Guide to Modified Tattoos and Piercings - Styles, Process and Considerations

Understanding Modified Tattoo and Piercing Designs

Tattoos and piercings allow people to express themselves through body art and modification. While some prefer classic or minimalist styles, others opt for more extreme "modified" designs. Modified tattoos and piercings involve creative use of form, technique, and placement to transform the body in unique ways.

In this in-depth guide, well explore what makes a tattoo or piercing modified, review popular types of designs and modifications, examine the process behind these advanced procedures, and discuss what to consider before getting modified work done yourself.

What Qualifies as a Modified Tattoo or Piercing?

There are a few key factors that define a modified tattoo or piercing:

• Experimental approach - Modifications involve novel styles, unconventional placements, and new techniques that push creative boundaries.
• Advanced methods - They require expert skill and specialized tools to safely achieve the desired result.
• Extensive nature - Modified designs cover large surface areas or involve intricate detail work.
• Body manipulation - Some forms such as flesh tunnels or implants manipulate the body itself.
• Alternative outcome - The result deviates from cultural norms for beauty and self-expression.

In essence, modified tattoos and piercings represent a deeper plane of commitment and unconventional vision for ones body as a canvas.

Types of Modified Tattoo Designs

From full bodysuits to scarification, here are some popular types of modified tattoo designs:

Full Body Tattoos

Full body tattoos cover the entire surface of the skin. Designs seamlessly flow over the torso, limbs, hands, feet, and neck in a contiguous display of ink work. The most detailed and complex version is a full bodysuit, entailing hundreds of hours spent on intricate artwork by a master tattooist.

Face Tattoos

These involve tattooing intricate designs across the entire face. Common motifs include stylized make-up, tribal patterns, and graphic symbols. Face tattoos make a bold artistic statement but also limit future career and lifestyle options due to social stigma.

Head Tattoos

Having designs inked along the surface of the head and scalp represents another extreme location. Head tattoos range from partial to fully covering the head in artistic designs. Intricate dotwork, tribal motifs, and surreal styles work well on this challenging canvas.

Eyeball Tattoos

One of the most specialized modified tattoo forms. The sclera, or white part of the eye, is carefully injected with sterile ink to tint the eyes an unnatural color like crimson red or midnight black. This is a risky and controversial procedure requiring expert execution.

Scarification

In scarification, the skin is cut, burned, or branded to form artistic scars, rather than coloring with ink. Common techniques involve cutting precision designs with a scalpel, striking the skin with hot metal brands, or removing strips of skin to create 3D scar designs like flesh puzzle pieces.

UV Ink Tattoos

Special UV reactive inks allow tattoos to be invisible under normal lighting, only to glow brightly under blacklights. Abstract geometric shapes and floral patterns are common choices, swirling and shining vividly across the skin under UV illumination.

Types of Modified Piercings

Body piercing can also be taken to creative new heights through modified placements and stretched piercings:

Surface Piercings

These pierce flat areas of skin and allow jewelry to adorn the surface as opposed to entering holes. Common sites include the nape, sternum, and side of the face along the temple, cheek, and brow.

Microdermal Piercings

Tiny metal anchors with decorative jewel tops are implanted beneath the skin to create the illusion of jewelry seamlessly embedded in the body. The chest, hips, neck, and shoulders are common locations.

Ear Cartilage Piercings

Ears lend themselves to modified piercing arrangements, with stacked rings, bars, and studs adorning the inner ear, industrial fold, and helix area. Geometric patterns and asymmetric looks are on-trend.

Facial Piercings

These include dramatic nose, lip, and brow configurations involving multiple piercings interconnected with bars or chain links. For example, a lip chain can connect both corners of the lower lip to the center bottom lip piercing.

Flesh Tunnels

Also called stretchers or gauges. The pierced area like the earlobe is gradually stretched over time using tapered tools to expand the hole width. Flesh tunnels several inches across allow large jewelry hoops to be inserted.

Popular Motifs in Modified Tattoos and Piercings

Many artistic styles and themes lend themselves creatively to modified tattoo and piercing designs. Here are some of the most popular:

Blackwork

Dense black line work and geometric shapes create stark, graphic impact. The high contrast art style packs visual punch on the skin.

Dotwork

Thousands of tiny ink dots blend to form artistic grayscale designs and patterns that mimic computer pixelation or pointillism art.

New School

Bold, exaggerated motifs like skulls, snakes and daggers. Vivid colors and a playful mash-up of themes that developed out of old school traditional styles.

Tribal

The flowing, interlocking lines of Polynesian, Maori, Aztec and other indigenous cultural tribal motifs create an imposing, masculine look.

Surrealism

Melding hyper-realistic imagery with fantastical illusions, themes of dreams vs. reality. Hyper-detailed textures merge with 3D optical effects and objects that defy physics.

Flora and Fauna

Real and mythological plants, animals, insects and sea life become inspiration for sleeves, back pieces and bodysuits with a natural, organic style.

Biomechanical

Blending human anatomy with cybernetic and technological visuals for a post-modern, transhumanist feel. A popular science fiction theme.

The Process Behind Modified Tattoos and Piercings

Achieving these advanced body modifications requires meticulous planning, preparation and execution to ensure success and safety. Heres an overview of the process:

Consultation and Planning

Schedule an in-depth consult with the artist. Discuss the desired outcome, placement, level of detail, timing and stages. For large or full-body work, multiple sessions will be strategically planned out in sections.

Preparation

The artist will advise on any preparation needed in terms of grooming, clothing, skin cleansing, etc. For major tattoo work, being well-rested and well-fed is also vital.

Outline and Initial Work

The first session handles any outline work needed to map out the design and foundational elements. As pieces progress across sessions, tissue swelling must be considered and compensated for.

Advanced Techniques

Experienced artists have a deep toolbox of advanced techniques like dotwork, sculpting, blending, shading, contrast manipulation, and freehand work to build out the details.

Maintenance and Final Touches

Once primary work is done, some touch-ups, tweaks, final shading and highlights may be needed over additional minor sessions to achieve completion and polish.

Aftercare

Strict aftercare of new pieces is essential. Artists provide instructions on cleaning, conditioning, and protecting designs during healing. Avoid sun damage, irritation, and contamination while skin stabilizes.

Finding a Qualified Modified Tattoo or Piercing Artist

Choosing an exceptional artist is key to ensuring your modifications are done properly and safely. Heres how to find the right expert:

• View online portfolios to assess experience with modified techniques and styles.
• Read reviews and talk to past clients about results, service, and professionalism.
• Confirm the studio complies with regulations and maintains impeccable cleanliness.
• Schedule a consultation to meet and discuss the full scope of work.
• Ask plenty of questions and share reference photos and ideas.
• Make sure you feel fully comfortable with the artist before proceeding.

Never compromise or cut corners when it comes to who will be permanently marking your body. Top modified tattoo and piercing artists are in high demand, so get on their waiting list if needed.

How to Care for Modified Tattoos and Piercings

To properly heal and maintain modified tattoos and piercings:

• Follow aftercare directions - Artists will advise on cleaning, moisturizing and protection of new work.
• Leave bandages intact - Avoid disturbing any wraps or dressings prematurely, which risks infection.
• Wear clean, breathable clothing - Tight or dirty clothes can irritate and introduce bacteria.
• Keep away from sun and tanning beds - Sunlight can damage and fade fresh ink.
• Refrain from submerging in water - No baths, pools or beaches until tattoo is healed.
• Watch for signs of infection - Excess redness, swelling, warmth, or pus require medical attention.
• Avoid picking or scratching - Let scabs and itchy skin heal naturally to prevent scarring.

With diligent aftercare over the first few weeks, youll have the best results revealing and preserving your mod work long-term.

Important Considerations Before Getting Modified Tattoos and Piercings

While modified body art offers creative self-expression, there are some serious factors to weigh first:

Permanence

Most modifications like tattoos are irreversible. Be absolutely certain before undergoing something permanent. Even if you opt to remove or cover up work later, it will never be erased completely.

Pain and Discomfort

Extensive tattooing and piercings will be uncomfortable, even excruciating at times. Pain tolerance varies, but discomfort over many hours or sessions should be expected.

Cost

Larger and more detailed work gets very expensive. Even smaller modified tattoos start around $200 per hour. Budget accordingly for the entire scope of your vision.

Timing and Commitment

A full bodysuit or other extensive mod project will take dozens or hundreds of hours over weeks, months or years to complete. Make sure you can commit the time needed.

Future Limitations

Visible facial/neck tattoos and dramatic piercings will close some professional and lifestyle doors. Consider if youre willing to shoulder any loss of opportunities.

Health Risks

Poor tattoo hygiene can transmit infections or diseases like hepatitis or HIV. Piercings also pose risks like gum erosion from lip rings. Seek the safest practitioners.

Legalities

Some extreme mods like eyeball tattooing are deemed hazardous and prohibited in various regions. Know your local regulations.

Take time to seriously weigh the realities above against your motivations before pursing advanced modifications. Your vision should be balanced with pragmatism.

How Society Views Modified Tattoos and Piercings

Societal perceptions of visible body modifications tend to run the gamut from fascination to fear. Heres an overview of responses modified tattoo and piercing art often evokes:

Intrigue

Many everyday people find modified designs mysterious and intriguing since they deviate far from ordinary. When done well, the work elicits admiration of the artistry.

Judgment

Some still judge those with heavy modifications as reckless, criminal or unstable. However, negative assumptions based on appearance have lessened over time.

Concern

Well-meaning loved ones may express concern over personal motivations, future implications, and health risks of major modifications.

Misunderstanding

Many outside the body art world underestimate the deeper meaning and personal journey behind some peoples modified designs.

Fascination

In niche artistic circles and online communities, modified body art is celebrated and shared with great fascination and mutual respect.

Normalizing

As tattoos and piercings gain greater mainstream acceptance, more extreme forms of modification become less marginalized and more normalized, if still uncommon.

While social perceptions are gradually modernizing, its wise to prepare for a mix of reactions if displaying substantial modified designs. Stay strong if facing judgment or misunderstanding.

Frequently Asked Questions About Modified Tattoos and Piercings

Do modified tattoos and piercings hurt more?

Yes, the scale and intricacy of the work involved in extensive modified designs results in much longer sessions and greater cumulative pain and discomfort than minor tattoos or piercings.

How long do sessions last?

Session length varies based on the extent of the work being done that day. Full bodysuit sessions can easily last 8 hours or more. Even smaller modified pieces take 2-3 hours per sitting.

Can you ever fully remove modified tattoos?

While laser removal can fade tattoos, it rarely erases them 100%, especially with larger, dense modified designs. Some ghosting or residue usually remains. Cover-ups offer an alternative.

Whats the most extreme modified tattoo?

Several styles vie for most extreme, like full body tattoos, extensive facial coverage, specialized techniques like eyeball tattooing, and graphic visuals like flesh removal/modification.

Do modified tattoos and piercings age well?

With proper aftercare and maintenance, they can age gracefully. However, some fading, blurring of fine details, and shifting does occur naturally over decades.

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult with a healthcare professional before starting any new treatment regimen.