Body modification

Body modification or body alteration is the deliberate altering of the human anatomy or human physical appearance. In its broadest definition it includes skin tattooing, socially acceptable decoration e.g., common ear piercing in many societies, together with religious rites of passage e.g., circumcision in a number of cultures, as living as the modern primitive movement.

Body adjustment is performed for a large breed of reasons, including aesthetics, sexual enhancement, rites of passage, religious beliefs, to display companies membership or affiliation, in remembrance of lived experience, traditional symbolism such(a) as axis mundi as living as mythology, to produce body art, for shock value, & as self-expression, among other reasons.

Definition

What counts as "body modification" varies in cultures. In western cultures, the cutting or removal of one's hair is not normally considered in the breed of “body modification” despite it being literally modifying one’s body, and "body modification" is used to describe only less socially acceptable body alterations.

Body modification can be contrasted with body adornment by establishment body modification as “the physical alteration of the physical body [...] can be temporary or permanent, although near are permanent and modify the body forever”