There is no guessing the lengths to which some people would go to alter their physical appearance. It is not a new-age phenomenon; it has been going on for thousands of years, though things have taken a slightly bizarre turn in modern times. Let’s have a look at 11 kinds of body-modifications and observe the extreme nature of people who do them.

Plastic Surgery

Trying to match up to society’s unrealistic standards of beauty, people opt for plastic surgery and alter different parts of their body.

Long necks

Women in Padung culture resort to wearing a number of brass rings to elongate their necks because they believe it makes them desirable.

Bigger lower-lips

Men in Mursi, Chai and Tirma tribes like their women to have stretched lower lips. So, as the girls hits puberty, they wear plates in order to stretch their lower lip during a rite of passage believing it makes them attractive.

Smaller feet

If you were to see a foot that was four-inches in length, your reaction would be one of shock or even disgust. In ancient China, during the reign of Song dynasty, the court dancers bound their feet to make them small and delicate. This practise led to the binding of little girls’ feet by Chinese parents who wanted their daughters to be attractive and marriageable.

Scarification

In this case, the name itself suggests the nature of modification and the reality is as scary as it is scarred. Techniques such as cutting and branding are used to give the affected portion a raised, scarred look. It has been done in ancient cultures as a rite of passage or spiritual gains but presently the reasons are artistic and emotional.

Corset Piercing

This pattern consists of two rows of piercing down your back and a ribbon is threaded through those tiny metal units. It resembles the corset ties and gives out an attractive vibe.

Magnetic personality

Sounds cool, doesn’t it? A piece of magnet is implanted under your skin tissue, say your fingertips, which makes your touch magnetic.

Split Tongue

Do snakes inspire you? If your idea of fun is creeping people out or scaring little children, you can go for the split tongue modification. It can be done through a process known as bifurcation, where your tongue is cut down the middle and then stitched up and left to heal.

Micro-dermal Implants

The idea is to stick hooks under your skin to flaunt studs, jewellery, etc.

Ear-spikes

If you are a fan of the fantasy movie series Star Trek, you will understand the fascination with spiked ears. The procedure involves cutting the upper part of your ear and sewing it then keeping it bandaged until it heals. The result is pointy ears.

Burning

Burning is a very painful process, wherein an individual inflicts burn wounds on his skin in the hope that the burned skin will make an appealing and unique pattern. Cigarettes are mostly the weapon of choice and the results are often ugly and nauseating.