Body Modification--or Mutilation?
Friday, September 5, 2008
For some young adults, a tattoo just isn't enough.
Ever wonder what you would do if your kid came back from college with a tattoo or piercing? No biggie, right? Okay, now how about tongue splitting? Or elf ears? This isn't science fiction, it's body modification--an extreme mode of self-expression that's gaining popularity with teens and beyond. The scary truth is, if your kid is 18 years old, he or she can legally indulge in a myriad of procedures ranging from microdermal (studs or spikes implanted directly into the skin gives the effect that the jewelry is screwed right into the body) to ear shaping and stretching. The good news is that you can become educated on how and why kids feel the need to drastically alter their appearance.
Russ Foxx, a premier body modification artist in Vancouver, Canada, has been no stranger to the art of "bod mod" for the last eight years. He got his first ear piercing at the tender age of 5 with the blessing of his mom. From then on he was hooked; by the time he entered high school, he had 15 piercings--and then he says he "stretched them--practiced it on myself and took it to scarification and more advanced modification."
Technically, body modification is truly old school. People around the world have been piercing, tattooing and painting their bodies for ages. Even back in Egyptian times, royalty pierced their navels. Just like Britney Spears.
Fast forward to the present: Now all anyone needs to do is stroll into a body modification studio. All you have to be is 18 with proper I.D. Typically, says Foxx, his customers range from 24 to 35.
According to Russ, being 18 does not make a procedure a done deal. "More often than not, I won't do a procedure if I think they're making a bad choice--if they'll have regret in the future." To ensure he'll have a satisfied customer, Foxx sends them on their way. "I tell them to come back in a year. After they've done extensive research, if they still want to do the procedure by then, then I'll do it." Although Russ is cautious about whom he'll do his work on, he was once chewed out by the angry parent of a 18-year-old who got his eyebrow pierced. "I think the guy just wanted to blame someone, but his son had made his decision."
Most of Russ' menu of procedures aren't choices anyone should take lightly--especially the ear shaping. "It should be considered irreversible, warns Foxx. "It would take plastic surgery and your ear would never be the same."
One of Russ' young customers who just had the elf ear procedure... PAGE 2
Russ Foxx, a premier body modification artist in Vancouver, Canada, has been no stranger to the art of "bod mod" for the last eight years. He got his first ear piercing at the tender age of 5 with the blessing of his mom. From then on he was hooked; by the time he entered high school, he had 15 piercings--and then he says he "stretched them--practiced it on myself and took it to scarification and more advanced modification."
Technically, body modification is truly old school. People around the world have been piercing, tattooing and painting their bodies for ages. Even back in Egyptian times, royalty pierced their navels. Just like Britney Spears.
Fast forward to the present: Now all anyone needs to do is stroll into a body modification studio. All you have to be is 18 with proper I.D. Typically, says Foxx, his customers range from 24 to 35.
According to Russ, being 18 does not make a procedure a done deal. "More often than not, I won't do a procedure if I think they're making a bad choice--if they'll have regret in the future." To ensure he'll have a satisfied customer, Foxx sends them on their way. "I tell them to come back in a year. After they've done extensive research, if they still want to do the procedure by then, then I'll do it." Although Russ is cautious about whom he'll do his work on, he was once chewed out by the angry parent of a 18-year-old who got his eyebrow pierced. "I think the guy just wanted to blame someone, but his son had made his decision."
Most of Russ' menu of procedures aren't choices anyone should take lightly--especially the ear shaping. "It should be considered irreversible, warns Foxx. "It would take plastic surgery and your ear would never be the same."
One of Russ' young customers who just had the elf ear procedure... PAGE 2
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