The continuing popularity of body modifications.

The one strange aspect of the modern way of life is the growing number of people that are acquiring body modifications there are also a number of people who go for extreme body modifications.

Of course the most popular kind of body modification is the tattoo and it is has been around for a long time, although the technology used has obviously changed over the years. Once the preserve of sailors and tribesman, tattoos are becoming more and more popular than ever before amongst people from all walks of life.

Body modification doesn’t conclude with tattooing or piercing because there are now many more different and extreme kinds of body modifications out there.

There are some kinds of body modifications that involve the damaging of the skin and one such body modification is known as branding. In the same way that ranchers brand their cattle for identification purposes, people are getting their skin scalded with a design of their choosing. The process of branding is done in exactly the same way as on cattle, by the placing of red hot metal against the skin and this causes a burn mark that when heals leaves behind the design chosen.

There are some more different and less painful methods of showing your individuality and these involve using items such as organic plugs and something known as ear stretching. Ear stretching is where someone takes a normal sized ear piercing and stretches it by the means of inserting bigger and bigger inserts or gauges.

The popularity of body modifications comes from its position as a demonstration of uniqueness, but no matter what type of body modification you eventually settle on you have to make certain that you remain safe and reduce the risks connected to infections by giving your body modification the attention it deserves.

The joys of ear stretching

Hey girls are you considering some type of body modification anytime soon? If the answer is yes, then you may well be considering just getting a tattoo or maybe even an intimate piercing. If that is so then you may want to consider an alternative, one that is fast becoming more and more popular and it is called, ear stretching.

You may not have discovered ear stretching yet but it is a kind of body modification that has actually been in vogue for a while and in fact it has been practiced in some parts of the world for centuries.

You are probably wondering what goes on and how you go about ear stretching. To begin with you will need to get a standard ear piercing and then wait for it to heal before you can commence the ear stretching process.

It is also known as gauging and this name comes from the different sized inserts that you need to insert to make the hole bigger. This needs to be done in small steps to prevent damage to the ear lobe that could remain permanent. The normal size to begin with is 0.8 millimeters to 1 millimeter in diameter however; you can maybe get away with starting as high as 1.3 millimeters. Once you have got started then you can begin to make use of bigger and bigger gauges until you reach the size you want.

Here is some aftercare advice that will help you to avoid the problems that can arise with earlobe stretching:

To stop infections happening, then it may be a good idea to keep washing the earlobe with an anti-bacterial soap. Also try to soak your earlobes in a warm water solution and some salt to reduce the risk even further.

Remember to rotate the gauge each day to prevent it from becoming sticky and crusty, and never skip a size.

Outlandish forms of extreme body modification

A number of people will go to enormous lengths to be noticeable in a crowd, which has seen the rise of some severe techniques of body modifications in recent times. Long gone are the days of simple tattooing or body piercings, these days there are numerous ways to modify the body in a manner that will make it only one of its kind.

One of the most popular kinds of body modification at the moment is “branding”. In the vein of the branding practice seen on cattle ranches there is actually a human parallel. A comparable process is used with a hot iron which scalds the skin and leaves behind a decorative mark.

Next up is the body modification known as the sub-dermal implant. This kind of body modification necessitates the placing a shaped piece of jewelry beneath the surface of the skin giving it a 3-D kind of appearance. As soon as the shape has been placed under the skin the body heals them over permitting for a raised outline to appear. Most of these implants are placed into arms whilst other people have decided on stars in their back or chest.

A fad that has to taken off across the globe is earlobe stretching which entails a piercing in the ear lobe that slowly but surely will be substituted by a bigger piercing, meaning that the hole in the ear is stretched. This is also described as a flesh tunnel and it is understood that this body modification was motivated by women from tribes in Africa who enlarge their earlobes due to their culture. The halting point is said to be half an inch and this is the moment where the body will still be able to heal and seal the hole any more than that and the damage will be permanent.

Ear stretching basic advice and hazards.

The procedure of ear stretching is developing into a fashionable variety of body modification, reaching from a variety of civilizations across the globe and into the consciousness of everyday life. As well as being a form of body modification that is chosen by increasing amounts of people, it is imperative to understand that it is still a piercing and can be hazardous if not completed correctly and you should always endeavor to get it done by a professional. 

The procedure of ear stretching can commence once your original piercing has healed. This can be done using tapers that progressively enlarge the size of the ear stretching and they are obtainable in a variety of colors and designs, although it is not advisable to wear them every day or at whilst asleep. Tapers permit you to gradually increase the gauge of your ear piercing without over injuring your earlobes.

Any ideas you have of completing the stretching quickly will probably result in pain and possible bleeding and may well have an effect on the healing process if you ever want to drop a size later on.  Using an assortment of different sized jewelry in your earlobe will let you increase the size slowly over weeks, months and even years. 

As with all other body piercings, ear stretching necessitates that you wash the area involved on a daily basis, using a salt water solution is good enough in most cases.  Remove the piercing, clean your ear and dry meticulously, also doing the same with your jewelry. 

Abiding by the proper course of action is imperative. Avoid stretching it too quickly as this can lead to a blow out, which is when the stress becomes overwhelming and the flesh hole becomes misshapen, sometimes instigating enduring injury.  No-one carrying out ear stretching wants this to occur, so take care and let your ear stretching progress at a pace that is best for your body.

Piercing stretching know the basics.

The technique of stretching ear piercings is intended to intentionally enlarge the piercing to a preferred dimension for the sole purpose of wearing larger jewelry.  This practice is also known as “gauging”. Ear lobes are the on the whole the universal area that is stretched although other familiar spots for distending piercings comprise the tongue, nose, and lips.

The taper is one piece of equipment that is commonly utilized when it comes to stretching piercings and these are usually made from metal or acrylic, with one end possessing a gauge whilst the tapering down to a point at the other end.

The bigger the spot, the more time it will take. A lubricant is applied to the taper prior to it being introduced into the piercing. These lubricants are tremendously important because they help to reduce the chafing associated with the procedure and therefore make it less painful.

 If you are contemplating getting a stretching done then you should always locate a professional who is experienced in this procedure to lessen the risks of something going wrong. Another thing that you need to consider is the fact that your body may not react very well to undergoing this procedure and it is something that you will need to keep an eye on. You will need to keep the stretched area clean and free of infection by constantly bathing the affected area on a regular basis.

Even following stretching’s, particular care is necessary because even after the piercing has mended there is a risk that the skin will become emaciated, making it liable to inflammation, infection, impairment and scar tissue development. Consequently, stretching body piercings should be undertook progressively using aseptic procedures.

 As a general rule, piercers will advocate that you put off for six weeks the wearing of jewelry that places surplus force on the area.  Subsequent to stretching piercings, jewelry that is not dangerous and constructed of the right materials is suggested.

Mixing body modification and fashion

Of all the retro designs out there, all time periods offer their particular distinctive stylishness and what I am putting in writing today is how the decades of the forties and fifties fascinates so resiliently to our present body modification ethos. 

It is straightforward to team up the confident and typically extremely orderly approach of the fifties with tattoos and piercings as they permit the total appearance to not give the impression of being disorderly and chaotic.  Bearing something uncomplicated, for example, a basic or dark lip ring or a couple of straightforward body plugs to work permits each one to speak for themselves.  Combining something that has an intrinsically untamed or punk ambiance to its aura with something that appears and feels conventional and orderly, you end up with a new-fangled appearance that has not been seen much previously.

Amalgamating beliefs with individual expression, incorporating a conventional and gentlemanly approach with your own sense of individuality, generates an appearance that permits a timeless and an up to date expression at the same time.

 An exceptional case in point is the joining together of styles (further than the plentiful folks who live it in form) is the ensemble “The Gaslight Anthem”, with their album “The ’59 Sound” they proffer a retro rock approach that is mixed with contemporary influence. Observing their mixture of slicked back hair, with lip piercings aplenty and tattoo sleeves, assists in conveying their timeless sound as well as its contemporary meanings and spirit.

 With these few uncomplicated steps of wearing on a good button up top, a fresh vest and a pair of working slacks you can heave yourself into a fresh and elegant, hitherto practical approach that will take you to a new echelon of appearance.  Some people think that you cannot appear smart and fabulous with a brace of body plugs in or some tattoos on display? 

Ear stretching basics

If you are thinking of going down the route of the latest body modification of ear stretching which is fast becoming one of the most popular kinds of extreme body modification, then you may well have asked around for people’s opinions. You may have discovered that when asking people for their opinion that you have heard many different things some of which contradict each other, but hey everyone has a method that works for them, right?

I am going to tell you the basics and how I look after mine and how to make sure that you do not have any problems with infections etc.

I was a teenager of around 14 years of age when I first began stretching my ears so you could say that I was a bit of a trend setter, although I do tend to leave a gap of a couple of months before the next stretch and I do not have a set size I am aiming to achieve.

Basically ear stretching is a method whereby you literally stretch the skin of your earlobe by increasing the size of a standard ear piercing by increasing the size of the insert, or a gauge as it is also known.

The size of the inserts are measured in millimeters and you should only ever increase the size of the insert by no more than a millimeter each time otherwise you risk causing yourself some physical harm.

Once you have started the ear stretching process then leave at least two weeks as a minimum between stretches and if you are struggling to increase the size, please do not try to force a stretch as once again this can be dangerous to the health of your earlobe. You will also need to keep an eye out for infections, and it is a good idea to bathe your earlobe as much as you can.

The eyes have it when it comes to extreme body modification

As extremes of body modification go extraocular implants are probably up there amongst the most extreme. Invented in Holland, an extraocular implant is basically a tiny piece of jewelry that is implanted into the eye or more specifically the white of the eye, ouch! Popular amongst Dutch women this is one extreme body modification that is growing in popularity with both men and women across the globe.

The implant itself is tiny measuring a mere 3.5 millimeters in size and it comes in a limited variety of shapes which include a ring, heart or star.

Although this kind of body modification is still relatively rare compared to other kinds such as tattooing and piercings this is one of the most dangerous and concerns have been raised amongst the medical community.

Some specialists have even questioned just why someone would want to undergo such a procedure of having the white of their eye cut. This can lead to infections that can lead to blindness and although infections are rare if it happens then the damage to the retina could become permanent.

Despite the fact that it is not a new kind of body modification, eye tattooing is about as dangerous kind of body modifications that people undergo these days.

Also recognized as corneal tattooing, eye tattoos stem from prisons and have begun to gain in popularity outside of the prison walls and into mainstream society. 

The procedure can be completed in the conventional manner with a tattooist’s needle, or it may be completed with a hypodermic that is used to introduce the dye to the eyeball.

A recent report in the New York Times states that there can be medical reasons for acquiring an eye tattoo for example scarring. The difficulties involved with having the process undertaken for purely cosmetic reasons may offset the benefits.

How Body Modification Has Evolved

Body modifications sure have come a long way over the years. People used to get just simple piercings and tattoos. I remember when I got my ears pierced all the way up on both of my ears, people flipped. Two or three holes per ear were ok, but six, nobody thought any woman should have that many holes in her ears. I did not care and I kept on with my piercings and my tattoos. I was talking to a friend of mine recently who is a tattoo artist and he had mentioned that one of his friends is now doing piercings. He said if I wanted to be a guinea pig I could get myself hooked up with a freebie. Who am I to look a gift horse in the mouth? I talked to another friend of mine and we decided that we were going to get ourselves a new piercing.

When we got to the guy’s shop he had a few people there waiting in line. Apparently, the word had gotten out that this guy was starting up his own shop. Word of mouth is definitely the best way to get your name out there and increase your business. People were there getting all kinds of body piercings. We saw people getting tongues, lips, and belly buttons pierced. That’s what I went for, my belly button and the friend that came with me decided that she was going to get her ears stretched up one more size. She had thought about it, but it wasn’t until we were actually going to get piercings done that she decided to go up to a bigger size.

I love how cool all of the different body modifications are getting now. People walk around with so many tattoos they look like a walking piece of art! It’s totally awesome. I think it’s great that more people are becoming accepting of people like my friend who come to work with body plugs in their ears.  People have definitely started to open their minds when it comes to body modifications. They sure weren’t as accepting of this chick when she first started out a few years ago!

Permanent Cosmetic Procedures

A growing trend in body modification among women involves in having their makeup permanently tattooed onto their face.Permanent makeup is normally for lip liner, eyeliner, eyebrows, and lip color.  Permanent makeup is used for a variety of cosmetic enhancements such as permanent eyebrows, eye liner, and lip liner/color.  Permanent makeup can be placed on the eye lids, eye brow area, lips, cheeks and even under the eyes.  Permanent makeup is a permanent cosmetic applied to lips with a look natural or with more color.  Permanent makeup can be applied to look like eyeliner, eyebrow filler or lipliner.

Permanent makeup is beautiful alone or can be combined with traditional makeup for a stunning worry-free look.  Permanent makeup is sometimes also known as permanent cosmetics.  Permanent makeup is here to stay and a reputable permanent makeup center can deliver very natural results.  Permanent makeup is a form of cosmetic tattooing or body modification that is also referred to as micropigmentation, micropigment implantation, and dermagraphics.  Permanent makeup is a form of tattooing that uses cosmetic implantation to place colored pigment on a facial feature. 

Permanent makeup is also referred to as permanent cosmetics or micro-pigment intradermal implantation.  Permanent makeup can be the answer for people who want to enjoy the benefits of makeup without the attendant hassle.  Permanent makeup is a welcome enhancement for most recipients.  Permanent makeup is a wonderful procedure that should be a good experience.  Permanent makeup will appear extremely intense and thick immediately after the procedure.

A Fresh Look @ BMA Modified

It's no secret that one of my favourite labels right now is underground trend-setters BMA Modified. I have tipped them for big things for a long time now, but it seems like they are finally about to blow up! Last week founder of BMA Modified, Miranda Amelia revealed the identity of the brand's new “face” non other than the gorgeous Mr Bradley Soileau. You've previously seen him featured in Lana Del Rey's music videos and strutting his stuff on the Roberto Cavalli Catwalk, and now he is gracing the pages of the BMA Modified lookbook for Fall/Winter 2012. I'm making BMA Modified my official 'ones to watch'.

Popular Body Piercings

Deutsch: Oberflächenpiercing an der Schläfe Uploaded with Reworkhelper (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

There are lots of body modification fanatics around who may have one or more or various kinds of surface piercing, or body piercing, as it is most frequently known. It is crucial that you can get yourself sufficient understanding on the different sorts of piercings prior to going out and acquiring one by yourself. By doing this, it could be quite simple for you to select what kind you ought to get:

1. Ear piercing is by far the most prevalent amongst the various kinds of surface piercing. Girls have been having their ear lobes pierced for 100s of years and guys have stylishly followed suit. In addition ear piercing is probably the most acceptable amid today's various kinds of piercings. There are plenty of both males and females that have up to half a dozen piercings in a single earlobe alone for a style declaration.
2. Next in line amongst surface piercing varieties is nose piercing. Quite often, the nasal area is pierced in 2 locations: the side of the nostril in which tiny studs are positioned and through the septum where the cartilage material separating the two nasal passages is pierced by means of a ring or barbell.
3. Third most popular choice of surface piercing involves the tongue. Tongue piercings typically go vertically through the center of your tongue, although horizontal piercings and twin piercings are also possible. If the appropriate jewelry is utilized, this sort of piercing will heal fast.
4. Nipple piercing however is recognized as appealing by a number of fanatics among all other types of surface piercing. Though it is very to observe that because nipple vary in size from one individual to the other, it is extremely challenging to do for a few who may have fairly small nipples than the others, particularly on ladies.
5. For individuals who want to exhibit their toned tummies, the belly button form of surface piercing is desired. This is regarded as sexy and desirable in ladies who sport extremely toned waistlines.
6. Nape piercing is becoming more popular with many body modification fans nowadays since it enables them to effortlessly hide their piercings anytime they wish to do so. It's done by piercing your skin at the bottom of the neck while using barbells.
7. The final variety of surface piercing is genital piercing which is currently getting plenty of recognition amongst both males and females. These piercings are typically situated either on or close to the person's sex organ has been said to assist with increased sensation during sex.

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Make Me Proud Bro!

My little brother is a total bachelor! He has just graduated college where he lived that stereotypical bachelor life of questionable hygiene and pizza for breakfast! However, now that he is ready to go out into the big bad world, he knew it was time to clean up his act. Since Scott moved in with me, Ryan is living in Scott's apartment so that works out awesome for him. It is close to the graphic design firm that has hired him. Everything is working out nicely. I wanted to do something nice for him for starting work, but I wasn't sure what he'd like. Then he solved the problem by asking me to help him buy some clothes for work which is a smart casual dress code. Up until now he has been a bit of a chinos and button down shirt kind of guy, but he wanted to look a little bit more trendy to fit in with his new college. His words were "I don't want to be seen as a little mouse - so make me into a man!"

I love dressing men. Scott never lets me mess with his clothes, so this was great fun! We started simple with some cool tees and polos. For his first day I bought him an exclusive Psycho Bunny polo from HarveyNics! We teamed that with some 7 for all mankind jeans, cool trainers and to top off the look with a little it of professionalism we bought him a gorgeous Paul Smith blazer. With his new glasses and haircut he looks total sharp. Little bro has gone from   dodgy student to eligible bachelor. Go out and make me proud Ry!

Make Me Proud Bro! by carolyn-joy-derby featuring supra shoes

The History of Streetwear

Here in California, in the late 70's and early 80's a new style emerged influenced greatly by street art and with a real feeling of freedom of expression. If the streetwear trend is traced back to it's origins one of the founders has to be Shawn Stussy, a local surf shop owner in Laguna Beach who transitioned his logo onto t-shirts which became an instant hit. The fashion was considered to be more underground because it initially developed in response to bold colors and styles and as the 80's progressed the rest of the world started to latch onto the trend.

Japan was one of the first cultures to adopt the underground streetwear style and they began to incorporate their local street art. We began to see more and more unique designs. With monogrammed prints, pop colors and the accompanying irreverent attitude, streetwear clothing began to specialize in promotion and mass communication. We can still see that today with many of the key streetwear fashion labels relying heavily on social media marketing and street teams as their primary marketing strategy. Streetwear is high fashion, there is no doubt about that – but the difference is that it refuses to be absorbed by the fashion industry. It is fiercely independent and has exploded beyond the reach of corporate dollars. It is an industry that is very much about the people who wear the clothing.

One of my favourite brands in terms of streetwear is up and coming label BMAModified. Spearheaded by head designer Miranda Amelia, the Los Angeles based company has brought underground streetwear culture back home to it's roots here in California. Initially founded as a body plug manufacturer, in recent months they have expanded into the realm of clothing with unique shirts, pants and jewelry in a range of stunning designs. I have never seen designs like these before, and in recent weeks imitations have began to crop up, proving what I already knew – BMA Modified has made it and established their name as a leading streetwear brand. You can check out their collection at www.bmamodified.com .

Men Should Take Pride In Their Bling!

I was talking to my Dad about Scott's latest body modification (more on that later) and we got on to the topic of how not too long ago wearing certain jewlry gave men a bad reputation. Growing up I can remember Daddy only wearing a wedding and, but as the years have progressed he has added 2 additional rings a gold chain a bracelet and at one point even an earring! Women have always been able to pretty much get away with any sort of jewlry they wanted too but men have been more restricted in their choices.

Rings for example have only been acceptable if they have a significant meaning – a wedding band, a purity ring or something like a class ring or membership ring for the masons or some tradesman’s guild. They were not jewlry as such. They were symbols. They served a purpose and were not for aesthetic appeal. Any ring purely for decoration was seen as suspicious until very recently.

The same goes for necklaces, they were not considered masculine enough unless they were big chunky chains! The only other acceptable neckwear for men was dog tags. Smaller more delicate necklaces are seen as too wimpy for men.

Thankfully society has moved on. Earrings in particular are now more acceptable – although Mom soon put an end to Daddy's brief earring phase. Both Scott and I wear ear plugs and in fact I think they are more common in men these days. Scott just recently got his nipple pierced! He's going to kill me for saying so! However, he showed Daddy and that's how the conversation began. He said in his day a man with a nipple piercing would be considered a deviant! I'm glad things have changed for the better and I think men should be proud to wear whatever jewlry suits their taste!

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Unexpected Inspiration

Sometimes inspiration strikes and you are never really sure why, but in terms of fashion it is those flashes of inspiration completely out of the blue which can make or break a collection. Sometimes I get those inspirations too and I start to think of looks and possible editorials I could pitch to the editor. Hoping that each one brings me a step closer to actually getting to style a feature of my own! Anyway, today I was browsing a few stores online and I saw these plugs pictured here. I liked them for sure and thought maybe I might buy those sometime, but what really got me was that they mentioned where the image came from. It is a piece of art from Osteographia, aka The anatomy of bones by the artist William Cheseld. I soon found myself researching the fascinating images ad I loved them all! I was soon hitting Polyvore to look at various items and I am putting together a proposal for a feature! I thought I would share a potential Ossteographia look!

Osteographia by carolyn-joy-derby featuring leather jackets

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