Discussion Body modifications

[scottchy]

Haven't really seen anybody on here talk about body mods yet.
In a way (for me anyways) body modifications (piercings, tattoos, play needles, scarifications, brandings, suspensions, amputation, implants etc..) can be see as a safe form of self harm.
I used to cut myself as a teen but one time I cut myself badly in a terribly visible spot and was ashamed and embarrassed because people noticed and I had to make up a story instead of explaining my personal business.
I also idolized metal bands who were all tattooed and pierced so I wanted to be like that.
I got my tongue pierced at age 15 and the pain was amazing. Very similar to cutting but more intense plus you get to keep the stud or ring kind of like a keepsake instead of boring hidden scars.
Piercings allowed me to express myself and show off my scars instead of hiding them.
Now I'm 40. I took out most of my piercings but have kept my favorites including some newish ones and some hidden ones lol. I only have less than 40hrs of tattoo work done (soooo expensive). Most notably i have VERY large stretched ears (40mm) and I decided to split my tongue at the age of 39. I absolutely love thinking back to when people would ask me what I was going to do when I was older, well here I am, im depressed as shit but I look pretty fucking cool looool
Overall I've quite enjoyed my modification journey but feel there is still much missing.

Anyone have any questions or any experiences to share?
Any tattoos with interesting stories or that are simply really bad?
Anything planned?

 

[Namelesa]

I have never gotten any tattoos or piercings but I have wanted to get a broken teddy bear tattoo, mostly cus I love plushies and to show I am mentally broken. I also may want to get piercings for my ears but I am not sure about that one.

 

[scottchy]

I have wanted to get a broken teddy bear tattoo, mostly cus I love plushies and to show I am mentally broken.

I actually think that's a fantistic idea!! I could totally see it like a cute teddy that's torn and barely held together. It says I've lived a life a have a story.
I think you should totally do it!!
Regarding ear piercings, lobe are fine. They don't hurt and heal quickly.
Cartilage on the other hand (any of them) suck terribly. They hurt really bad and take forever to heal. Also say goodbye to laying comfortably on a pillow lol. Everyone i know (except for those odd few that somehow healed perfectly, very rare tho) has taken out their cartilage rings.

 

[Namelesa]

I actually think that's a fantistic idea!! I could totally see it like a cute teddy that's torn and barely held together. It says I've lived a life a have a story.
I think you should totally do it!! View attachment 157535
Regarding ear piercings, lobe are fine. They don't hurt and heal quickly.
Cartilage on the other hand (any of them) suck terribly. They hurt really bad and take forever to heal. Also say goodbye to laying comfortably on a pillow lol. Everyone i know (except for those odd few that somehow healed perfectly, very rare tho) has taken out their cartilage rings.

Thank you <3 I have looked at a lot of these kinds of tattoos and it does make me want it as express more of who I am. I have also heard it can mean that you have gone through a traumatic childhood which I would say is true for me due to my experiences with school.

I done this drawing as an idea of what it could look like (tho I don't think it looks that good):

 

[scottchy]

I done this drawing as an idea of what it could look like:

Yoooooo that's awesome!!! I love it!
One of the best tips i ever got about tattoos is don't worry about trying to figure out the detail of how exactly you want it to look, that's part of the artists job. When you make a consultation and pay the deposit with an artist your're basically just paying the artist do draw you a detailed picture using your reference to create your tattoo.

Ugh you're so close to getting it loool
Take that exact drawing you made in to a good artist and watch as they create a unique personalized design specifically for you that nobody on earth will ever have
I personally don't have an artistic bone in my body so I rely heavily on my artists lol

 

[TheShadowKing]

I currently have 3 piercings and 1 tattoo! I have my bridge and both my eyebrows done I'd like to get my septum done plus 2 more on my eyebrows but my job has a 3 face piercing limit Eventually I wanna get more tattoos as well but mainly a lack of ideas plus money has stopped me

 

[yowai]

I have none at all, even stopped wearing earings when I was 14 I used to want to have lots of body mods and tattoos but didn't go through with it cause I'm afraid I'd get bored of them quickly and change my mind

 

[scottchy]

I currently have 3 piercings and 1 tattoo! I have my bridge and both my eyebrows done I'd like to get my septum done plus 2 more on my eyebrows but my job has a 3 face piercing limit Eventually I wanna get more tattoos as well but mainly a lack of ideas plus money has stopped me

That's awesome!!
I had both my eyebrows done long ago also. I absoutely loved them but unfortunately 1 got torn out at a job and the other just migrated out (it wasn't happy and just ctb off my face lol)
I got my bridge done last year but also due to work I had to remove it.
Were you surprised on how little it hurt?
I was expecting terrible pain but was shocked when I barely felt it lol.

Money is definitely a huge factor in my decisions for tattoos also. It's true when they say: If you want good work, your gonna pay top dollar.

I'm afraid I'd get bored of them quickly and change my mind

My theory on tattoo ideas is quite simple: if you like it, get it. It doesn't have to have meaning. Liking something can be meaning enough. I want to eventually get a godzilla tattoo on my leg. Reason? I love godzilla thats it lol. Not to mention you have LOTS of skin on your body. Don't like your first tattoo? Try again with your second or cover up lol.
My first tattoo was a Slipknot band logo letter "S" on my arm. It's now covered up but tells a good story.

 

[Lady Laudanum]

I have a gazillion piercings on my ears, and a decent amount of tattoos (all can be hidden by clothing). No facial piercings but I want to get my 2 nose piercings redone in the future.

Just made the switch from working in emergency medical services to a corporate job temporarily (kinda long story but overall a good thing for me), and I don't know whether people at work are going to have a problem with my body modifications. It's 2025, they should get with the times.

 

[cgrtt.brns]

ive always loved body mods but money and anxiety (having to go outside and talk to someone to get pierced/tatted) get in the way for me. ive currently got my bridge, snake bites, a tragus and four lobe piercings, the lower two of which ive stretched to i think 16mm? icr lol, and two tattoos (not including a shitty stick and poke i did when i was 12 lol). itd be easier to say what piercings/tattoos i dont want to get bc im so indecisive i just want everything lol. i like the idea of using body mods as an alternative to sh but for me its too anxiety provoking for it to work, plus id be more metal than flesh by now lol. id also rly love to get my tongue split and vampire teeth but those are distant future goals bc money lol. do u have any more planned?
edit: also love that ur 40, have 40mm guages and nearly 40hrs of tat work lol idky repeating numbers are interesting to me

 

[Forveleth]

I have a few tattoos. I would be inked head to toe if I could afford it but alas. I have a deal with myself that I will get two half sleeves if I make it to 50. I have some piercings but they are not really my thing overall. I would love to get an industrial but I constantly have on headphones and I am a side-sleeper so that will not work for me.

I have always wanted my tongue split but 1) money and 2) I heal VERY well. I have heard tongue splits can heal themselves and considering my ears will close up after only a week with no earrings, I am betting mine would do the same.

I love the idea of branding/scarification. I have a few scars from various accidents (I am a klutz) and I like them. I would love to do more of that but again, money.

Also thought about getting dermal implants of some sort. Would be cool to have little horn nubs or something. Also would love to have one of those chips put in my hand so I can wave it over a credit card reader and pay for things and look like a Jedi.

 

[WhiteRabbit]

I have a small tattoo and I used to have my tongue pierced years ago but I removed it after chipping a tooth.

 

[astr4]

7 various ear/cartilage piercings, and a half sleeve plus lots of smaller pieces scattered here and there. got some job stoppers too but they're pretty dainty ones ha

 

[Myforevercharlie]

I have a lip and brow piercing and a few tattoos.
I absolutely love them.

( You should get rid of those, piercings are for young people...fuck you!!)

If they weren't so expensive ( here) and I put traveling above it, I would have more.

Forgot the few sh scars

 

[ConfusedClouds]

I have one large tattoo on my thigh covering a large sh scar. Would love to get more but I get hung up on wanting the design to be 'right' and 'mean' something to me. In some ways going for the scar covering made me just make it happen and an element of decision making/design was down to the artist for coverage. Was fairly spontaneous (scar is 12+ years old). The other issue is not being able to see the future and not knowing if I want a future and committing to an appt date and making decisions is too much. Though getting the tattoo done nearly 2 years ago now also made me go all overkill with self care for a couple of weeks while it healed. Could not myself risk ruining the artists amazing work, especially after 1st session as know she would see it again for 2nd session.

Not so interested in piercings. I guess mainly a history of being sporty and the memory of taking them out (simple lobe piercings) and where I put them during training/matches.