With any modification to one’s body there are risks involved. But besides the physical ones such as infection or rejection there are others which we usually overlook, such as divorce, bra straps, and psychiatric commitment, among others. The BME encyclopedia risks site has information on almost all of them.

For divorce one man talks about losing a custody battle for a few mod related reasons. The judge deemed him unfit for full custody  after hearing about his voluntary castration thinking that his wife had made him do it and that made him weak. Also, his wife had a shrink tell the court he forced her to get body piercings. Just another thing to keep in mind during a divorce.

Some people may think of you as certifiably insane after an extreme body modification. Then they just may have you hauled in for psych evals up the ying  yang. But chances are they won’t find anything and you’ll be free in 72 hours.

In the bra strap category they warn people about bra straps snagging on new tattoos or piercing and suggest going braless or wearing some sort of padding or cushion under the strap until healing is complete. They also advise to be careful of children around any modifications they can pull on or grab at such as stretched ears or transdermal implants.

For more risks click here

Interesting redo the classic Love Kills Slowly design by the infamous Sailor Jerry

I read today in a list of things a person should never do without first talking over with their significant other is getting a tattoo of the other’s name. I can understand that very well, that could create a very awkward situation. However, what about getting a tattoo in general, does a person need to talk it over with their lover first? What if they say no, what happens next?

I mean unless it’s a spontaneous decision to get a tattoo it might be good to mention to the person you’re  with that you are getting a tattoo, but do you have to ask their opinion, and then act upon what they say, even if they disagree.

I have never been in a relationship around the time of any of my tattoos and I am not sure how well I could comprehend someone saying, “No, you shouldn’t get another tattoo, I don’t want you to,” or trying to just steer me away from it indirectly. I already get that from my mother. No one but my mom can try to steer me away from tattoos, and it doesn’t work for her, so why would I let it fly with a person I choose to be with. I do not think I could choose between tattoos and a boyfriend, even a husband if I had one.

Getting a tattoo is something that shouldn’t be done on a whim. While I can speak from experience and say I decided to get my last tattoo the day I got it, I was attending a tattoo convention that day and had been toying with the idea of getting inked while there and pulled an idea from my stockpiled tattoo ideas I have kicking around my head. (Yes, I do in fact have a stockpile of tattoo ideas in my head that I want. Think of it as a bucket list of tattoos.) I do not regret getting a somewhat spontaneous tattoo one bit.

I can maybe see taking their opinion on the details of the tattoo though. For instance, the placement or the design.  But I would not, in my right state of mind, let someone I was in a relationship with stop me from getting a tattoo entirely.

Tattoos are gaining more popularity every day. They are something that can make us different from the person sitting next to us. But with all the people getting tattooed these days it is not hard to imagine more people having the same tattoo. Especially, with the popularity of some classic designs such as hearts with the strip of writing, certain military tattoos, tribals, and other flash favorites. People usually do not want to show a stranger a tattoo only to find out they have the same one.

This is why there are custom shops which guarantee they will never give the exact same tattoo twice. They do not just have flash hung up on the wall and put the stencils on and go. They draw up a design for a customer. They will take the customers artwork and make it a little different as well, bringing it to a new level.

However, with all the people with tattoos in the world, is a person having a similar tattoo to yours really a bad thing. I see people all the time with tattoos that I like and want. But I think to myself, “No, I can’t get that same design, that’d not cool.” A lot of times I take ideas from other’s tattoos and combine them with other elements. But with all the flash designs out there, and their popularity, it cannot be too hard to find someone with the exact same tattoo and probably with the same placement. So I am starting to open up the idea of a classic flash tattoo design, such as a sugar skull or Black Panther, and not worry too much about other people having the same thing. It really just means having similar taste in tattoos and something to talk about.

There are people in this world who have heavily modified themselves and usually are known to the public for just that, such as Cat Man or as he calls himself Stalking Cat. But he is not alone in being heavily modified. The Enigma, whose real name is Paul Lawrence, does more than just make appearances as a modified person. He is also a musician and actor.

He is fully tattooed with puzzle pieces and has multiple body piercings, reshaped ears, and subdermal horn implants. He has been involved with music since his childhood in Seattle, WA.  He composes, sings and plays many instruments including piano, guitar, and flute. He is also a sword swallower, author, producer and director among other things.

Enigma has also made appearances on the X Files, Ripley’s Believe It or Not, and many other things. He was a founding member of the Lollapalooza sideshow. His music can be found on soundtracks for movies like Firecrackers and PUNKS.

The Enigma performs at the Electric Acid Theater and can be found at his website.

Recently, two parents were arrested for giving their children tattoos with a homemade tattoo machine. They are being charged with illegal tattooing, cruelty to children, and reckless conduct . The children are ages 10-17 and all their own children. But they were children they two parents both had from former marriages. The mother of the children belonging to the man, the one who gave the children the tattoos, was the one who reported the couple to the police.

The machine was made from a power supply and electric motor, some wiring, an ink pen barrel and a sharpened guitar string used as a needle. This guitar string was used on all the tattoos given.  I did not see anything about any reports of infection yet but that is one issue I have with the situation. Also, that the mother of the man’s children did not agree with the tattoos being given. If she had agreed, then it would be fine I think.

I really do not think what the couple did is so reckless or cruel. This is not much better than their kids sneaking around going to some back alley tattoo artist. The tattoos given were small black crosses, nothing obscene or vulgar and the children wanted them.  The tattoos I saw on the man’s girlfriend, that he did, looked just as good as something you might get from a professional shop. Also, it was their children, not anyone else’s. But, I do think the other two parents should have been asked for permission if they have custody of the children. Also, the guitar string needle should have been changed between tattoos. But the report did not say if it was sterilized between tattoos.

Here is the video report

I bet she's a deviant haha

I just read this article about a recent study that claims people with 2 or more tattoos or piercings are likely to be deviants. I am not making this up; I wish I was because it’s almost funny. With my three tattoos and plans for more, according to this I am high as a kite, drunk, and should be finding someone to cheat off  of for my next test.

Performed by Texas Tech University, the study states that those of us with two or more tattoos are likely to partake in deviant activities such as cheat on tests, use drugs, and abuse alcohol. I remember in high school seeing plenty of people cheat on tests and not one of them had a single tattoo, let alone two. Most of the “deviants” I know live on a deviant budget and cannot afford tattoos and piercings.

The study surveyed students at two state colleges and two religious universities with tough enrollment processes. 37% reported to have one piercing, and 4% reported to being tattooed. I feel that this survey is quite likely to have gotten incorrect results. Not everyone is always honest about their involvement with drugs, alcohol, cheating, tattoos, and piercings. I think everyone has lied a little on a survey before.

Then, if someone was bad enough to have *gasp* 4 tattoos and maybe even a nipple or genital piercing they were twice as likely to report to marijuana use. Plenty of people get 4 tattoos or a genital piercing and never touch pot.

I think that people with more tattoos are more confident in their “deviant” activities than those without tattoos who may not admit to doing certain things. Way more people do drugs, drink booze, and cheat on tests than have multiple tattoos and piercings.

Tattoos are always thought as something we see. This has excluded blind people from experiencing tattoos as we do. But things have changed. Now more than just the visual sense can be used to experience a tattoo.

Braille tattoos are not so much tattoos in the definition that normally comes to mind. Instead of ink being used tiny metal implants  under the skin to raise it up and is spaced just right to be understood byanyone that can understand braille letters. There are also inked braille tattoos but they are not functional, and only mean something for those who understand braille but are able to see the dots.

Since it is a series of implants it is not technically a tattoo but that is not the point. I have always thought the worst part of being blind would be losing the ability to see my tattoos. I think of them as the one thing people can’t take from me. These implants give someone who cannot see

the chance to have something they can understand on their skin, even if the rest of us don’t know what it means it is still spectacular for that person.  The tattoo  experience is indescribable.

The implants are said not to last long and have to be fixed over time due to migration. But all tattoos fade at some point and could use a touch up. Like the tattoos people get on the inside of the lip that only last a few years at best unless they are redone  multiple times.

Birthdays are awesome days for getting new tattoos. I, like many young people do, celebrated my eighteenth birthday with a tattoo a few years ago. I also celebrated my last day of high school with a second tattoo a few months later, but that isn’t the point.

What is the point? That birthdays are one of the best days to get tattoos. I am hoping to receive enough money for a new tattoo or something cool like that, but tattoos cost money and I do not want to get my hopes up. But I have rounded up some spectacular tattoo, piercing, and body mod pics for you all.

People are always looking for that new tattoo that people will be wowed by. Something people don’t see everyday. For those people looking for a unique tattoo, I suggest not to think so much about a unique design, instead try a unique placement, like your tooth.

Tooth tattoos are small custom designs put on a crown by a dental lab with a staining process and then said crown is put in place by your dentist for a cost of $75 – $300. Designs while small are chosen by you 100 percent. Along with the size you also choose tattoo placement, what side of the tooth and what tooth it goes on.

Tooth tattoos can last for many years. Some dentists have said that they can cause plaque build up and lead to tooth decay but this is not certain. If you want the tattoo removed it is much easier than removing a tattoo on skin. With just a few minutes of filing it will come right off.

I decided to make a post for a little entertainment during this holiday season. I even found a Jewish tattoo, but only one good one. If anyone has anymore holiday themed tattoos, piercings, or other body modification pictures post them as a comment or email them to me and I will post them in follow ups. Also, if there are no pictures just describe it. Don’t hesitate to send stuff from holidays like Easter, or Halloween, or even Arbor Day. I will use all  I receive no matter what holiday they come from.

Remember, National Piercing Day is on May 16,  so if you want a cool piercing, save some Christmas or Hanukkah, or even Kwanzaa money for a cool,  new piercing.