Cultural Background on Piercing - Essay Example

Body Modification Natasha Mervine In today's society a person's identity and beauty are of great importance. Doing things to present themselves asindividuals such as piercing, tattoo's, and brandings are common to achieve individuality. Though there are other body modifications that seem to be essential to achieve the perception of beauty, such as plastic surgery, liposuction, hair transplants, breast implants and in extreme cases gender transformation. Body modification as it is defined in the Wikipedia encyclopedia "is the permanent or semi-permanent deliberate altering of the human body for non-medical reasons." Chris Rainer, a photographer for National Geographic commented in an interview with Chelsea Lane-Miller about how body markings in other cultures correlate with modern tattoos and piercings. As we enter and tumble into the 21st century we're at a point in human evolution where traditional cultures pushed by rough edge of modernity are really stepping back into their own traditions, and embracing their belief systems. One of the manifestations of that is body marking. At the same time, I think there is a whole sector of modern society, not just youth, but across all sorts of generations, genders, and ethnic backgrounds that are in search of identity, meaning and ritual. Hence, a huge explosion of tribal tattooing, and body marking. This is referred to as the "modern primitive" movement within tattooing. I think there's a correlation because if you step back and look at it, it's the larger picture of mankind wanting identity, wanting a sense of place, a sense of ritual, and a sense of culture within their own community.(National Geographic 2004) Cultural Background on Piercing Ear piercing can be traced back to 2nd century B.C. in Cyprus along with Iran from 2900-3500 BC and Iraq in 9th century BC, with pieces of art and jewelry in museums. Unfortunately the reasons for this ear piercing phenomenon have not been determined. However an Eskimo tribe in Alaska around 1918 used shark tooth earrings as a form of social rank. Another raising popularity involving ear piercing is stretching the earlobes to accommodate ear spools and ear plugs. Some examples can be found in places such as Guatemala 900-1500 AD with ear spools, and also in china with the stretching of the earlobes. Some people today still stretch their earlobes some examples can be found in Asia on an island named Borneo. Lip piercing another popular part of body piercing is lip piercing or labret piercing which some examples can be found in native Alaskan tribe around 1897. Lip plugs were worn by both men and women and represented those men had reached puberty. For women it was worn as decoration, or by women born of noble stature. Nose piercing, in today's culture can be stemmed from Alaska in the late 19th century and were considered a mark of distinction and prestige and were worn by both men and women. Body piercing in the cultural reference is seemingly just another form of individualism which has been practice in every culture for many centuries and will still be practice for many centuries to come. American's may not get their bodies pierced for the religious or cultural reasons that other countries do, but they still promote individualism that is ultimately behind it. This Modification is slowly becoming our present culture. Cultural Background on Tattoo's Tattooing is one of the most common forms of body adornment and individualism in America today. Tattooing has been practiced since the time of Ancient Egypt. "Tattoo is a word of Polynesian origin which is related to the Tahitian word tatau and the Marquesan word ta-tu." (University of Pennsylvania) One example of tattooing is the ancient Maori of New Zealand. Maori men have their faces, buttocks and thighs covered. This type of tattooing involves chiseling the skin and then placing ink the cuts to create the tattoo. Since this procedure is very painful it is done in stages starting in early adulthood. "The facial tattoos were an indication of power and prestige that were designed to impress and intimidate especially in battle." (University of Pennsylvania) Since none of the tattoos were exactly alike they also served as marks of individual identity. Modern Culture: Tattoos and Body Piercing Body piercing and tattoo's are a form of identity and self satisfaction of being an individualist. In most cases the ages for tattoo's and piercing are after age 18 unless parents consent to them. But after the age of 18 tattoo's can be found within almost any age group up to 55 and are popular with both men and women along with many different ethnic backgrounds. Body piercing seem to be most evident among people between the ages of 16 to 30, but with the same respect of tattoo's it is not restricted to any gender or ethnic background. Tattoo's and body piercing are both acceptable in most societies, with the exception of workforce relations in which circumstances of tattoo's markings and/or piercing is to be out of site of customers, while facial piercing are to be taken out if working in a factory. Individuals that work with certain groups of people, such as children or business settings are more likely to be judged on their appearances when they are being hired. Which might not be ethical but when representing someone else's company it is proper to present yourself as they see fit. Body Modification and Plastic Surgery The phrase "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder" is both theoretically correct and contradictory to one's self image. Maybe that is why body modifications such as plastic surgery, liposuction, hair transplants, breast implants, and gender transformations. Beauty is really pain it seems. With all of the people that are in the lime light, so to speak, beauty has taken drastic measures by some individuals and the number of people to undergo such procedures is growing astonishingly. According to the ASAPS (American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery) the predictions to plastic surgery are as follows: * Silicone gel breast implants will be approved by the FDA. Once approved, these devices, due largely to their more natural feel and appearance, will dominate the U.S. market. (Gel implants have dominated global markets for the past fifteen years.) * Cosmetic surgery among racial and ethnic minorities in the United States will continue to increase. (Current ASAPS statistics report that minority populations' account for 20 percent of all cosmetic procedures performed.) * News stories about "discount injectables" bought offshore will alert patients to avoid "to good to be true" discounts and make sure that their safety is protected by choosing a physician with appropriate training, credentials and judgment. * As States continue to watch New Jersey's negative experience with the cosmetic surgery tax, they will abandon proposals to tax aesthetic surgery procedures as potential sources for revenue. * As the popularity of non-surgical and minimally invasive procedures continues to grow; surgeons and manufacturers will develop new techniques and products that advance the science, produce even better results and lessen recovery time. * Men will represent a growing segment of the aesthetic surgery market. (According to a February 2005 consumer survey commissioned by ASAPS, 59 percent of men approve of cosmetic surgery, and 21 percent would consider having cosmetic surgery. Seventy-nine percent (79%) of American men surveyed said they would not be embarrassed if people in addition to their family and close friends knew they had undergone cosmetic surgery.) * Large-scale clinical studies will be implemented to validate the safety and effectiveness of minimally-invasive treatments such as barbed sutures (the so-called lunch-hour facelift) and fat melting without surgery. * Cosmetic surgery "vacations" will take a more serious turn as educated consumers understand the safety and risk issues associated with surgical procedures. Surgery performed by board-certified aesthetic plastic surgeons, in accredited facilities where follow-up care is available will continue to be the best value. * Following the trend in increased consumer sophistication regarding healthcare choices, board certification of practitioners, and accreditation of surgical facilities will play an even more important role in choosing a cosmetic surgeon. * The growth and popularity of cosmetic fillers will dramatically increase as products continue to evolve and new players enter the market. (www.surgery.com, copyrighted 1996-2006) This type of body modification exists because people want to change themselves in a way that distinguishes themselves, and become more beautiful in the eyes of themselves and society. Psychologically these people do not view themselves as attractive. They types of surgery that can be done are facial cosmetic surgery, breast and body surgery, and injections. Facial cosmetic surgery usually is done with the nose, chin, ear pinning, eye lids, face lifts, forehead and eyebrow lifts, and facial implants in the cheeks, chin, and/or jaw. Some of the injections include things such as botox, chemical peels, dermabrasion, fat and collagen injections, and laser resurfacing. Botox is a diluted form of botulism which is injected in the face to stop the contraction of muscles that cause fine lines and wrinkles. This procedure is usually repeated every 4 to 6 months. Chemical peel is used to improve and smooth the texture of facial skin by removing damaged outer layers using chemicals. Dermabrasion is the scrapping away of the top layers of skin using an electronic instrument to make skin smoother it can be done quickly or in steps depending on how deep/large the area is. Collagen and fat injections fill in the lines and creases and temporarily restore a youthful looking appearance. Laser resurfacing used to minimize appearances of fine lines and wrinkles treat facial scars or areas of uneven pigment by using a laser. About 40 percent of the people who get facial plastic surgery are between the ages of 40 and 50, and mostly are women. Breast augment enhances size and shape of breasts. There are also breast lifts which are self explanatory, breast reductions for both men and women. Liposuction is the removal of localized areas of fat in the chin neck cheeks arms abdomen buttocks hips and thighs. A tummy tuck is a major surgery that removes excess skin and fat from the middle and lower abdomen and the muscles in the abdomen are tightened. All of these procedures are done because there is something that these people do not like about themselves, maybe they were teased because of something, or they just have self esteem issues. Everybody seems to have an image of a perfect person in their head whether it be a male or female figure, they are trying to become more like their "perfect person". Society accepts these procedures and they are becoming more popular as the ASAPS has indicated. Gender Reassignment Surgery Other forms of plastic surgery are altering one's gender. Gender changes either from male to female or vise versa require a lot of work and money. The construction of reproductive parts takes the most skilled surgeons and artists. This type of body modification is the most extreme that there is available today. Once a gender transformation takes place they are not able to produce children or bare children. Because this is such a life changing procedure extensive preparation is need before the surgery actually takes place. Most surgeons insist that a person be living in the role of the gender they are transforming into for at least a year prior to the procedure. Also a psychological evaluation in needed to determine if the person getting the procedure is physically, mentally and emotionally stable enough to perform the operation. However this is not the full extent of the transformation. Hormone pills or injections need to be taken to soften voice and disable hair growth. There are even follow up therapy sessions that are needed to function in society. Male to female reassignment surgery consists of creation of a vaginal pouch which costs $10, 500 dollars and is considered the first stage of the transition. Labiaplasty can be performed 3 months later on an outpatient basis . This will complete feminization of the vulva and optimize sexual appeal. This stage costs $2,500. There are other costs to be considered such as plastic surgery and sculpting of the face for a more feminine look, breast implants, and shaping of the body for a feminine appeal. A female to male surgery consists of three stages according to Dr. Harold M. Reed: A. Metoidioplasty or Metaidoioplasty (phallic clitoral enlargement, stand to void) The procedure confers the advantage of minimal surgery with preservation of natural sensation and erectile function. Donor site forearm scars avoided. Overweight patients may achieve greater length with pubic lipectomy which will recess the body surface line. In this procedure the clitoral hood is lifted and the suspensory ligament of the clitoris is detached from the pubic bone, allowing the clitoris to extend out further. When the female tissues have been primed with testosterone, the clitoral head may resemble an adolescent penis. An embryonic urethral plate must be teased away from the underside of the clitoris to permit outward extension and a visible erection. For those patients who desire to void standing, the urethra is extended into the neo-penis. This may be accomplished simultaneously or performed secondarily using either a vaginal flap or buccal mucosal graft. Please understand in that metoidioplasty involves a fair amount of tissue transfer, some degree of post-operative swelling is expected. Complications may include but are not limited to less than anticipated length, torquing of the clitoris (usually amenable to release), loss of sensation, tissue necrosis, localized infection, persistent tenderness or hypersensitivity, transient or permanent narrowing of the vaginal opening which may render the vagina incapable of penile penetration, urethral narrowing, urethral obstruction, and urethral fistula (leakage of urine anywhere along the pathway of urethral extension). Between the first and second stages leading to urethral extension, voiding patterns and trajectory may be forwards or backwards and may splash wetting perineal, labial and vaginal skin. The cost of this procedure is $12,500. Testicular prostheses and scrotalplasty costs $5,000. B. Penile Implantation for the Neo-Phallus patient. A penile prosthesis confers the wherewithal to penetrate which may be the defining moment for a successful conclusion to gender reassignment surgery. Clearly the intimacy of complete sexual contact is sought equally by patients and their partners. The cost of such a procedure including inflatable prosthesis costs around $8,000. C. Insertion of Testicular Implants into Labia. This should be performed as a procedure unto itself or with urethral extension to minimize complications. To prepare the labia majora for implantation, a tissue expander may be employed for a few months. This also creates a more pleasing scrotal appearance. Soft silicone implants are used and are available in varying sizes. The cost of this procedure including prostheses is $5,000. The reasons for any body modification whether it is tattoos, body piercing, or a form of plastic surgery can be concluded as a cultural advancement in present society. There is almost always a reason behind the action that is done. Individuality and self esteem are the majority of the reasons behind them. However America's culture is a mixing pot of different cultures around the world and the development of new cultures. Theorizing such behavior is not an overnight journey, because it is a never-ending journey of education, exploration, and development. Bibliography ASAPS "10 Cosmetic Plastic Surgery Predictions for 2006" Dec.2005 www.surgery.org Wikipedia Encyclopedia "Body Modification" April 2006 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/body_body_modification University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology "Bodies of Culture" www.museum.upenn.edu/new/exhibits/online-exhibits/body_modification/bodmodintro.html Chris Ranier "Piercings & Body Markings" National Geographic 2004 www.nationalgeographic.com/tattoos Chelsea Lane-Miller and Chris Ranier "Ancient and Modern Tattoos Celebrate in photography book" Dec 2004 http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2004/12/1210_041210_tattoos.html Harold S. Reed MD "Procedures" The Reed Center www.srsmiami.com Colleen Canavan "Exploring Cosmetic Surgery in the Social Sciences" 2003 www.pages.drexel.edu/ctc27/cosmeticsurgery.html Darrick E. Antell MD. "FACS" copyrighted 1997-2005 www.antell-md.com Read More