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"Body Modification" takes wild step beyond piercing, tattooing NEW YORK, May 4 (AFP) - In dark corners of cities around the United States, tattooing and piercing have evolved into more radical ways to change the body, dubbed "Body Modification."

The East Village in New York is a hot spot for body modification, which mixes tattoos, mutilation, branding, scarification and implants under the skin.

"People are over this whole piercing craze," said Keith Alexander, a member of the Association of Professional Piercers. "Body Modification is a new trend towards experimentation with the one thing you truly own, your body."

Under-skin implants are used to create a variety looks, from the more discreet balls on the chest, to devil's horns poking out of the forehead.

For a price of 300 to 600 dollars, a professional will place objects under the skin on the trunk, arms or face, even the genitals.

It is actually an ancient form of body art, practiced in different parts of the world using pearls and semi-precious stones.

Today, technicians use surgical materials such as stainless steel or teflon.

The procedure is simple but sometimes risky. The steel balls -- or hearts, stars or other shapes -- are placed under the skin through a shallow cut that is quickly sewn shut, if all goes according to plan.

"Body modification can be very dangerous," Alexander said. "Because body modification involves breaching one of the body's main protective barriers, the skin."

Doctor John Ward, an orthopedist at Louisiana State University said body modification "brings with it a high risk of infection if done improperly."

"Risks include hepatitis, tetanus, and HIV," which causes AIDS, he said. "Less serious local infections can cause illness, deformity and scarring."

Body modification can also include ritual scarification, practiced for centuries in many African countries. Using a scalpel, the body piercer cuts the skin on the face or body in order to leave a scar.

Others are branded like animals, having characters, letters or words burned into their skin.

In the extreme, some people opt to transform their bodies as a form of artistic expression, hoping to resemble animals.

Eric Sprague, 28, took his desire to look like a lizard so far -- including tattoos across his face and fingernails filed into claw-like points -- that he is known as "the Lizard Man."

"I have decided to undertake a number of procedures and methods to modify my body," he said, adding that it was for "self-fulfillment and satisfaction."

Sprague has five implants over each eye for a "horned ridge effect," teeth filed to sharp points and a split tongue.

"I have two tongues," he said. "My split tongue is the culmination of childhood daydreams and fantasies."

-- Anonymous, May 04, 2001

Answers

Thanks, but no thanks.

Sprague better not go out alone, he's libel to get pick off as an alien or something....

-- Anonymous, May 04, 2001