[This list contains text that some may not consider family friendly] Many of us have had piercing in the ears and probably quite a number of us have piercing in other less common parts of the body, but there are some people who have outright bizarre piercing and other body modifications. It was certainly not an easy task to find “safe” pictures for this list – but I have done my best!
Human branding is the process in which a mark, usually a symbol or ornamental pattern, is burned into the skin of a living person, with the intention that the resulting scar makes it permanent. This is performed using a hot or cold iron. It therefore uses the physical techniques of livestock branding on a human.
A subdermal implant refers to a kind of body jewelry that is placed underneath the skin, therefore allowing the body to heal over the implant and creating a raised design. Many people who have these implants use them in conjunction with other types of body modification to create a desired, dramatic effect.
Most people can stretch to at least 2ga (1/4″) and still have the tissue return to normal when they remove the jewelry, but there really are no guarantees. Don’t stretch your ears unless you are certain you’ll be okay with it forever. Once the elastic limit of the skin has been passed, or a large amount of additional tissue has been built up, the hole will not close again completely. A person who is either obsessed with stretching their piercings, or with showing off their many stretched piercings, is known as a “Gauge Queen”. Some wear this term with pride, others use it derisively.
Tongue bifurcation, or tongue splitting, is a type of body modification in which the tongue is cut centrally from its tip part of the way towards its base, forking the end. In most cases, the split is created through scalpeling or surgical laser. Self modifiers often choose to achieve a split by gradually tightening nylon bindings inserted through an existing tongue piercing over a long period of time. This method is long, arduous, and requires a high pain tolerance.
Tooth filing is a form of body modification in which people file their natural teeth to create a desired look or shape.
Also called corset training and waist training, this is the practice of wearing a tightly-laced corset to achieve extreme modifications to the figure and posture and experience the sensations of a very tight corset. Those who practice tightlacing are called tightlacers. Some tightlacers call the corsets they wear training corsets.
This is the practice of permanently inserting small beads made of various materials beneath the skin of the genitals–of the labia, or of the shaft or foreskin of the penis. As well as being an aesthetic practice, this is usually intended to enhance the sexual pleasure of partners during vaginal or anal intercourse. The practice seems to have been fairly common across world cultures and is still done today. You can see a VERY Not Safe For Work image here.
Eyeball tattooing has been around for a long time; in the 19th century it was commonly used to correct cosmetic defects in blind eyes. The procedure can be performed with traditional tattoo needle or a syringe. The eye is simply held open while the pigment, which is the exact same type used in a regular tattoo, is injected into the eyeball.
The process of anal stretching is a lot like earlobe stretching, except you don’t wear the “jewelry” around the clock. Like stretching a piercing, it involves slow and increasingly larger play over an extended period of time. The image above is for “tools” to aid in this modification.
The implantation of jewelry in the outer layer of the eye, this is one I must admit I had not heard of. Apparently first done in the Netherlands, it has come to the US. According to Dr. Christopher Rapuano, a corneal surgeon at Philadelphia’s Wills Eye Hospital, “You can think of it as crazy. I mean this is invasive surgery where you are cutting the surface layer of the eye open to put a little piece of jewelry in. The first time I read about this I said, ‘Oh, my God, who is doing this?’” The safety of this procedure will have to prove itself over time, since it hasn’t been performed on many people, but the possibility for infection and complications is definitely there.
James Sooy and Oliver Gibson have come up with Pierced Glasses – the most minimalist eyewear since the Pince-nez was invented in the 1840′s. I would not have believed this one if I had not seen it with my own bespectacled eyes.
Notable omissions: penis splitting (try finding a SFW image for that!)
Contributor: rushfan































rushfan, your last two lists ( this one & the prison one) have been marvelously researched and written.
This one, however, makes me wonder just how far people will go to get the attention and approval they so desperately seek.
Every new generation, going as far back as written history takes us, has had to make its own mark on society. Usually, this has been done in a relatively benign way: hairdo's, fashion, dances, special lingo.
These are done by kids who come from happy, accepting, nourishing backgrounds.
Take away those those backgrounds and what you are left with are kids who are yearning for that that happiness, that acceptance, and they'll take it wherever they find it.
No one who's happy in their own life is going to allow someone to put a branding iron on their flesh, but if doing so makes them part of a "family", well, it may seem a small price to pay. The same logic applies to the other practices, as well.
I don't include tattoo's in this realm, they have a deep, rich, cultural background of their own.
I dont see how people that are able to endure pain are from an unhappy family. I have several body modifications and I had an excellent childhood and I am now a parent of 3
i come from a very happy family with a very happy background and i thoroughly enjoy body modifications of all kind. no i wouldnt do most of those but i appreciate and dont pass jugement on those who do. you dont know any of those people up there or why they chose to get whatever kind of body mod they have so dont pass judgement not everything is so black and white some people may do it for reasons like youve stated but a lot of people that have body mods are happier than you and are expressing their creativity through ART
Bizarre.
Number one is crazy.
But if it worked, it would be pretty cool to show of to people.
There all pretty…umm…different.
My god, they’re all awesome.
So awesome, I can’t understand why people don’t like it! :3
Ugh…
Why oh why did I choose to eat breakfast while reading this list?
I heard that the worst thing about getting branded is the smell of your own burning flesh.:( .. number 3 is just dumb
i have #3
Years ago when I saw there was a piercing for the bridge of the nose, I had the idea that it could be used to hold glasses on a person’s face, just as pictured above. Darn it, once again someone has beaten me to an invention.
I’ve (Um) already seen (ug) pictures of (ew) penis splitting (ew, ew, ew,) (shudder)!
Sweet. We are an awesome age of body-mods. I couldn’t imagine what it would feel like to get an eye tattoo, but the subdermal jewellery looks pretty neat. If I wasn’t such a coward I’d love the piercing glasses.
No. 10= crazy!
No. 9= crazy!
No. 8= crazy!
No. 7= crazy!
No. 6= crazy!
No. 5= crazy!
No. 4= crazy!
No. 3= crazy!
No. 2= crazy!
No. 1= crazy!
Plus pierced glasses also crazy!!
Ugh maybe some day you will find people modify their head shape!!
People HAVE modified their head shape, for thousands of years in fact! The exact locations escape me at the moment, but it was usually done by binding the head of children at a young age.
All these things are crazy!!
Ugh maybe some day you will find people modify their head shape!!
It’s up to them but… ew! Ear plugs are the only ones I’ve seen in real life (Never cool).
I think people probably mistake “being an individual” for “looking like an individual”. I dunno. All of those things… quite unattractive to me at least.
@ Amy ‘Ugh maybe some day you will find people modify their head shape!!’
Already done that
http://www.austmus.gov.au/bodyart/shaping/headbinding.htm
If you want to see some extreme body mods then look here (extremely nsfw images) feel free to delete link jfrater if you don’t think it should be here
http://www.bmezine.com/service/samples/tour1.html
ew! Way too early!
Interesting list Rushfan. I am in agreement with most of the other comments – ewwww. Although I must also admit to signing up at a body-mod site in order to satisfy my own morbid curiosity.
What is a cold iron for branding? I don’t understand how that would work.
Jamie; Most excellent pic for #4, made me chuckle.
Lovely. Pathological attention seeking. Almost honked up over my keyboard.
‘White man speak with forked tongue’: wouldn’t he also speak with a lisp?
o.O Wow, I guess people are entitled to do what they want with their bodies; they aren’t hurting anyone else. But…ew!
great list :] i already have my ears stretched to 14mm & my bridge pierced, though id be way too scared to have a pair of glasses through it haha my friends think the tattoo inside my lip is the grosses thing ive done though
rushfan:
Gotta tell you, nice work on the lists lately. Informative, well-researched (seems to me anyway) and interesting topics. Good job.
i agree with Randall, your lists are certainly awesome rushfan
and Drogo – “I’ve (Um) already seen (ug) pictures of (ew) penis splitting (ew, ew, ew,) (shudder)!”
oh dear god why?!
Is it rushfan week at Listverse?
Pearling –never heard of this before but its interesting, that pic in the link looks uncomfortable though. Kind of like a Prince Albert. If you don’t know what that is, google it, you will be amazed. But take the safe settings off your google under preferences first and then do a picture search to get the pictures.
Corneal tattooing – Hmm ok different
Extraocular Implant – you have to admit, humans are creative.
You guys have got to see this.. it’s the image has been pixilated because its really hectic. If you click on it you get the high def image.
http://tyranno.saur.us/?tag_name%5B0%5D=dick&user_id%5B0%5D=95
I have tattoos and at one point considered branding. I am quite attracted to piercings and other body mods in moderation, but can’t even put pure metal through my ears with an infection issue.
@ Why oh why
Went to the second link and while some the images were actually quite interesting you have to wonder at the psychology of extreme modifications.
One word: Yuck!
self mutilation / self-injury is a illness – these people need help
how is it an illness?? they re being creative !!! : D
Okay, I looked at the pic of the split penis. If a guy came at me with that I’d run like hell. Why????
actully my tongue is split.. it wasn’t on purpose and most can’t tell till i pull my tongue apart.. its only like a few millimeters.. long story short i was little and got my tongue stuck and ended pulling a chunk out
stevezio: no no its not for some it is but others its not
stewart: congratulations.. your link actually made me cough and wretch.. let me put it this way two girls one cup just made me cough….and goatse made go the hell.. ok tub girl made me wretch.. why would some one do that.. i cant think of a man or woman who would enjoy a person with a penis like that
the stuff with the eyes is questionable.
waist training is cool in moderation. lacing as tight as the person in the picture is some what dangerous because your internal organs can be cut in half by lacing that tightly. also, lest any one think that tight lacing is some how a new phenomenon its been practiced for centuries as a fetish. all women by no means tight laced as it was impractical for most people.
Weird.
Wow, I actually felt a bit ill reading some of them. Certainly an education thats for sure, well done Rushfan.
***** Stretching is perhaps the nastiest.. I mean Goddamn.
The Cornea Tattooing seems quite pointless, especially if they all look like the one in the picture.
Meh attention seekers.
Well iv lost my apetite. thanks rushfan
Penis splitting? ther must be some sorta pathology there i mean oh my god
That work safe photo for #4 is hilarious. =) Also, how does the pierced glasses thing work? Do they unscrew them at night or for sports and put a stud in or something? They can’t possibly keep those things in all the time. I would not be impressed if someone I knew had those. Their IQ would instantly lower IMO.
Is there anyone else squirming in there seat right now.
me a little i must admit : D
Good grief! Can’t we all just be happy with the bodies God gave us? I have a theory that if everyone was born with what we see in the pictures these same people would have them removed for dramatic effect.
I agree with seque, it’s all about getting the attention and approval they so desperately seek.
Another nice list rushfan.
Good list.
Oof. The ones with the eyes just make me cringe.
A couple of weeks ago I saw an article somewhere ( with photos ) of an eastern women having a symbol done on her back the procedure is yuk. It involves a cosmetic surgeon that cuts a symbol, crest or motive call it what you like on her back with a scalpel, its all done in a hospital.
Then the healing proses starts a couple of weeks later the scabs start falling off, The last image after complete recovery was breath taking a work of art.
But to go through such pain and cost, I agree with all you guys that said ” everyone to their own ”
By the way she would have to wear a bikini 24-7 to show it off anyway.
Oh. My. God. What. The. F@%k. This is freakin insane!
Good work rushfan.
For some reason I always enjoy ListVerse lists that make me cringe like a little girl.
#22 stewart: Looks like someone microwaved their hot dog too long
I have only one ear piercing. However, I am addicted to tattoos. It started with one then led to two and now I have a half sleeve on one arm and I do not want to stop there. That is the extents of my body mods.
The mods on this list are just downright odd. Definately not for me, but to each their own I guess.
ahh, finally a list right up my alley :].
i LOVE body mods, although i can’t do much cause my parents are pretty strict.
i’ve wanted number 1 for a long time,
but i’ve heard it feels like having an eyelash constantly in your eye.
number 8 is fairly normal, my best friend has her ears gauged.
as for me, i loveeeee piercings,
and the oddest i have is a smiley,
which looks like this:
http://bmezine.com/pierce/05-lips/A80709/thumb/np6k-untitled.jpg
(it’s pierced through the upper lip frenulum, that little web between your gums and lip).
:].
Stewart (22) Not too much freaks me out. That did. And that being said, there are a couple of guys I’d like to do that too.
MOM424, a ‘cold iron’ brands by freezing the skin – like an instant severe frostbite that will pernanently scar the skin.
Really, nothing on this list is bizarre. Every one of the things listed, except for the eyeglasses, eye implant and ***** stretching, has been done and redone by countless cultures around the world. Only in modern society has acts like these been deemed outrageous. Branding and scarification is far more common in many African cultures than tattooing and pearling was common place with many Asian men centuries ago.
I’m still surprised in this day and age of internet connectedness that there is still such close mindedness towards other peoples actions. I’m making a reference to all the “ew” and “what the f–k’s wrong with these people” comments.
And yes, I have several tattoos, stretched piercings and brandings. I’ve removed the implant I had. I also can name at least one person I know personally who has at least one of the above mods. Except the bridge piercing eyeglasses. That was from several years ago and from what I remember the guy no longer has the piercing.
So, what’s the deal with the cold iron, JayArr? Is it like a branding iron dipped in liquid nitrogen or something similar?
Boy, nothing says “self-esteem” like self-mutilation.
Jes ~ I was waiting for a comment like yours.
These body mods are “bizarre” because they are abnormal. That’s not to say they are anything new or original or honestly even that out of the ordinary, these days. I’ve seen, either in person or on tv, all of these things and more. But until I walk thru the grocery store and ordinary people have eyeball tattoos and horns under the skin of their forehead, it’s gonna be considered bizarre. Okay, so I’m actually pretty likely to find someone at the grocery store with a branding or stretched earlobes, but it’s still pretty bizarre.
Oh, and p.s. I could have made a separate list entirely of penis modifications. Who knew?
I was eating lunch damn it! oh well, great list anyways
i’ve noticed that a large number of black pro sports players (mainly basketball and american football) have done “branding”.
it seems counter-intuitive to me that a prosperous, healthy, popular black man to *want* to be branded.
what about tooth-tattooing and tooth-jewelry implants (grillz)?
“I was eating lunch damn it! oh well, great list anyways”
Well, stop eating your lunch while you are reading gross lists. It’s your own fault.
Hobolad (#10): I agree – it is a bit like groups like emos, etc. – they think they are being unique and special by dressing and behaving as they do, but in fact they are just sheep following that particular trend.
I expected to see ear pointing on this list!
I’ve seen most of these and a couple I’d like to do. The corseting, if done nicely (and not to that extreme) can be very pretty and I may stretch my ears to the 2 gauge, because I’ve heard more than once (here incl) that the ears can return back to normal if I don’t want them any more.
I’m a mother of two with a civil service job and a great big tattoo across my chest (a couple birds, nothing offensive). Some of these things are done solely on those who want to modify and some can be hidden and work into a normal life. Hell, who’s gonna know you stretched your anus or stuck ‘pearls’ in your genitals?
Cymplyirziztbl (#37): I bet no one is squirming as much as I was when I was searching out the pictures for this list!
great list. i wanna gage my ears but not as big as in the picture
The branding thing isn’t new.
Alot of fraternaties brand their new member.
Make sence, since they are kind of sheep anyways.
these freaks should be purged stalin style