here I got a tattoo on my finger instead. What I want to talk about in this article is the decision to become visibly modified, and how much of a decision it actually was.
First of all what do I mean by being visibly modified? I've had piercings in fairly prominent places since I was 18. My first piercing (albeit with a gun) was my helix at the age of 14, though for the sake of this essay I'm not going to include standard ear piercings. My next piercing was my eyebrow, followed by my lip. Both of these are visible modifications, but they are now generally accepted. No one bats an eyelid if I walk down the road with a labret or eyebrow pierced, I've kept them in for interviews and have worn them at the majority of my jobs. Facial piercings, or at least most of them, are now considered normal. Piercings can also be taken out when necessary; at work, around parents who don't approve, etc. so while they are visible modifications they aren't what I mean in the context of this essay. Being visibly modified in the context I want to talk about means being permanently modified in an area that in on show all of the time, somewhere that can't be covered up by clothes and prime examples of this are facial and neck tattoos and hand tattoos.
As I mentioned earlier I made the decision to get tattooed on my hand rather than on my feet, specifically I got the middle finger of my right hand tattooed. I had looked through the artist's portfolio and decided that I wanted a 'ring' around my middle finger, only slightly larger than a normal ring would be. I wanted it that size so that it could be easily covered as I work at a school and was a bit worried about what their reaction would be (I have to take out my facial piercings for work, so wasn't sure how they'd react to a visible tattoo). When Zele asked me if he could make it bigger I was initially wary, but only because of the possible problems with work, not for any fear of 'outing' myself as a modified person or a member of the modified community. In fact the fact that I was about to become visibly modified hadn't crossed my mind, and didn't cross my mind until I was talking to a friend who mentioned that she wasn't sure that she was ready to become visibly modified. It was at that point I started wondering about what it meant to be visibly modified, both to the community at large, and to me.
To me becoming visibly modified wasn't that big a deal. Mods have become so much a part of me that I'm happy to have them on all parts of my body, and have had both wrist tattoos and a facial tattoo planned for far longer than I've had my finger tattoo. But I can understand how becoming visibly modified might be, for some, a decision that needs to be thought about seriously before deciding to go ahead with it. Modified people are still looked at differently in society, especially those with more 'extreme' modifications. Full sleeves are viewed in a different way to armband tattoos; split tongues differently to pierced tongues. Having a permanent, visible modification could cause problems at work, at home or even while walking down the street and that is a reason, albeit one which throws a poor light on the majority of the human species, to not get visible modifications. A prime example of this is David Clinger, an athlete who was told by his bosses to remove his facial tattoo or his contract would be terminated. Did the tattoo affect his performance as a cyclist? No. Would there have been the same reaction if his tattoo had been in a less visible place? Probably not. But visible modifications scare people and the thought of losing sponsorship was enough for his company to carry out the threat.
Everyone I know who has more than one piercing or tattoo has suffered abuse because of it. It can be something as simple as 'did that hurt' for the less extreme modifications (eyebrow, labret, tongue), or something as severe as physical violence for more extreme modifications (stretched lobes, cheek piercings, facial tattoos). Being visibly modified puts us at a disadvantage in some areas and create more reasons against it. But still people become visibly modified. Why? Obviously there is the fact that piercings or tattoos define us; they make us feel whole and complete, and for that reason no one will stop getting those modifications because others elements of society disapprove. That is the main reason behind my modifications, and I'm sure of most others'. This reason is enough for most to brave the opinions of others and stay true to themselves, but we are aware of the consequences of these actions; to not be would be na�ve.
The responses I've had to my tattoo have been nothing but positive. Everyone at work loves it, strangers have complimented me on it and even my parents like it. I think, for me, it's a very feminine tattoo and as such doesn't look out of place where it is. If it had been anything else I think that the reactions would have been different, and that maybe I would have thought more about the repercussions before getting it. However I view the tattoo I think it says to others that I am a part of the body-mod community and that I am happy to be a part of that. I can be recognised as a member of that community whether I have any other mods in or not, and in some sense it reminds me that I am a tattooed, pierced girl � that's who I am.
While I am aware that there is much more I could say about this subject I will leave it at this for the moment: the decision to become visibly modified wasn't really a decision at all, it wasn't something I had to think about at the time but in hindsight I think it was a good non-decision. I am happy with the tattoo, and with what it says about me.
Further reading:
Lizardman: "You just want attention, and You're just trying to be different", BMEzine.com, 2004 http://www.bmezine.com/news/lizardman/20041023.html
Interview with Jason Abels, Modifiedmind.comhttp://www.modifiedmind.com/profile/abels.html
http://www.needled.com/archives/2005/08/employment_disc.php