that looks like a lizard might not get a job within child care for instance, but people tend to go for jobs that suits their persona as well..none of the OTT people I know would ever want to work in a "regular" 9-5 job, most of them are into the arty kinda scene, with likeminded people, who looks the same..and for that matter, I've never seen let's say a tattoo artist that looks like a bible salesman, with a suite and a tie and neatly polished shoes..if you know what I mean.. Each to their own I suppose, and most likely that goes for friends and partners as well..

Cupcake_Crisis

funny you should post a topic like this- i had a conversation with my mam, or rather she forcibly had a conversation with me, about this. She thinks that people see people with tattoos and piercings and it scares the, they form on instant opinion about you. She was also going on about how people dont ssen to know where to stop, but at the end of the day, you stop when you want to stop. When you have all you want to get done, surely there will just be nothin left.

jenizzle

Will wrote: »

I'm saying if we don't notice how we are changing physically how do we know where to stop? I'm not talking about what is socially acceptable, I'm talking about where you change yourself to the point that it's detrimental to your life/job/etc

I don't know about you, but personally speaking, people who I work with/hang out with don't notice if I get new piercings or tattoos now. I also don't plan on stopping. I think I got really lucky with the company I work with (I don't plan on leaving them any time soon) as its a pretty laid-back environment. I am the most modded person in the company, thats for sure, but I've never felt that it was "too much" at any point. The only time I ever feel like that is when I leave my septum ring in by accident - I think its the only piercing that people find offensive and too much.
I guess, depending on the person, there will come a time when they will have to choose between career and mods. If you lose out on doing your dream job because you have a tattoo on your face then obviously the latter is more important to you. I'm really happy in my own skin now that I'm modded. I'd hate to think how miserable I'd be if I had to take out my piercings for my job (at least at the start, obviously I'd get over it) and its sad to think that mods are still holding people back from their life. I don't force people to look at me - if they think my mods are too much, they can look the other way. But I must say, I've been very lucky over the years - I've never heard one negative comment about my mods so I guess I'll never know when to stop.

On a side note, do you really want to be in a relationship with somebody who doesn't like your mods? It's a part of your life, it makes you happy... why would you want somebody to take that away from you?

/rant

sd123

Will wrote: »

I think ya missed my point. I'm saying if we don't notice how we are changing physically how do we know where to stop? I'm not talking about what is socially acceptable, I'm talking about where you change yourself to the point that it's detrimental to your life/job/etc

I suppose you could say that it's ott or 'too much' when you decide that's the case. And I understand your point that you get used to your tats or piercings, however, I still believe that if you decide you want to get one more tat if there's hardly any area of un-tattoo'd skin on your body, you should get it done. Like I said, it's only too much when its too much for you.

With regards the argument that it could be 'too much' when its detrimental to your job, I disagree that you should stop getting that extra tat or piercing because of a job. If the place where you work isn't happy with it, that's just their own ignorance and a view that has been created by society. Why should you stop doing something which is legal and you want to do, just because of what others think? you shouldn't be bound by what's too much for others. You could always change jobs, if its that bad. But, unless they can come up with a valid reason as to why your mods are unacceptable, then they don't have any valid reason to fire you.

One other thing that I have often thought of, and somewhat relates to your point on jobs etc. Have you ever seen a highly respectable doctor or solictor with a load of body mods? The chances are that you haven't.
However, would it bother you if a doctor walked into a ward with a face full of piercings and scarification on his neck? If I was to ignoring hygiene concerns, personally I would be impressed by his honesty and courage to go against what society wants him to do. However, alot of patients would be sickened (pardon the pun) by this.
It all just goes to show that its society's opinion of what is too much, and not what one believes is too much that people accept. Don't allow what others think to dictate what you do. If it's too much for you, and only you, THEN its too much.

Will

Just to note, examples I laid out i.e relationships, work etc was just an example I've not had a problem with getting a job or other stuff. Just trying to spark some conversation.

Jenizzle: That's great to hear, glad you are happy in your jobby and that they are accepting In my current job I've to remove my plugs, don't like it but well have to deal with it.

SD123: Whether we want to accept it or not a lot of what we do is governed by society and what society deem as acceptable. Your point about jobs and if they don't let ya wear piercings or visible tattoos isn't the strongest. Only because most people don't have a choice, they have a job to pay bills. No job means bills aren't paid, no money etc. If I left my job I'd default on my loans and get in whole heaps of sh!t, same goes for most people out there also.

We are coming into a new generation now, I know 1 doctor in America who has quite a few tattoos and has a few piercings. He wears his sleeves down though so his work colleagues wont notice. In the coming 10 years or so we will see a shift.

Music is also playing a vital part, well more so the 'artists' themselves. Rappers are covered in tattoos, same with emo,rock,metal bands and some are even stretching their lobes to large sizes. It is becoming more trendy but the people who are doing it are already set for life sitting on millions of dollars. The average joe doesnt have that luxury.

edit: also quite funny, posted this on 2 other websites, 1 I am getting quite an amount of abuse and anger. Funny

sillyGoldie

Hi all, I'm new *shock*
I have a few mods and i love them and i do plan on getting alot of work. But in regards to having 'too much' I have found once you have a visible piercing/tattoo your being judged so whether you have just a labret or stretched lobes or if you have multiple visible mods your being judged once you walk out of the studio after the ink/jewlery have been inserted. So in regards to being to much, once you start its whatever you feel is the limit, your going to be judge for one so why limit it if you want more just at the thought of judements.
my thought about it all is just to be happy as me and what i want to do.

jus my 2 cents.
and hello

sd123

Will wrote: »

SD123: Whether we want to accept it or not a lot of what we do is governed by society and what society deem as acceptable. Your point about jobs and if they don't let ya wear piercings or visible tattoos isn't the strongest. Only because most people don't have a choice, they have a job to pay bills. No job means bills aren't paid, no money etc. If I left my job I'd default on my loans and get in whole heaps of sh!t, same goes for most people out there also.

First of all apologies as I was on a rant and I'm probably going a fair bit off topic but here goes.

Ok, I accept your point, but my point was that employers shouldn't be allowed to make a rule that you aren't allowed to have body mods, unless of course there is a genuine reason other than the fact that they don't like the looks of it.
I'd accept something along the grounds of hygiene when working in a restaurant or something, but to say that people don't like the way you look as grounds for making a rule against is not just.

And I know what you're probably gonna say, "life isn't fair and its just something you have to live with" or whatever but why should we have to live with it? Should someone who looses their job over how they look not have a grounds for unfair dismissal?
Do you think that someone who was regularly getting body modifications in the form of cosmetic surgery would risk loosing their job because they are changing the way they look? I think not.

Will

No need for apologies

I'm made remove my plugs because they look unprofessional, or thats at least what I was told. Thats how I felt when they told me to remove the plugs. That my appearance in someway offended them. I was going to argue that the way I look shouldn't effect how others work around me, and it certainly doesn't hinder my performance in any way at all. However, I didn't want to go against the grain.

Cosmetic surgery and body piercing / tattooing are in my mind the same thing almost...

cosmetic surgery - changing the way you look for the better by going under the knife. Breast enlargements are basically subdermal implants.

body piercing & tattooing - changing the way you look for the better or more to your pleasing.

1 HUGE difference though. Cosmetic surgery is socially acceptable, even though they are one and the same with subdermal implants. The general opinion is that cosmetic surgery is there to enhance you, some people see body piercing and tattooing as mutilation.

It just boils down to what is socially acceptable and more mainstream.

the_syco

Don't have any mods, but from what I've seen, it also depends on your job, and how customer facing it is.

Go to a music shop like HMV, and the average Joe won't batter an eye lid about someone having 6 pieces of metal on their face. Go into a bank, and you may only notice a small ear-piercing.

Both jobs are public facing, but are different.

Jobs behind the scene (call centres) are usually more relaxed, though.

RazielDoomgate

im not too sure what your trying to get at will. is that we that have moded or bodys eg piercing and ink dont notice it and think it the norm?

for me this is both yes and no. it is the norm for me and many of my close friends would have pericings or tattoos of some sort. so from the start im surrounded by it. now as i came from quite the conservitve family when i first started getting my mods done yes there is a huge change. jsut like looking at a old passport photo. eg. 2 years ago. i just had long hair, no mods. now 8pericing 2 large-ish tattoos and dreads. huge diff in aparrence in anyones book.

in the job side of things. i can see wher it matters.. if you look at proper business men. suits, clean shaven, short hair. its a image that is protrated. this is coming from a old generation in all fairness to some degree.

thankfuly im still in college and dont have to deal with this stuff yet though im studying fine art.. everyone in that business is all weridos so ill fit in just nicely

tattoos and pericing is becoming much more mainstream and yes. i would predict that in 10years easy it will be mainstream.. heh maybe you'll even see will being alowed to wear his plugs

Reku

the_syco wrote: »

Don't have any mods, but from what I've seen, it also depends on your job, and how customer facing it is.

Go to a music shop like HMV, and the average Joe won't batter an eye lid about someone having 6 pieces of metal on their face. Go into a bank, and you may only notice a small ear-piercing.

Both jobs are public facing, but are different.

Jobs behind the scene (call centres) are usually more relaxed, though.

Not always though, in my job I've next to no contact with those outside of the company except via phone or e-mail yet they insist I wear jeans and also made me get rid of the talons (even though most staff had come to appreciate that they are quite useful and there have been a few instances of where we would have taken a half hour to do something I was able to do in a few seconds because of them). Did manage to get them to compromise a bit by keeping the thumbnails.


But my view on the whole thing is simply if it is a choice we make then we need to accept that others may choose not to accept our choice; whether it be a piercing/tattoo/make-up/dress sense/sex change operation/occupation, etc.... How is this any different to how we choose to speak to someone, what physical stance we adopt when speaking to them, whether we choose to walk about carrying a large knife while muttering to ourselves:D (assuming mental illness is not the reason). These are all things we have a choice in and as with any other choice must accept that our choices in the matter are a reflection of who we are and as such we will be judged for the choice whether or not others know or understand our reason for the choice.
Stuff beyond our control such as ethnic origin/age/gender/height/sexual orientation/genetic conditions, etc... are the only things we should expect to be free of being judged for.

Quite simply I use the point of where I run the risk of having it impact job interviews (e.g. visible tattoos and clearly can't have my nails or wear my rings) or inhibit ability to perform a job (whenever I let the talons get too long they did begin to get in the way of typing and stuff) as my limiting point, when I'm old enough to not have to care about employment then I can run amuck but until then I'll just have to sit back and blend in.


As I've said before quite a few people I've known were rather shocked/surprised to find out I have tattoos, particularly family (the usual "Why would you destroy your body like that?" spiel from grandparents), as they do have negative views of those with tattoos. Even my mum who has said she likes the 2 she knows about has often piped up with pointing out how most people who have them are thugs and scumbags in the eyes of the average person.:rolleyes:

As for cosmetic surgery Vs. body mods the problem is that cosmetic surgery is usually surgery so as to aim to appear more conforming to society's view of what is good and attractive, body modding tends to go in the opposite direction. So until society decides to embrace it entirely, and see the beauty in nice inkwork before seeing the imagined stabbing in a dark alley by the person who has it, it will continue to be viewed very differently to cosmetic surgery.

Crumble Froo

interesting thread, man. ive been thinking about this to a degree as well. i love my mods. after years of general self abuse and not eating properly, i use suncream now, primarily to protect my ink. i eat properly, cos im trying to heal up some surface piercings. i LOVE my mods, and they mean tonnes to me.

but... i wonder if i should just stop sometimes. i would love a sleeve so much. i've been designing it vaguely for years, and properly since last december. have found the artist i want to do it, and am totally psyched about it. but.. jobs? yeah, you can go long sleeves. but that is gonna be pretty difficult when i have to work outdoors in the middle of the NZ summer. but worth it, right? i reckon so. i think. ideally, i would just wear a tshirt, like im doing now in the winter, but maybe i shouldnt go ahead with it, and just live without it. i dont need it. it's not gonna be cheap. but i want it. should i draw the line here? im not sure.

and im working on another kinda project, will, i've told you about this one, but again, im not sure. am i taking it too far? my fella isnt big into mods. what makes me happy makes me happy, he'll support that... but he doesnt get it, for the most part, and will often rant about people with mods he sees on tv. that said, he does just like to rant, mostly for the purpose of winding me up. but it's not like the things im doing to 'improve' myself (for want of a better word/phrase), are in any way making me look any more attractive or whatever in his eyes. it really is just for myself. and the hassle, again, with work that im gonna have to go through for it. gotta plan it around holidays, as this one will be quite sensitive to knocks (work with kids under 5... i spend half the day with the feckers hugging my legs, or climbing on/up me :P). the hows of covering it up, im still working on... factoring in particularly kiwi summertimes, when really, i want to spend the entire summer under a cold shower, and even then ill probably be dying of the heat! i just dont know. ideally, i wouldnt have to hide it (whatever about healing time, i'd love to just let it show during work, does it really matter? though my ankle tattoo depicts a warlike scene, is that appropriate around kids?) i dont know. should i just call it quits? probably. will i? almost certainly not.

as for the four bits of metal poking out the front of my neck.... well, im used to people staring at my neck anyway. people's guesses as to what happened range from surgery, to being attacked to trying to off myself. so people thinking im a bit nuts really doesnt bother me in the slightest. yeah, they probably judge me or whatever, but im a generally perky, pleasant, polite person (particularly with strangers), always have a smile and a good morning/afternoon for the bus driver, and have no probs giving my seat up for people who need it. in that respect, i like to think that people who would have previously seen the metal and decided i was a dodge character, might change their minds. same for first time i go to a centre, ill always cover up my neck piercings, but once i feel more comfortable there, ill take the safety pin out of the collar, and if they're seen, tehy're seen. i see some people eye them up, and keep schtum, others will comment, usually just did they hurt, or comment that they're quite rare. ha, not a lot have commented, mind.

but aye. im undecided on this one. when is enough to say stop? when it infringes on job interviews, id agree there. but at the same time, what about hobbies? what about general personal comfort. what if pierced nipples and surfing dont go at all? what about my sleeve and other project with regard work and the summertime? if my visa goes ahead, ill have to spend 30hrs a week minimum hiding them. the mind boggles. i still think i know what im gonna do... but im not 100% sure it's the right thing to do. should i draw the line? that's kinda always been a weak point of mine.

columf2008

At the end of the day when it comes to getting a job first impressions say alot and a employer has to think about the perception of his company yes body mods are becoming tolarated socially but we have far to go.
I work in the world of I.T. I am lucky with my current job that we are relaxed so I can wear t-shirt jeans and trainers and they dont mind the tats on my arms showing. I have worked with companies in the past were I had to do the whole suit thing and wear long sleve shirts year round to cover my tats as I would be meeting Jonny workalot and my boss would have to think what impact apperance would have on the buisness. I would love to have more tats and to have some that I would not be able to cover up due to location but I wont put my future employment prospects on the line as I have to think about that.
Its easy when you are younger to say screw them and what does it matter and you should get your mods done and it should not matter. Yes it should not matter what you have done to yourself as it makes no diffrence to your ability to do a job but an employer has to think of the public perception of thier company and how their employees apperence is going to alter that. So with that I wont get the mods done as I have work to earn a living pay my bills support those who I support I cant risk my future employment prospects for body mods I have to think of others not just myself

Will

Columf2008, that's exactly my thinking and reason for posting this thread. I'm getting to a stage where I have to be looking out for my future and be able to earn a living. I work in IT also and it's not relaxed in the company i work for. Ah well, back to college soon-ish

Hellrazer

Good topic Will.

Heres my take on it.

I couldnt care less if I didnt get a job because of the way I look.If a potential employer cant see through the mods and employ the right person for the right job then its a company I wouldnt be too mad about working for.If I was fired for the way I look then I would take an unfair dismissal case against the company even if it was just as a test case.

I used to think like Columf that Id remove/hide body mods to get the right job but now I dont---I mean I dont go for interviews in a t-shirt and jeans or anything like that--I just dont go removing jewellery or trying to get a shirt the right length to hide my tatts.
I rely on the fact that my CV shows my experience with or without mods and thats all that should matter to employers but unfortunately theres still the mentality that tattoos and piercings are bad and the wearer should be doing time or has just done time.
At interview I usually ask whats the policy on body mods and if the employers are of the stuffy old fart variety I wont take the job--I have in the past refused one or two jobs because I was asked to remove a simple lobe piercing.

Maybe its a case of when youre younger you want to get to the stage where you can show your experience in your CV and to do that you have to "appear" mod-free for some period of time but when you do get that experience and you know that you can do the job right then you start to think the way I do ie "let your CV do the talking"

the_syco

Hellrazer wrote: »

I rely on the fact that my CV shows my experience with or without mods

I suppose, in a way, there's a line of knowledge. This is a guess, but below that line, you must remove the mods, or not get the job, and once you go beyond that line, they'll look more at your qualifcations and experience than your mods.

Me, I hope to get a tat somewhere along the line, either on the right shoulder, or the back of my head (both can covered, with t-shirt/hair:D) in the next 2 or 3 years.

It'll be another while untill I pass the line where I go from the "3000 or so people" to the "30 or so people" that have said qualifications, and until then, won't be able to have any tats that can be seen.

My 2 cents,.

larryone

I took out the labret and the eyebrow when meeting my future mother-in-law.
Eyebrow wouldnt go back in afterwards.
This is a situation where I really can't afford to go against the grain as it is a delicate situation (more than most).
If the future in-laws weren't a concern, I'd probably go a bit further, maybe aditional work on the lip, brow, etc. possibly ears.
I haven't entered the realm of tattoos yet, but it's something I'm interested in doing at some point in the future.
The idea of getting alot more work done really appeals to me, but my gf has advised that it wouldn't suit me. Maybe she's right. But the matter of the future in-laws is more of a reason for me to restrict my body mod impulses.
Remember, in-laws are for life, not just for christmas.

sillyGoldie

Fudge the in-laws!
its your life not theirs. and they should accept you for you not the way you look, the again i dont know them, but still.
I really feel that it all comes down to PERSONAL comfort, yes there are alot of issues from a professional aspect but that goes with the territory of getting a piercing(as thats what most of the focus is on here)

Will

Food for thought...pretty funny as i was thinking along the same lines with my original post here, might be a coincidence...

http://news.bmezine.com/2008/08/14/on-eyelid-microdermals-modblog-and-turning-body-modification-into-a-contest/

^a must read

here it is for people who may have it blocked;

"(Author’s note: Excuse me while I get all meta on you.)

Full-disclosure time: When I first saw on Lane Jensen’s IAM page pictures of the microdermal he’d put into someone’s eyelid, I was mortified. This was too much, too risky, and, though I had not been apprised of the details of the situation, it read as irresponsible at best and fame-seeking at … well, not quite “worst,” but getting there.

The client, it seemed, was quite young, with minimal visible prior body modification work done — not to say she was too immature, but, in the same way that most responsible tattoo artists will refuse to work on a lightly tattooed client’s hands or face, so should it be when it comes to highly experimental piercings (a distinction which, for the sake of this article, we’ll say includes microdermals). Because, as widespread as microdermals have become (and my God have they become widespread), this is still a new concept. The first images of microdermals (then called “dermal anchors” — oh, memories!) appeared on BME in an image update dated October 27, 2005. The first mention of them on ModBlog was April 15, 2006. On November 6, 2006, an article was published featuring interviews with a number of practitioners who had been performing microdermal procedures.


ModBlog’s first microdermals
So let’s say that microdermals are, in their current iteration (as a modernized and ostensibly simplified version of traditional transdermals), at most, about two-and-a-half years old. In most circles, this would place a project in its infancy — far from having been extensively tested or fine-tuned, and potentially rife with unknown (and sometimes well known) risks. (Very seldom are feature films released, for example, that comprise a series of unedited first takes.) Yet, in the body modification community, infamous for its impetuousness, two-and-a-half years is an eternity. The idea of the “guinea pig” is now largely irrelevant; as soon as something “new” has been done, provided the client doesn’t die on the spot, it’s added to the portfolio, uploaded to all manner of Internet forums and, if it’s interesting enough, it’ll probably even get posted on ModBlog.

Pardon me while I put on my ombudsman hat, but make no mistake: ModBlog takes a lot of blame here, playing the dual role of collective consciousness and enabler. Almost everything posted on ModBlog comes via BME submissions, which are filtered for funny, attractive and generally unique content, given a punny caption and then offered up to be criticized and lauded, copied and adopted.

That is to say, ModBlog is supposed to feature the best that BME has to offer.

Such is our position: We want to promote an environment in which new, exciting and beautiful procedures can be put on display and discussed, yet we’re also an archive, for whom comprehensive documentation is a mandate. Appearing on ModBlog, vitriol of the commentariat notwithstanding, is often a validation of sorts: If it’s good enough for BME to showcase, shouldn’t it be good enough for you?

Well, no. Not always. Sometimes in documenting things, we come off a little too enthusiastic about items that aren’t quite ready for prime time, or that we’ve convinced ourselves are worthy of attention simply because we’ve given them a lot of attention — the state of “being famous for being famous.” (See also: Anything related to Kim Kardashian or Brooke Hogan; Gawker’s tireless efforts to track Julia Allison’s every move; The Hills in its entirety.) Is this really a healthy phenomenon? Making stars out of people because of their physical modifications and creating an environment in which this miniscule level of fame can be achieved by pushing one’s limits further, harder and, quite possibly, dangerously quickly? There’s a fine line between celebrating the community and unduly, unfairly celebritizing its members.

And, like I said, this is, to an extent, our fault — “us” being the body modification media, slight as we may be. There is — be it real or imagined — an element of pressure to be more “extreme,” for lack of a better word (and there are many). On another forum, one commenter recently posted that he’d just passed his one year anniversary of entering the wonderful world of body modification, and posted the following laundry list of work he’d done (consider the entire quote [sic]):

septumx2, smileyx2,tongueweb, Apadravya, lorumx5, fingerwebx3, handwebx3, nipplex2, navelx3, lobex9, conchx2, helix/2g Dermal Punch, tragusx2, eyebrowx6, labretx10, “rhino”/unidentified

Though I definately don’t still have all those and I counted where I re-did piercings, I remember wach one… I wonder what mods are to come in the future?

Fifty-three piercings and six tattoos in one year. His first year. Holy crap. Another poster followed up with their own first-year anniversary inventory ([sic] again):

it all started with a septum piercing … It’s now at 1g … 0g flat punch, 0g conch punch, x4 vertical bridges, x4 horizontal eyebrows, 6 tattoos, 1 chest scarification, 6 lip piercings, venoms (now stretched to 10g), tongue webbing, ears pierced at 8g (now 5/8ths), multiple arm surface, belly button, clavicle surface, x2 nape, x5 lower back surface, tragus, smiley.

AND MANY MORE TO COME.

This isn’t a journey — it’s an obsession, whether it’s instigated internally, by a desire to fit in, lead the pack, or otherwise. A bodybuilder doesn’t start out deadlifting 700-pound weights. A mountain climber doesn’t scale K2 as an introductory ascent. This is unhealthy behavior, regardless of the outlet, but body modification allows for it rather easily — even encourages it, be it to pad a portfolio or to get one’s 15 minutes of ModBlog fame. If I had a nickel for every conversation I’ve had with people who mention the role that ModBlog played in the popularization of microdermals, well, I’d probably be able to afford to have one put in my eyelid.

This isn’t to decry experimentation or having fun with one’s body — Rachel posted a video of Lassi doing a guiche suspension a few weeks ago, for God’s sake. But this eyelid microdermal business is different; these images presented an ethical dilemma. By all accounts, it was awfully unsafe and, while not in direct contact with the eyeball, would potentially be a nightmare for the general eye-region. It’s one thing for a trained professional and experienced body modification enthusiast to throw a hook through his taint, but it’s another matter entirely to risk massive harm to a young, inexperienced client just because the opportunity presented itself and it seemed like an interesting procedure to try. I’m not an expert of anatomy, but one thing I’ve picked up on is that unless you are incredibly certain of your methods and the anticipated outcome, you don’t screw around with someone’s eyes. In a field in which calculated risk-taking comprises a significant portion of the action, simple consent should not be the be-all end-all for a practitioner when deciding whether or not to perform an experimental procedure.


The microdermal in question
On the other hand, though? This was ModBlog fodder in every conceivable way. It was probably the first time it had been done, it looked healthy enough and, most importantly, it was new. Considering our standards, it probably deserved to be posted.

We decided not to post it. ModBlog’s influence is tangible, and we decided that appearing to endorse it in any way would have been irresponsible. Let’s wait, we thought, and maybe once we can see some results, we can determine if this is appropriate to post. It would end up in the BME image archives, of course, but ModBlog, to be sure, is a different beast altogether. This was a test — one that didn’t need to be publicized, and arguably performed on the wrong client. We didn’t want to be nannies or censors — BME would still accept the photos for its galleries — but as for ModBlog? This didn’t yet embody the best that BME had to offer. Body modification practitioners should cherish their guinea pigs — not exploit them.

Of course, being an online company has its drawbacks. Through a miscommunication, it ended up getting published on ModBlog. Naturally, some people loved it, some peopled hated it. Some claimed it was yet another moment in BME’s perpetual decline, while others probably asked their piercers if they could get their own (or, conversely, some piercers likely asked their clients if they were interested in trying it out). This isn’t a criticism of the chain of events: It’s just occurred enough by this point that there exists a recognizable pattern and, for the most part, we love it (see also: mustaches tattooed on fingers, etc.) — that’s why we do this. Body modification is a passion, and dealing with it professionally every day would be impossible if we weren’t legitimately excited by people’s experimentation and determination to modify and beautify themselves.

But that’s not an absolute, and it doesn’t mean that everything must be supported or looked upon favorably. Just because something can be done doesn’t mean it should be; there may be no right reasons for modifying yourself, but there are sure as hell wrong ones, and those are made substantially worse when the client is being used — whether it’s by the one performing the procedure or the one publicizing it.

(Ed. note: While Jordan is an editor for and a valued member of BME, this is an editorial and does not necessarily reflect the views of other BME staff or BME as a publication. As well, Lane has been invited to do an interview and defend his position. This will be published as soon as possible.)"

Reku

Oddly enough I was in a rather fancy restaraunt and noticed one of the waitresses actually had a tattoo on her hand, didn't get a good look at it but it was a reasonably large triangular one on the area between the thumb and index finger. Was strange to see since most places (particularly those trying to appear upmarket) are rather anal about staff who'll be dealing with the public having tattoos. Maybe there is hope....

Will

For those on IAM, we notice a lot that it is a race...well in some people's eyes anyway. Can be seen here in smaller portions also...

Star Lord

I think those that rush through these kind of things, like the two used as an example by the writer of the above article, do have some issues. Possibly obsessive compulsive. But it really is not healthy for such a body of work to be done to a human body in such a short space of time! They would be looking at having most of them still only healing while getting others done, and placing an incredible and unnessecary amount of stress on their bodies and immune systems.

Having something before everyone else does not make you cool, it makes you a guinea pig. Rushing to get a large amount of tattoos/piercings to catch up on or bypass others, or because you're "addicted" to getting them is not cool either, it's unhealthy and foolish to get so much done before others are healed fully.

There is no rush! Take your time, ensure everything is healed fully or almost healed at least before rushing out to get your next body mod!

Hell, I'm a regular here, and in almost 2 years, I've got two tattoos and one piercing, and am considering another tattoo, but each of my tattoos are about a year apart!

Sofaspud

DamoElDiablo wrote: »

I think those that rush through these kind of things, like the two used as an example by the writer of the above article, do have some issues. Possibly obsessive compulsive. But it really is not healthy for such a body of work to be done to a human body in such a short space of time! They would be looking at having most of them still only healing while getting others done, and placing an incredible and unnessecary amount of stress on their bodies and immune systems.

Having something before everyone else does not make you cool, it makes you a guinea pig. Rushing to get a large amount of tattoos/piercings to catch up on or bypass others, or because you're "addicted" to getting them is not cool either, it's unhealthy and foolish to get so much done before others are healed fully.

There is no rush! Take your time, ensure everything is healed fully or almost healed at least before rushing out to get your next body mod!

Hell, I'm a regular here, and in almost 2 years, I've got two tattoos and one piercing, and am considering another tattoo, but each of my tattoos are about a year apart!

I agree with this, from experience. Last october(I think) I got my first piercing, halfway up the rim on my left ear, and I "caught the bug" and over the next 2 or 3 months I got another 5 in the same ear (2 lobe, 4 rim) and even now the lobe ones are the only fully healed ones.