…I need to explain that I have multiple (hidden) piercings as well as over $2,000 worth of tattoo work on me. For years I used to maintain both the Tattoo FAQ and the Alternate Bodyart FAQ over at the rec.arts.bodyart newsgroup, so I KNOW what I’m talking about. 
SwimmingRiddles wrote: “Or I heard about this trend out of Seattle who gives you horns. Cuts about an inch above the hairline, inserts little nubs. As the skin streches over the nubs, they take the nubs out and give you bigger nubs. Repeat until you have HORNS. Yea, I know.”
I don’t know that I would call it a “trend.” I remember the first guy that got it done, by Steve Haworth out in Arizona. I met him at a tattoo convention after his spikes had finally healed over. His young son thought he has the coolest dad, by the way.
SwimmingRiddles wrote: “Scarification is the poor man’s answer to tattooing. You cut yourself (or have a friend do it) with a design, and pick at the scab until a scar forms. WAY more dangerous than tattooing, and, IMHO, a bit silly.”
Swiddles – your comment about scarification is a gross generalization. There are a number of bodyart shops in the San Francisco area which I know perform scarification cuttings. They use the same sterilization procedures as you would find for piercings and tattooing, so saying it’s “WAY more dangerous than tattooing” is not necessarily correct. Tattooing, when done by an inexperienced scratcher who does not use correct sterilization methods, is as dangerous as sharing IV needles with drug users.
Cuttings are performed in MANY African tribes as a way to create “keloids” – raised scar tissue. Many of the designs are highly ritualized and extremely beautiful. Here in the US, scarification usually also involves the use of sterile ash or ink, to provide simple design lines after the cutting has healed.
EJsGirl said: "Was branding a quick fad? I seem to see it only on black basketball players, usually their fraternity’s Greek letter. Always thought that branding was in pretty poor taste and not at all well-thought-out, considering how wrong slavery was (people as possessions, like cattle, you know…). "
I’m not quite sure what you mean by “quick fad.” I don’t know that it ever reached widespread popularity. You’re right in that it was used for Greek frats; you can still see many pro basketball players with brands. The Rev. Jesse Jackson has such a brand, as does Emmit Smith of the Dallas Cowboys. Just like with cuttings, you can get brands are some of the more highly specialized bodyart shops. They often don’t use heat, by the way. They use a freeze method, the details of which I can’t recall.
You mention how it’s reminiscent of slavery. For a lot of people who get cuttings or brandings, it is their way of RECLAIMING the act for themselves, to voluntarily obtain a scar that they are in total control of. In that sense I have been told many times that it was cathartic and therapeutic.
As for the tongue-swelling – a lot of it depends on the person. Back when I had mine pierced, it wasn’t horribly swollen but I couldn’t eat solids for at least a few days. After that, only real soft mashed potatoes and oatmeal kinds of things. The real pain is in keeping the tongue clean. Diluted Listerine washes every hour, for up to 20 times a day, plus every time you put anything in your mouth, even silverware. Ick.
There are many other forms of bodyart long practiced by indigenous peoples. Those who pursue it at the purest form today are known as “modern primitives.”
In the past couple of years (since I handed the FAQ-maintenance baton to others), a small, elite, hardcore group of people have emerged who called themselves “body modifiers.” While some of these folks were around for a while, the Internet and the ability to communicate with those few and far between, allowed them to come together to form a cohesive group. In the last two years, the core group has sponsored a body modification convention, called ModCon. These are NOT your ordinary tattoo and piercing enthusiasts – and in my view, go way beyond what the average individual would find tolerable. These people are interested in permanent, SEVERE changes in their appearances , such as amputation of fingertips, insertion of spikes on the scalp (done by Steve Haworth, who learned his craft based on a lot of knowledge he acquired from his surgeon father who designed surgical stainless steel pins and rods for implantation), penile bifurcations, penile nullifications (as in voluntary eunuch), and others. If you dare, go visit their Web site at http://www.modcon.org. Not for the faint-of-heart – I guarantee it.
Modcon was a recent topic for the famous Top 5 List by Chris White. You can read it here. It’s actually pretty funny.
oldscratch mentions: “The best site for more info on piercings, and really gross photos is http://www.bme.freeq.com/”
I’m going to give a second vote to BME, the Body Modification E-Zine. Not everything there is gross (stay away from anything labeled “extreme”). Its founder, Shannon, is a friend of mine and we go way back to the mid-90s when he first went online with his now very-successful site.
Plus, I’m a big wuss. No tatoos, either. Actually, I’m afraid of getting a big ugly keloid scar, since I have one on my shoulder. Ewww. My skin scars really badly, so I don’t want to take any chances. I’ve seen people with ear piercings that have keloided, and it looks gross.