When people hear the term “body modification,” they often overlook the fact that even a simple navel piercing or the ever popular breast augmentation is a form of body modification.

On the more extreme side of the spectrum, however, there are people who do prefer explicit ornaments as a way to express themselves.  There are the standard belly button rings and tongue rings, but there are also some more creative piercings.  For example, dermal anchoring, like transdermal implants are pierced down into the skin to give the appearance that a small bead is simply resting on the skin.

In addition, people use stretching neck rings, get eyeball tattooing and even surgically split their tongues to achieve a lizard like appearance.

Be it good or bad, there are a number of individuals who have gained fame for their extreme or excessive body modification.  For example, Rick Genest tattooed his entire head and torso to look like a human skeleton.  Cindy Jackson claims to have more cosmetic plastic surgery than any other person in the world and Erik Sprague calls himself “The Lizardman” and has sharpened teeth, a full-body tattoo of green scales, a split tongue and even green inked lips.

What do you think of this trend?  Is it a cool way to express oneself?  Or a horrible disfigurement of one’s own body?

Tell us what you think!

Even though these decorative trends are legal, many people, especially parents of teens, wonder if these are actually safe.  Can they cause accidental damage?  Will they get infected?  And of course, how painful will they be?

One of the most common piercing’s is the belly button ring.  It’s relatively easy to hide and on the lower end of the price scale for body piercings.  For this reason, it’s an explosive fad among teen and preteen girls.  To find out if the piercing is actually safe, this blogger did a bit of research!  Below are a couple of sites that give a doctor and other health professionals’ opinions of body piercings.

http://familydoctor.org/online/famdocen/home/articles/881.html

http://www.cyh.com/HealthTopics/HealthTopicDetails.aspx?p=243&np=292&id=2227

Bottom line:  body piercing and body modification is complete safe when treated as a surgical procedure and when properly cared for.

• Traditional Tongue Piercings

The most famous tongue piercing is the traditional tongue piercing. This tongue piercing goes directly through the top of the tongue and exits on the bottom side. This special piercing is also known for it’s increasing swelling after the initial piercing and swelling can last up to a week or more. Healing time is approximately one to two months.

• Tongue Exposed Piercings

Tongue surface piercings can be placed anywhere on the surface of the tongue, whether it be horizontally or vertically down the tongue. In addition to this, they can also be on either the top of the tongue, or the bottom of the tongue (which is often referred to as a lingum piercing,) or the tip of the tongue.

• Horizontal Tongue Piercings

Horizontal tongue piercings are fairly honest. They are a piercing that passes horizontally from the tongue whereas local tongue piercings corss vertically through the tongue. Sometimes, if not correctly pierced, a tongue ring in this piercing can interfere with eating, speech or both.

• Tongue Rim Piercings

A tongue rim piercings can be thought a variation of a tongue surface piercing. This piercing or group of piercings sits on the rim of the tongue. Generally, the wearer uses traditional tongue rings or types of captivating beads. Unfortunately, this piercing has been known to cause serious tooth damage if improperly placed.

• T-Bar Piercings

The T-Bar piercing is a little more complex than some other tongue piercing. This piercing takes a bit more time and wait than other tongue piercings because it needs two separate arrangements to meet someone. The first appointment is used for the piercer to insert the tongue ring used for piercing horizontally or vertically, based on the user’s preference.

After several weeks of becoming well, a second appointment will be required for a third hole to develop the ‘T’ appearance of the piercing. Custom body jewelry is inserted and the third piercing is screwed into the tongue ring barbell to form the desired ‘T’ shape.  From a viewing standpoint, the piercing appears as three separate tongue ring balls on the surface of the tongue.

• Tongue Web Piercings

The tongue web piercing is also somewhat self-explanatory. The piercing itself corsses through the webbing on the innerside of the tongue. Oftentimes, the wearer inserts either straight or curved body jewelry, sometimes using tongue rings with beads or rings.  Healing time is constantly sharp, as with most oral piercings.

Tongue ring piercings are becoming increasingly popular with younger generations. Tongue rings are comfortable to hide for work matters and socially accepted among their peers. It is not hard to determine why tongue rings and other body piercings are becoming more and more popular.