Body modification
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Template:Body modification Body modification (or body alteration) is the deliberate altering of the human anatomy or human physical appearance.<ref name="Thompson 2010">Template:Cite book</ref> In its broadest definition it includes skin tattooing, socially acceptable decoration (e.g., common ear piercing in many societies), and religious rites of passage (e.g., circumcision in a number of cultures), as well as the modern primitive movement.
Body modification is performed for a large variety of reasons, including aesthetics, sexual enhancement, rites of passage, religious beliefs, to display group membership or affiliation, in remembrance of lived experience, traditional symbolism such as axis mundi and mythology, to create body art, for shock value, and as self-expression, among other reasons.<ref name="Thompson 2010" /><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Background
What counts as "body modification" varies in cultures. In western cultures, the cutting or removal of one's hair is not usually considered body modification. Body modification can be contrasted with body adornment by defining body modification as "the physical alteration of the physical body [...] can be temporary or permanent, although most are permanent and modify the body forever".<ref name=":0">Template:Cite book</ref>
See also
- Adornment
- Bioethics
- Blood ritual
- Bodyhacking
- Church of Body Modification
- Deformity
- Eyeborg
- First haircut
- Genital modification and mutilation
- Genital tattooing
- Human enhancement
- Leblouh
- List of body modifications
- List of people known for extensive body modification
- Makeup
- Microchip implant
- Modern primitive
- Morphological freedom
- Transhumanism