The Importance Of Body Modifications

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When it comes to physical appearance, there are many natural causes for the different variations of certain characteristics. Humans come in all shapes and sizes with enough combinations that it is not rare to have similar features to someone who may have a completely different background than you. Most of these characteristics occur naturally throughout one’s life, but some individuals take it upon themselves to create their own characteristics through a process called body modification. People from around the world use many different types body modifications for a variety of reasons. Body modifications have been used for at least four reasons: the search for beauty, a symbol of status, forms of identification, and coming of age rituals.
The
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Like its name suggests, this body modification is marked by a bagel shaped protrusion from the forehead. This protrusion is filled with saline, and, unlike blackout tattoos, they are not permanent. The way that this look is achieved is by taking a needle and injecting a saline infusion into the forehead. This trend was started by a Japanese artist named Keroppy after visiting an extreme body modification convention in Toronto (MailOnline). This body modification is also seen like an expression of art, but it goes even further than the tattooing. Keroppy claimed that the Bagel head trend was so popular that some would go “to 'saline parties ' about twice a year”, or even that “some people will take their 'bagel head ' to clubs and fetish parties” (MailOnline). It is seen not only as art, but a form of beauty that is coveted by some …show more content…
Many use it as a coming of age ritual that marks certain times throughout life. One group, however, has a slightly different spin on it. When a boy comes of age in the Chambri tribe in East Sepik, they go through crocodile scarification. This is basically the same idea as normal scarification, but the cuts and scars are located specifically on the back so that they resemble the scales of a crocodile. In a news article, a reporter writes about the relationship between the Chambri tribe and the crocodile is the tribe sees the animal as a very important symbolic and spiritual being. It connects them to heir ancestral roots because they believe that they are descendants of the animal (Rowena). Scarification, however, is not the only body modification that is used in a coming of age

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