Extreme body modifications: Devotees say tattoos, piercings, and skin implants, like those seen here, are beautiful – and that the sometimes painful procedures used to create them can be emotionally and even spiritually uplifting. But some medical experts say the “mods” can be dangerous – and in some cases evidence of mental illness.
Forked Tongue Body Modifications Tattoos
One of the dangergous tattoos is Extreme body modifications tattoos. Why have one tongue when you can have two? Traci Joy Burleigh (not shown here) is a 38-year-old professional piercer in San Francisco who says “tongue bifurcation” is typically done in a piercing shop under sterile conditions.
But Dr. Jon Perlman,a prominent Beverly Hills plastic surgeon who has been practicing for 25 years and has turned down requests for procedures he found disturbing, says that the tongue “is a very functional part of the human body affecting speech and eating. I think anyone who wants this should undergo psychological evaluation to explain such a strong drive to stand-out from the norm, and I consider myself a fairly open minded individual.”
Lizardman Modifications Tattoos
Eric “Lizardman” Sprague, 38, a performance artist in Austin, Texas, has gone a long way to emulate his favorite beast. In addition to having his teeth filed into fangs, he’s undergone piercings, tattoos, and tongue bifurcation. He’s even had five ridges implanted over each eye, according to his website.
But doctors say subdermal implants, like the ridges above his eyes, can be risky business. “Hopefully all of this is being do under the most sterile conditions,” says Dr. David Bank, director of The Center for Dermatology, Cosmetic, and Laser Surgery in New York. Anytime the skin is open up, he tells CBS News, there is the potential for infection – and the risk is heighten when a permanent foreign object is introduce.
Corset Piercing Body Tattoos
Corset piercing starts with the creation of piercings on either side of the spine. Once these heal, they can be lace with ribbons and pulled taut. As with any skin piercing, corset piercing can lead to infection. And the corset piercings can be difficult to keep clean – and can create unsightly scars.
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