DISCLAIMER: Please please please keep in mind that I am in no way affirming that these things will most definitely happen to you. They are not even likely � they are just possible. They may or may not happen, and a lot of this depends on the actions of yourself. You are in control of your life and your body, and I am in no way telling you what to expect or what will happen. These are just things that have occurred, folks!
At A Glance Author broken_wings Contact [email protected] IAM broken_wings When N/A This editorial will highlight some of the common risks associated with body modification � but more than that, I'd like to question why it is that people are able to cope with the possibility of these risks. The risks do exist, they could very well occur, and yet � people continue (and have done so for centuries) to transform their bodies anyways.
Piercings may cause a myriad of problems. Be it your average hypertrophic scarring or your more serious keloiding... or even more rare - ear collapse or extreme infection, many different problems can arise. Tooth chipping or gum erosion is relatively common among oral piercings. Rejection and migration are considerably common among surface piercings. But, people still get pierced! Ear stretching can include blowouts, ripping, or infection. (To be honest, if one stretches carefully, these things should not happen.) All piercings, stretched or not, involve the wearing of jewelry; and this could mean the discovery of a metal (or other material) allergy!
Tattoos carry a whole host of possible problems as well. Not only could you be allergic to the ink, but you could contract HIV or some other blood bourn disease. The tattoo could turn out very badly, or much different than you had expected/hoped/wanted. This could mean an incorrectly interpreted or carried-out image, or excessive scarring. And yet, people of all ages and demographics continue to "go under the needle"!
"Harder" mods can have problems as well. Subdermal implants don't always work and must be done by a skilled practitioner. Amputations (if not done carefully/hygienically) can mean gangrene. Tongue splitting can cause loss of taste sensitivity, and scarification can cause infections or excessive scarring. Upon detection of these mods and others, a person may even be hospitalized for "mutilating" themselves! (Although hopefully, in modern times, this is not as common an issue as it once was.)
Please keep in mind that I've more than exaggerated the risks of the few modifications I've mentioned. I've hyperbolized merely to highlight this fact: PEOPLE DO IT ANYWAYS. I'm not trying to dissuade anyone from getting modified; au contraire, I simply would like to understand why they do it � what with so many prevalent risks!
Aside from physical/aesthetic or health risks, there are others as well. Not only may you be turned down for a job, but possibly you could be overlooked by the (narrow-minded) love-of-your-life. These are realities. People judge people by the way they look, and if you don't meet somebody's expectations of "good" or "beautiful" or "normal", you very well may be treated differently. In this way, you can miss out. It's possible. It can (and probably will) make you life a little bit harder than it would've been. You don't hear about people getting employed because the interviewer loved the 1 inch flesh tunnels. You don't (often) hear couples getting together because one person was disgusted by the way the other looked. You seldom hear of modified customers getting optimal treatment specifically because of their modifications (outside of piercing/tattoo studios etc).
Honestly, I don't know why people do the things they do. I don't need to know; it's not my business. Besides, I can't know what everyone-in-the-whole-world's own personal reasons are. I know my own, and they are good enough for me. But sometimes I am flabbergasted when I consider how easily I waive the possibility of threats to my health or social life. I am shocked when I realize that I would change my career to fit the way I look, instead of vice versa. I cannot believe how much my stretched lobes mean to me, and how much I risk by getting pierced. Being something of a hypochondriac, each piercing puts me at risk for HIV. And yet, I persevere.
I suppose there is something about the completion of oneself that outweighs any possibly bad. Then there's the fact that risks often depend on a person's choices. And I guess that the near-guarantee of goodness more than outweighs any potential disaster. Or maybe I lack foresight. Heh. But I doubt that's the reason. All I know is that becoming more and more modified makes me feel good. It improves my self-esteem. It pushes my own boundaries and makes me strive to be a better person, in order to be a wonderful representation of all those that choose to be modified.
I hide my septum piercing for fear that I won't make friends with it down. In a job interview, I would hide my nape piercing and conceal my stretched lobes. I will never (so I say! Ha, we'll see!) get a visible tattoo. These things are true for me because of fear of risk. I've only recently gotten over my apprehension about surface piercings, and one day I will overcome my trepidation about tattoos. I once got a "spontaneous" mod, and that was after months or research. One day, I will conquer all of my hang-ups and reservations; I will live a live devoid of fear or shame.
Until then, I commend you that are as you wish to be. I praise all of you that face and deal with these potential risks � and even more so I admire those of you that overcome them. I hope that I too, will one day be one of you. Until then I hide my true self and prevent myself from attaining true bodily completion. But my day will come, and on it, I will applaud myself.
DISCLAIMER #2: Please, reserve your judgment for me and remember that it is your right to make your own choices. I am in no way trying to preach to you the risks of your actions, I am confident that you are already well aware of what your endeavors will or will not cause to happen. Be informed, and be careful. Be strong, and first and foremost make yourself happy!
Linkage (copy paste into the address bar): Bme Encyclopedia Risks Edition: http://wiki.bmezine.com/index.php/Category:Risks