Thoughts on body modifications and art.

[Moonlit Raven]

I recently had a friend ask my opinion if they should get a tattoo or not. I'll admit I was at a lost to answer him. I consider tattoo's and some modifications interesting and even beautiful, but what crosses that fine line between acceptable and not?


I can't really cast a stone either direction. Yes, I have a tattoo and a couple of piercings. (No, you can't have pics you pervs :p) My thoughts are as long as it can be hidden for the normal 9-5 type job its fine. Hey, what's there under shirts, pants and shoes is that person's choice.


I was hoping to start a conversation on what you think appropriate, lovely and why? or if you disapprove, why? What are the thoughts that formed your reasoning?

[Reiko]

due to my fear of needles and such I'm not a big fan of either but I don't mind other people having them. Well except tongue piercings, I'm not a fan of them at all, well maybe just to people that argue about the 'utility' of them, for that annoys me.

[Elijah_Morendale]

I myself am not a big fan of tattoos and piercings. If I want to do something to alter my body, then I'll get a scar (not on purpose, of course) and at least have an interesting story to tell about how it got there.

Like the time an old crush jumped me in high school and dug her nails into the back of my neck...

*coughs* Anyways... My opinion is that tattoos can either be body altering wastes of money, or beautiful works of art that have meaning. A few people I know have tattoos in memory of family members (quite common, I know), but then I have another friend who has a Gizmo from Gremlins on her ankle. I asked her why, and she said, "'Cause I was bored." Yeah. That's a hundred bucks you ain't getting back.

On a side note, tribal patterns are cool and all, but if you're going to get them to make yourself look bad-ass, then chances are there was no hope for you in the first place.

Piercings... Don't overdo it, and I'm cool with it. But, when it comes to the workplace, I don't see what all the fuss is. It's not like you're stupid enough to get your nose ring stuck in a printing press, right? And in either case, they're a part of who you are, so you shouldn't have to hide that.

[Raelyse]

For piercings, I think they look nice but too many look tacky and are definitely something that I could see myself getting. But I only like them in small quantities and in small size as well. Big ones freak me out.

To be honest, I don't really like tattoos. I can't say I've ever seen one that I could see myself getting or that I didn't think looked very tacky. If I ever do see one though, I'll let you know.

[Tailya Thistledown]

Depends really.
Personally I know I could never get a tattoo, my opinion changes every few weeks if not days and I know that if I ever got one a week later I'd hate it. So no, never going there with that.
Tragic fear of needles in general doesn't help either.

Haven't got any piercings either, but that's a fear of pain in general and a lack of fuss either way when it comes to jewellery.

On other peeps.. Well, not fussed. Though I will say, tribal tattoos = nifty. But only when in context and the person who's got it and actually knows the meaning behind what they've got and it's actually relevant to them.
Lots of Kiwi's/Samoans/various islanders and such I've seen with this or that and some of them are quite nice. Some random dude walking down the street with one.. not so impressive.

Same goes for those chinese words alot of peeps get. I can't help but think how do you know you're not being screwed over by the artist and it's -really- what they say it says? Heard waaaay too many stories of peeps thinking they've got one thing only to get another.


Hmn.. what crosses the line? Well it seems to be being pushed further now and such with the abundance of the emo movement! All those nose/lip/eyebrow/etc metal bits everyone! Not to mention the spikes and ring things used to enlarge the hole in the ear.. Seriously, how can you think that's a good idea? You take the ring thing out and you get this giant saggy earlobe, in what way is that cool?
Other than those loop things though, persoally I'm not fussed as to what you get. More metal bits just means you can play connect the dots on a person's face! Hehe.

Going further with bodymodifications.. well I think I've only seen one or two things in person. Everything else is like Jerry Springer/internet.

Went through a fun phase about this time last year where I was looking all into various body mods you could do (I shall call it 'research' for a character I was applying elsewhere) and by gosh there's some cool stuff out there.. and some seriously crazy stuff that there's no way what so ever you're gonna get by on a typical 9-5 job afterwards.

Scarification and cold burning I took a bit of a fancy to, get some interesting effects with those. Especially cold burning that has the added bonus effect of having where you burn the hair grows back white. Never got around to looking enough to see if peeps had got it done on their head. Permanet blonde! Woo!
Still, not something I'd ever get done, sissy fussbutt that I am, but still cool.

Embedding metal shapes, studds, various objects and what not under the skin.. not quite so cool. Not for a for life sort of thing anyway. Okay, fine.. it is cool. Just kinda eww and doesn't it feel odd and such as well.

My ex chucked a spazz when he found I was looking at this stuff.. thought I was interested in getting something I suppose, twit.

Too far!
Tasteless tattoos.. sorry, I'm a prude, any erotica emblazend on your body.. just no. Animals, insignia, names (children only, or family.. gf/bf/etc is just asking for trouble) plants, etc, whateva.. sure. Okay, also excluding famous people. That's just -sad-.

Too far for body mods!
Story I read of a set of twins where they removed an arm from one twin and attached it under one of the arms on the other. No sorry, that's reeeeally wrong.
And yes, it's up on the internet somewhere, can't remember where, but I'm sure a search will have it pop up for you if you're curious.

Thusly, Wallah! My opinion!

.. I write too much. Sigh.

[Amaril Torrun]

I've had a few piercings (lip/ ears), but got tired of having them. I also once planned on putting my own design as a tatto that went all down my arm. I actually drew it on there first for several days to see if I liked it. I thank God that I didn't get it though, because it turns out it isn't as original as I had hoped (cover art for a band that I don't particularly care for).

Nowadays, I'm pretty content without anything, but other people with them do draw my attention. My opinion about other people? I don't have one, because it is their body and they should have all the freedom they want. One thing I like about tattoo parlors is that most of the time the artists will refuse to do the job for about a week, just to make sure you still want to do it.

[Elrundir]

As far as these things go, I usually use the old adage, "Everything in moderation." Meaning, tattoos and piercings can be really, really nice to look at, but it bugs me when people have, like, the entire lengths and circumferences of their arms tattooed, and then so much of their back that it creeps up their neck, and stuff like that. Piercings are generally not as bad, though I'm not a fan of nose rings (eh) or lip rings. Tongue studs are just a bad idea if you like your teeth. Oh, and those "earrings" where you basically just bore a gigantic hole through your earlobe and prop it open with a metal ring? Ew.

But otherwise, go for it. I myself will probably never get any such thing. Tattoos definitely wouldn't suit me, and I don't think earrings would either, however subtle. It just wouldn't go.

[Massacre]

There's more than just tattoos and piercings to consider. People get scarification and branding too, both of which are pretty gross.

I have a tattoo on my back, it's pretty big but people think it's cool so that's fine with me.

Generally, I go by the rule, if it won't look good on you, don't do it. A bad piece of body art doesn't improve anything.

[Letho]

If it has a meaning, I'm cool with pretty much any tattoo. If you're getting a tattoo as a homage to something or someone, or if you're getting it to make a statement that you want everybody to see when they look at you, I have nothing against it. I considered getting one or two myself and I still do; I just don't have the money right now. However, meaningless things really irritate the hell out of me, piercings in particular. When I see somebody with a lip piercing or a brow piercing, I feel this odd urge of driving my fist into their face. I never do, though. It would probably hurt my knuckles to hit a piece of dangling metal. :P

[Slayer of the Rot]

I rarely give a damn what people think about me. I like my triforce tattoo; when I was a kid, I played Zelda for endless hours, and still love it. I've never regretted it, since the needle touched my skin. I mean, it needs fixing, and touched up, but that's what you get when you get your tattoo in a trailer and the artist is draining a forty ounce like it's a regular bottle of beer.

I plan to get a few other things, once I come across the money. I'm planning on a tattoo of the curse brand from Berserk somewhere on myself, because A) Berserk makes my panties wet and B) I guess it technically means something to me, now that I think of it. Though everything I have in mind isn't going to be enormous, and cover my entire arms, or anything to that degree. And before I get the old "You'll look back in fifty years and regret it" spiel, save it. I do not want to be alive when I'm 70.

As far as other people, I very much enjoy it. I prefer girls with piercings or tattoos compared to girls with none. Then again; when you're toddling around a bar with the excuse of; "I lost my glasses" whenever you blindly grab someone's ass, it doesn't really matter.

[Moonlit Raven]

As always, Slayer, your insight and opinions amaze us all.

[The Emerald Hind]

Piercings? Eh, I have my ears triple pierced and the cartilage, too, and -never- wear jewelry. A big waste.

But tattoos? Love them! I love the feeling of being inked. Yes, I'm a freak. However, for me, personally, I like to keep them under the clothing. And I also put a lot of thought and planning into mine. I don't want to be like so many out there who get a tat because it's "cool" and then end up hating it a few years down the road. I have only one on the small of my back, but it's something I've been working on for nearly eight years, so I was certain that I wanted it. I have two more that I'm going to do in the future, both of which match the first, and have just as much meaning for me.

It's something my fiance just now wishes he had done when he was younger. He has over forty tattoos ranging over his arms, chest, stomach, and back, plus a couple on his legs. Two of them—including the absolutely huge stomach cover up for which he paid six hundred dollars—are unfinished and have been that way for a year or so. So, yea, he's the perfect example of what -not- to do. He likes most of his tattoos because they all have meaning to him, like the one with his little girl's name, and the memorial to his mother, but the one with an ex's initials on it and the tattoo he did himself on his own stomach when he was drunk about ten years ago, well, he hates those with a passion, hence the expensive cover up...

So, my thoughts? If you want the tattoo or the piercing, get it, but don't do it on impulse! Don't ever have some one's name put on your body unless its a close relative. (I have not once met a person who had their significant other's name inked in who stayed with that person for more than six months after it was finished... It's pretty much guaranteed the two of you won't stay together. If you're going to put your lover's name on you, you had best been with that person for a very long time.) Don't have something inked in because it's in fashion. And always keep future employment in mind when it comes to tattoo placement. There's nothing I hate to see more than someone get a tattoo covered up or completely removed just because they didn't take the time to make sure that it's what they wanted when it was put on them.

The more thought and planning you put into it, the more likely you are to like it later on, and the more meaning it'll have for you, too.

[Empyrean]

You make a very good point. I always thought it was ridiculous to put a boyfriend's/girlfriend's name on yourself in ink, because who knows how long you'll be together? What bothers me is that most people do it on impulse, and they do it after only a while dating. It's stupid.

And yes, you should definitely wait until you have something meaningful. Don't go and get something just because you can, or just because it "looked cool." My brother got a tattoo on his left arm when he was eighteen just because it was legal, and not only does he not want it anymore, but he couldn't think of what he wanted when he got it. And therefore ended up with a really stupid tattoo.

The counterbalance to that is that fortunately, his second tattoo has meaning and is something he'll probably want permanently. On his right arm is a cross, under which is the birthday and death date of his best friend, who was murdered in a really bad part of town. All of his friends got the same tattoo.

The last thing that bugs me is when girls get cute little tattoos to show off. They serve no purpose and have no meaning whatsoever. A lot of girls in my class got these kinds of tattoos - their initials on the backs of their necks, or ladybugs or hearts on their ankles.....I don't know, maybe it's fine, but I hate those cutesy little tattoos.

Maybe in a few years, I'll be brave enough to get a couple good tattoos. :)

[The Grey Wizard]

I like tattoos and think of them as art but the line between appropriate and non appropriate depends on the tattoo. Example a guy who gets his whole body tattooed like a cheetah or lizard is far beyond non appropriate its ridiculous. But having like a tattoo of a naked ladies along your arm is non appropriate because I for one wouldn't like looking at a set of naked women on my buddy's arm. as far as having a simple tattoo that not every clothing item can cover is fine but as I said depends on the tat.

[Skie and Avery]

Currently my ears are pierced and sized to 6 gauges. I don't know how far I intend on taking them. I guess I'll stop when I think it looks good. Can't say if it was painful or not because I've had them pierced since I was 11 months old.

I used to have my nose pierced, in the septum ((like a bull, for those of you who are anatomy-ignorant)). It was taken out for a boy, and a bad decision. I liked it. For some reason, when it was in I never had nasal problems. The day I took it out, I got a head cold and had a runny nose for a week. =( It may not have been the titanium ring hanging between my nostrils, but you never know! It was a pinch, nothing more. Very low on the pain scale.

I have my tongue pierced, and have had it for about 5 years now. I actually speak differently when it's not in anymore, because I'm so used to throwing around my tongue to compensate on words for the extra weight. XD And yes, the myth is true. I do own a vibrating tongue ring. I have used it. It's awesome. I normally wear a titanium barbell with a tiny black jewel in it most of the time, but when I'm around other people who are pierced, fun things happen when I put in the "Slave Ring", which is basically a barbell, with hinged ring welded to the top ball. Getting it pierced induced no pain at all. It kind of felt cool. I hugged the piercer. Of course, I got it done the day before Thanksgiving, so I was sipping cranberry juice and even that was painful, but it was worth it!

I used to have my nipples pierced. I took them out because I had a job interview at the county jail and I was told by someone who worked there that the metal detectors there did indeed pick up titanium. I thought the interview wouldn't take long, but it was an all day excursion and by the time I got home, the one month old piercings had closed. The only reason why I haven't gotten them redone is because those hurt. Alot.

My piercing wishlist
A Marilyn ((The upper lip/cheek zone. Think where Marilyn Monroe had her beauty mark.))
Getting my nipples redone
My navel
My tragus on my ears

As far as tattoos go, I think that they need to have meaning. I only have one planned. My mother had a small tattoo on her shoulder of two teddy bears holding a heart between them. I intend to get that tattoo reproduced along with a quote from the Crow that goes "Mother is the name for God on the lips and hearts of all children. Do you understand?" Really, the only reason I don't have it already is because I'm still iffy on placement, whether it should be on my back or on the inner side of my forearm, and I want to be absolutely sure of all the details before I get inked.

One that is undergoing planning is for my lower back. It's going to be two rats with their tails entwined. One of them is going to have a collar with a heart shaped locket and the other will have longer hair, especially around the head, slightly modeled after a young lion. I was born in 1984, year of the Rat, with my zodiac a cusp of Virgo and Leo. Also, I used to keep rats as pets, and intend to again in the future. *sniffle* I miss my boys.

[Elijah_Morendale]

I gotta' say, a friend of mine got a Marilyn, and they have to be one of the oddest things I have ever seen. I didn't quite know what to think of it.