Gears and Stormtrooper Implants

Most of you know Moscow-based artist Max Yampolskiy best because of his manufacturing of both custom and mass-produced cast silicone implants, but in addition to creating implants he also is a body modification artist that installs them at Tattoo 3000. His designs are some of the most creative and inspired in the industry, and he’s one of only a few people able to create custom cast silicone work and perhaps the most experienced at custom casting. He and the artists that use his implants have been installing them for a bit over three years now if memory serves, giving them a convincing track record of safety and biocompatibility. In these two photos you can see him installing one of his gear-shaped implants in a shoulder. The first photo is the procedure of course, and the second photo shows it at ten days. It’s still a little swollen in the second photo of course and will gain additional definition in time.

I got really excited today though when I saw the custom Imperial Stormtrooper implant that Max created for a Star Wars fan that’s already got a number of themed tattoos and is planning on adding an implant to the mix — it really makes me very happy that we’ve reached a point in the evolution of this industry where this is finally possible. When this is put in some time in October I will definitely share the photos. I should mention that the holes in the implant are there to help anchor the implant, keeping it from shifting and also to help pull the skin down into the indents in the implant. It’s very important to understand that you can’t just take a 3D shape and put it under the skin and expect it to look the same — odds are it will just look like a blob with vaguely the same contours unless design steps like this are taken to ensure you get what you want. In any case, Max can be contacted via his Facebook page at facebook.com/max.yampolskiy.