Cultural Tattooing and Body Modifications

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Foot binding was practiced in China for nearly a thousand years, and began by binding the feet of young girls to restrict growth and cause foot deformity. The bound feet were often prone to infection, paralysis, and atrophy. There are many elderly chinese women today who experienced the practice and experience disability as a result. The binding's purpose was to construct the ideal foot of beauty, the "lotus foot" which was a 3in long foot.

When babies are young, as any parent knows, the skull is soft and maleable. It is possible to restrict the growth of the skull by putting pressure on it over time. In ancient times, this was accomplished with the use of binding and strapping boards to permanently alter the shape of the skull. Many anthropologists believe this type of body modification to be amonth the first practiced by humans, and is seen in historical records around the world. It can still be seen today in parts of Africa and South America

Many of the girls of the Mursi tribe in South Ethiopia live with a clay plate fixed into their lower lips. The plates are inserted over time with increasing diamater. The women of tribes who practice such methods also practice other types of body modifications such as scarring and extreme earings. Lip disks and body modifications of this sort are found in a number of different african cultures.

The practice of wearing neck rings is performed in a number of African and Asian cultures, and involves the application of metal rings to the neck causing the muscles of the neck to stretch, as well as causing deformation of the collar bones. Neck rings are seen as promoting an ideal of beauty in these cultures, a long neck, but the rings themselves produce more of an illusion of neck elongation than a real elongation of any vertebrae. Wearing the rings since childhood. the muscles of the neck are loosened, and the bone structure of the collar bones is modified in a way that makes the neck appear extended. The number of brass coils used also helps to amplify this effect. Contrary to popular belief, it is entirely possible to recover after having the rings removed, and while mucles are weakened and effected, removing the rings does not mean instant death.

Scarification, the process of cutting the body to produce decorative scars is typically a cultural rite of passage for a number of indiginous tribes in places such as New Guinea, Australia and Africa. Scarification has been performed through time through cutting as well as burning. Obviously, scarification is imprecise because of the way different individuals react to scars. The depth of the cut, healing of the wound, and reaction of the individual all effect the end result.

Tattooing has likely existed for as long as humans have roamed the earth, and there is evidence of ancient tattooing within a very wide variety of cultures throughout history. A great example of culturally specific tattooing which has become somewhat mainstream is the Tattooing art of the Buddhist monks at the Wat Bang Phra Temple in Thailand. The monks at this temple perform ritualized daily tattooing of anyone who requests it, using a sharp needle and over 3000 strikes into a person's flesh.

a.)High Foreheads - In the Elizebethan era, women plucked or shaved the front of their hairlines to create the illusion of a high forehead. The larger the forehead, the more beautiful the woman.



b.)Belladonna Eyedrops - In the 16th and 17th centuries, the wealthy used belladonna eyedrops to dilate their pupils. The eyedrops were made from the "Deadly Nightshade" plant. The plant itself is toxic and can lead to depression, weakness, and death. Users acquired an "attractive" doe-like appearance, but they also risked retinal damage, glaucoma, and blindness.


c.) Vermillion Rouge - During the 1700's, Vermillion Rouge, a makup made of sulfer and mercury achieved great popularity. The makeup, however, caused its users to lose teeth, suffer gingivitis, and risk nervous system and kidney damage, not to mention the constant putrid smell of sulfer.

d.)Corsetting - Coresetting, or the act of modifying a woman's waist with the help of girldes and other devices achieved popularity from the 14th-19th centuries. The practice caused shallow breathing, venous system damage, hiatal hernias, fainting and organ problems.

Trapanation is surgury of the skull where a hole is either drilled or scraped, exposing the dura mater. This process is used in medicine to trat subdural hematomas, but has been known throughout history as a form of extreme body modification. The practices has been known to be carried outh from Neolithic times, and has been seen as everything from the solution to enlightenment to a cure for epilepsy. In modern times, trepanation used as anything other than treatment for hematomas is seen as pseudoscience. Practitioners, however, see it as a way to "increase brain blood volume," and therefore improve all cognitive functions. There is no clinical proof of this happening. The goal for many self trapaners is to restore the "heartbeat in the brain," as it has often been noticed that a pulse can be seen in the brain following the opening of the skull.

Tooth filing has become a common modern form of body modification as it can be used to produce a wide variety of interesting effects. It is commonly used by dentists for cosmetic reasons or preparations. Tooth filing, however, has existed for millenia and has been seen in various cultures for thousands of years. The practice has been seen as a form of decoration and has been speculated to be used as a way preventing certain dental complications. Getting your teeth shaped is fairly simple, and generally not painful. Paradoxically, a properly filed tooth may have a reduced chance of cavities and other dental complications. Reversal of any type of tooth shaping or filing, howerver, is prohibitively expesive.

PRINCE ALBERT PIERCING HISTORY NSFW (http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c2/Prince_Albert_Piercing.jpg) This piercing is one of a number of piercings with historical significance, including nipple, navel, and tongue piercings, who all have long histories throughout a number of different cultures. The price Albert, named after the husband of Queen Victoria of England was though to have had this piercing prior to his marriage to the queen. The purpose of th piercing came as the result of a fashion trend in ultra-tight mens mants. Because the pants were so tight, there was a need to hide the bulge caused by the male genitals. The solution to this problem cam in the form of a piercing known as a "dressing ring" that allowed the man to position his penis and hook it onto one side of his trousers. To this day tailors will ask men if they dress to the left or the right. History has shown us a long history of genital piercings and alterations with piercings in over 18 locations in the genital region. As an example, amongst the Timorese of Indonesia, the Frenulum beneath the glans penis has been pierced with brass rings as a custom for hundreds of years. The function of the ring is to enhance stimulation during sex.