Cultural tattoos and amazing body modifications

Trepanation

Trapanation is surgery of the skull where a hole is either drilled or scraped, exposing the dura mater. This process is used in medicine to trat subdural hematomas, but has been known throughout history as a form of extreme body modification. The practices has been known to be carried outh from Neolithic times, and has been seen as everything from the solution to enlightenment to a cure for epilepsy. In modern times, trepanation used as anything other than treatment for hematomas is seen as pseudoscience. Practitioners, however, see it as a way to "increase brain blood volume," and therefore improve all cognitive functions. There is no clinical proof of this happening. The goal for many self trapaners is to restore the "heartbeat in the brain," as it has often been noticed that a pulse can be seen in the brain following the opening of the skull.

Corsetting

Coresetting, or the act of modifying a woman's waist with the help of girdles and other devices achieved popularity from the 14th-19th centuries. The practice caused shallow breathing, venous system damage, hiatal hernias, fainting and organ problems.

Scarification

Scarification, the process of cutting the body to produce decorative scars is typically a cultural rite of passage for a number of indigenous tribes in places such as New Guinea, Australia and Africa. Scarification has been performed through time through cutting as well as burning. Obviously, scarification is imprecise because of the way different individuals react to scars. The depth of the cut, healing of the wound, and reaction of the individual all effect the end result.

Neck Rings

The practice of wearing neck rings is performed in a number of African and Asian cultures, and involves the application of metal rings to the neck causing the muscles of the neck to stretch, as well as causing deformation of the collar bones. Neck rings are seen as promoting an ideal of beauty in these cultures, a long neck, but the rings themselves produce more of an illusion of neck elongation than a real elongation of any vertebrae. Wearing the rings since childhood. the muscles of the neck are loosened, and the bone structure of the collar bones is modified in a way that makes the neck appear extended. The number of brass coils used also helps to amplify this effect. Contrary to popular belief, it is entirely possible to recover after having the rings removed, and while muscles are weakened and effected, removing the rings does not mean instant death.

Lip Slitting & Lip Disks

Many of the girls of the Mursi tribe in South Ethiopia live with a clay plate fixed into their lower lips. The plates are inserted over time with increasing diameter. The women of tribes who practice such methods also practice other types of body modifications such as scarring and extreme earings. Lip disks and body modifications of this sort are found in a number of different african cultures.

FOOT BINDING

Foot binding was practiced in China for nearly a thousand years, and began by binding the feet of young girls to restrict growth and cause foot deformity. The bound feet were often prone to infection, paralysis, and atrophy. There are many elderly Chinese women today who experienced the practice and experience disability as a result. The binding's purpose was to construct the ideal foot of beauty, the "lotus foot" which was a 3in long foot.

CRANIAL BINDING

When babies are young, as any parent knows, the skull is soft and malleable. It is possible to restrict the growth of the skull by putting pressure on it over time. In ancient times, this was accomplished with the use of binding and strapping boards to permanently alter the shape of the skull. Many anthropologists believe this type of body modification to be among the first practiced by humans, and is seen in historical records around the world. It can still be seen today in parts of Africa and South America