The Effects of Body Modification

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How do you feel about tattoos and piercings? Some people frown upon tattooing and piercing their bodies. Some people don’t believe in it, because they either don’t find pleasure in getting them, or even because they have something against them. This is why in the following readings you will learn more about body modification. More deeply into the positive and negative effects body modification has on you and/or your surroundings. Body modification, or otherwise known as body mutilation, is when a person deliberately alters their human anatomy. They do this in numerous ways. But for now we are only touch upon tattoos, piercings, and plastic surgery. To start, body modifications have been around for numerous years. Ranging as far back as the Iceman era. The first evidence of it can be traced back to an iceman found in the Otzal Alps between Austria and Italy. After carbon 14 dating was done on the body, it was proven that indeed the tattoo was done before his dead nearly 5,300 years ago. That dates back long before the birth of Jesus Christ! The design on this iceman were said to be only ornamental, were for purposes involving magic, or even just to state the social status between the Iceman’s group or tribe. Even in the early ancient times tattoos were popular. Taking part of the fourth dynasty. At this time tattoos were just getting to the needle stage. What is meant by that is that they were just starting to use it to actually create the tattoos. They also, adorned clay dolls with tattoo-like designs while further serving to prove that tattoos actually had a meaning in life. From the poorest to the richest everyone had one type of tattoo. As time went by, the progression of tattoos got better. By the early Polynesian era ... ... middle of paper ... ...way to get infections and/or diseases. Some people after getting a piercing don’t react to the metal of the jewelry but after a while they have allergic reactions to it. You may also experience more scarring after you get them off then what you wanted or bargained for. This is because once you take the piercing off, it tends to leave a whole, marks or even scars after they heal. Works Cited DeMello, Margo. Bodies of Inscription: A cultural History of the Modern Tattoo Community. Durham and London: Duke University Press, 2000. Print. Ellis, Juniper. Tattooing the World: Pacific Designs in Print and Skin. Chi Chester, West Sussex: Columbia University Press, 2008. Print. Lloyd, J.D. Body Piercing and Tattoos. Farmington Hills: Szumski, 2003. Print Pitts, Victoria. The Cultural Politics of Body Modification: IN THE FLESH. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2003. Print.

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