Hey guys, I'm finally back with a real ass article! Some of you may know I, Mice, am an admirer of body art and modifications, and I know some of you are too. I'm gonna use that opportunity to display some of the history behind piercings, some reasons people get tattoos and styles, then lastly Wikipedia provided me some cool facts about scarification I had to share!
Also, a thank you to Ceylin for my lovely layout!
First topic I'd like to touch is piercings.
Surprisingly during my research, I've learned that piercings have been around for 5000 years already. At first, it was only earrings. Back in 1500 BC nose piercings became documented. Those 2 types of piercings were documented globally, later on came lip and tongue piercings, but those 2 in particular were only found in African and American tribal cultures. In various cultures, nipple and genital piercings were practiced. Nipple piercings even date back to at least Ancient Rome while genital piercings date back to Ancient India c. 320 to 550 CE. Navel piercings have a more unclear history. Piercings on other areas have had an increase in subcultural popularity in the 1970's spreading to mainstream in the 1990's.
Secondly, who doesn't love tattoos?
In my definition, a tattoo is art that's permanently inked into your skin with pigments, ink and dyes. In reality, tattoos are actually just a re-coloration of the skin but made to look like art. People get tattoos for different reasons; some because they just love art, some because they want a memory of a loss they've experienced, some because they just want to remember something forever and some do it to get permanent makeup. It may not be the same process, but it's classified as tattoos to extend a lip line or get eyeliner.
When it comes to tattoos, there are probably endless tattoo styles to choose from. Some tattoo styles are black and white/grey, Traditional, Neo-traditional, Japanese, New school, Stick and Poke and many, many more! When getting a tattoo, not only do you have to think about what you want for a piece, you have to think about the style of it. If you plan on more tattoos, do you wanna keep the same style, do you wanna experiment, are you one to just go with what you're feeling at that moment?
Third and the last, scarification!
Have you heard about it before? Not many have. It's a body modification where you get one or several pieces of skin removed so, in the end, you have a beautiful scar in a design or quote you've picked. This is done with different techniques. The goal is to make the healing process scar more, not less.
I thought I should mention these facts below about scarification are not written by me (shout out to Wikipedia), but I thought they were too good to not include and I couldn't slaughter them by rewriting them, I'm sorry, but enjoy them (I know I did!):
☞ Scarification is usually more visible on darker skinned people than tattoos.
☞ Endorphins can be released in the scarification process that can induce a euphoric state.
☞ Scarring on the abdomen of women in many tribes is used to denote a willingness to be a mother. Her ability to tolerate the pain of scarring was an indication of her emotional maturity and readiness to bear children.
☞ Scarification can be used for healing a patient changing them from a less desired state to a more desired state. It may help a patient go from victim to survivor. What is relevant to society varies from culture to culture. These individuals pass through various kinds of ritual death and rebirth, and redefine the relationship between self and society through the skin.
☞ Most people in certain regions of Africa who have "markings" can be identified as belonging to a specific tribe or ethnic group. Some of the tribes in Northern Ghana who use the markings are the Gonjas, Nanumbas, Dagombas, Frafras and Mamprusis.