10 Most Bizarre Body Modifications

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Some people will go to great lengths to stand out in the crowd, which has meant some extreme methods of body modifications over the years. Gone are the days of standard tattoos or piercings, nowadays there are many new ways to alter the human body in a way that will make it more unique than it already is. Here is a list of ten methods of the most bizarre body modifications that are available. Please note if you are squirmish then the content in this article will not be for you!

1. Human Branding

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Like the branding techniques we see on farmyard cattle this right here is the human equivalent. A similar method is applied with the use of a hot, or in some cases cold, rod which burns the skin and leaves a patterned scar, such as the intricate detailings of the stars like the brave lady in the photo has opted for.

2. Subdermal Implant

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This type of body art requires a shaped piece(s) of jewellery that is placed underneath the skin giving it this 3-D-type of look. Once the shapes have been inserted under the skin the body heals over them naturally allowing for the raised design to come into effect. Most shapes have been inserted into arms while others have opted for stars in their chest or back. Other extreme followers of body modification have chosen an even more dramatic effect by having small horns inserted into their head!

3. Earlobe Stretching

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A craze that has seemed to take off around the world, earlobe stretching involves a piercing in the ear that gradually over time will be replaced by a larger piercing making the hole in the ear stretch. This is known as a “flesh tunnel”. It’s believed the modification was inspired by the African tribal women who stretch their earlobes as part of their culture. The stopping point is said to be 1/2 an inch as this is the point in which the ear will still be able to heal and seal the hole. After 1/2 an inch is known as “No return”.

4. Tongue Splitting

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Otherwise known as tongue bifurcation this body modification sees the tongue split centrally creating a forked tongue as a result. Most methods involve laser surgery or scalpeling but some modifiers who choose to do it themselves achieve the look by tightening nylon bindings that have been inserted into an existing tongue piercing. This method takes a hec of a long time though and the modifier will have to endure a tremendous amount of pain.

5. Tooth Filing

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Filing of the teeth is done so that sharpened teeth can be achieved as the desired look. Ota Benga (pictured) is thought to be one of the first people to ever have this type of body modification. Benga was a famous Congolese pygmy who was imported to a U.S. zoo in 1904.  He was found with his teeth all filed into sharpened fangs, which he had done to him when he was just a boy.

6. Tightlacing

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Torso-squeezing corsets are worn by females in order to achieve the narrowest of waists. Tightlacing can also be called corset training or waist training, while the women who use these method of body modification are known as tightlacers. Corsets first made an appearance in fashion during the 16th century. Tightlacing has come back in to fashion thanks in large to celebrity burlesque dancer and former girlfriend of Marilyn Manson, Dita Von Teese.

7. Corneal Tattooing

This episode aired in January 2010. Two prisoners discuss having their eyeballs tattooed.

Eyeballs and needles do not suit each other in my opinion but  some people clearly beg to differ. The procedure can be perfomed with a traditional tattooing needle. As you can see in the picture the eye is held open while the pigment is injected directly into the cornea. In the 19th century corneal tattooing was a method used to improve defects in blind eyes. These days however the tattooing is used to “decorate” the eyeball.

8. Extraocular Implant

The insertion of a small piece of jewellery into the eye has been heavily criticised by doctors around the world, such as Dr. Christopher Rapuano, a corneal surgeon at Philadelphia’s Wills Eye Hospital. He called it “invasive surgery” and that the “safety of this procedure will have to prove itself over time, since it hasn’t been performed on many people.” It is thought to have originated in Holland several years ago.

9. Scarification

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Like Human Branding this type of scarring is carved into the skin so that when the wounds heal they will have formed the requested design, such as the woman pictured who opted for a mathematics formula. Unsurprisingly the process is a lot more painful but modifiers who have chosen for this form of scarification have spoken about how this type of scarring can become more personal to them and to some extent more symbolic.

10. Ear Pointing

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Some people have started having surgery to turn their human shaped ears into those of a mythological Elf – think Legolas. The reshaping is achieved by a careful dissection from the top of the ear which is then replaced by a specially crafted flap that has been made from the cartilage and skin of the patient. Skin closure is done with unabsorable, uninterrupted sutures.

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Filed Under: Bizarre • Photos • Weird

Tags: Body Modifications, Corneal Tattooing, Ear Pointing, Earlobe Stretching, Extraocular Implant, featured, Human Branding, Scarification, Subdermal Implant, Tightlacing, Tongue Splitting, Tooth Filing