A black-and-white photo of a person mid-air in a Superman-style body suspension pose, supported by multiple hooks in their back and legs, smiling joyfully toward the camera. They are suspended horizontally in a large indoor space with high ceilings and visible rigging. A group of onlookers—some seated, some standing—watch with expressions of admiration, amusement, and support. The atmosphere is lively and communal, capturing a moment of shared experience and transformation.

Your (self-chosen) oldest modification

Not including modifications that were forced on you — circumcisions, ear piercings as a baby, and so on — what’s your oldest non-earlobe body modification? The reader in this entry tells me that she got her nipple pierced seventeen years ago at the Gauntlet in NYC — she’s 56 years old now and still loving it!

My nipple piercing (retired) will also turn seventeen on February 14, with my first tattoos turning 19 this year, meaning that I’ve had them for over half my life now. Roo and I were talking about our tongue splits as well, with 1998 being the year that tongue splitting exploded in popularity, many people will soon be walking around — still happy, like the woman below — with decade old split tongues.

 17-year-old-nipple-piercing.jpg

Comments

172 responses to “Your (self-chosen) oldest modification”

  1. CutThroat Avatar

    My oldest is a smiley face brand that I did with the top of a lighter. It’s on my left hand. Right by my thumb.

    I was 14, which makes it about 14 years old. Half my life! Wow!

  2. CutThroat Avatar

    My oldest is a smiley face brand that I did with the top of a lighter. It’s on my left hand. Right by my thumb.

    I was 14, which makes it about 14 years old. Half my life! Wow!

  3. terry Avatar
    terry

    tongue piercing – at least 10 years old. i actually sent in a picture of it to bme a loong time ago. it’s one of the very first few on the first few pages (double tongue piercings).

  4. terry Avatar
    terry

    tongue piercing – at least 10 years old. i actually sent in a picture of it to bme a loong time ago. it’s one of the very first few on the first few pages (double tongue piercings).

  5. nightmaregirl Avatar

    my right nipple is now 9rs old..
    and im only 27.. well in a few weeks i will be..

  6. nightmaregirl Avatar

    my right nipple is now 9rs old..
    and im only 27.. well in a few weeks i will be..

  7. Kyrenna Avatar

    Awww…I can only hope my piercings will last as long as some peoples’ in here 🙂

    Wrist was the first. It will be 2 come April. Got it when I was 24. Oldest mod would be the tattoo I got at 17 though.

    *munches on memories*

  8. Kyrenna Avatar

    Awww…I can only hope my piercings will last as long as some peoples’ in here 🙂

    Wrist was the first. It will be 2 come April. Got it when I was 24. Oldest mod would be the tattoo I got at 17 though.

    *munches on memories*

  9. Myjah Avatar

    Wow, I feel young. My hand scarification will be going on seven years soon, and I did that when I was about twelve or thirteen. It’s almost completely gone now – I didn’t know much of what I was doing at the time, and didn’t know how to make it keep. But it looked cool the first year after it was done.

    So cool to hear about everybody’s old mods :p

  10. Myjah Avatar

    Wow, I feel young. My hand scarification will be going on seven years soon, and I did that when I was about twelve or thirteen. It’s almost completely gone now – I didn’t know much of what I was doing at the time, and didn’t know how to make it keep. But it looked cool the first year after it was done.

    So cool to hear about everybody’s old mods :p

  11. PiXiETroll Avatar
    PiXiETroll

    My oldest still existant piercing that is not a lobe is my center labret that i’ve begun to stretch in the past months.
    Did it when i was 15 så that would be 7 years ago

    I do however wanna take some credit for my first lobe piercing as well.
    Did it when i was 7 years old and it was by my own choice.
    I had prepared a massive speech for my parents trying to persuade them to let their 7 year old son pierce his ears.
    All the response i got when i entered the kitchen,looked at my parents and telling them i wanted it was from my father saying “sure,just let me finish my coffee.”

    I dropped my chin to the floor and then we went to the local barbershop and had it done with those old crappy piercing pistols.
    Proud as ever i got to school the next day and were called gay for the remeinder of that month.

    I’m now 22,both ears pierced and stretched to 27mm(+ that glitch alowing me to get my pinky between my ear and the jewelry)

  12. PiXiETroll Avatar
    PiXiETroll

    My oldest still existant piercing that is not a lobe is my center labret that i’ve begun to stretch in the past months.
    Did it when i was 15 så that would be 7 years ago

    I do however wanna take some credit for my first lobe piercing as well.
    Did it when i was 7 years old and it was by my own choice.
    I had prepared a massive speech for my parents trying to persuade them to let their 7 year old son pierce his ears.
    All the response i got when i entered the kitchen,looked at my parents and telling them i wanted it was from my father saying “sure,just let me finish my coffee.”

    I dropped my chin to the floor and then we went to the local barbershop and had it done with those old crappy piercing pistols.
    Proud as ever i got to school the next day and were called gay for the remeinder of that month.

    I’m now 22,both ears pierced and stretched to 27mm(+ that glitch alowing me to get my pinky between my ear and the jewelry)

  13. Giles Avatar

    1991 Self done labret with a needle balanced on a table. Influenced by Modern Primitives book. Dragged my lip down over it slowly. Put a BCR in that was too small. First vertical labret invented !!! 🙂

    Did my PA in 1992 and septum (THE most painful experience ever.

    1993 did 4 shaft piercings and 1 scrotum one.

    1994 pierced the web of my hand – went septic after 4 weeks and then immediately removed.

    Have now been piercing myself (and others) for about 17 years.

  14. Giles Avatar

    1991 Self done labret with a needle balanced on a table. Influenced by Modern Primitives book. Dragged my lip down over it slowly. Put a BCR in that was too small. First vertical labret invented !!! 🙂

    Did my PA in 1992 and septum (THE most painful experience ever.

    1993 did 4 shaft piercings and 1 scrotum one.

    1994 pierced the web of my hand – went septic after 4 weeks and then immediately removed.

    Have now been piercing myself (and others) for about 17 years.

  15. Justme Avatar
    Justme

    Just turned 57,nipple now 2ga,and PA now 0 ga done by Jim Ward in ’77 just after he opened

  16. Justme Avatar
    Justme

    Just turned 57,nipple now 2ga,and PA now 0 ga done by Jim Ward in ’77 just after he opened

  17. LaPetiteMorte Avatar
    LaPetiteMorte

    I’ve had my nostril since I was fourteen, so it’s only three years old.

  18. LaPetiteMorte Avatar
    LaPetiteMorte

    I’ve had my nostril since I was fourteen, so it’s only three years old.

  19. smurf Avatar

    My first piercing of any sort was my navel when I was 18. That’s closing in on 10 years ago. I didn’t have my lobes pierced until my 21st birthday, you can imagine the piercer’s thrill at having 21 y/o “virgin” lobes in his shop.

  20. smurf Avatar

    My first piercing of any sort was my navel when I was 18. That’s closing in on 10 years ago. I didn’t have my lobes pierced until my 21st birthday, you can imagine the piercer’s thrill at having 21 y/o “virgin” lobes in his shop.

  21. lalala Avatar
    lalala

    I’ve been tattooed & pierced half my life now too (just). My first tattoo is now 16 years old, same for navel ring (although that’s been redone). Damn, think I just gave my age away…

  22. lalala Avatar
    lalala

    I’ve been tattooed & pierced half my life now too (just). My first tattoo is now 16 years old, same for navel ring (although that’s been redone). Damn, think I just gave my age away…

  23. deadlypoison Avatar

    my oldest (non ear) peircing is my nose, had that since i was 14 (im nearly 22 now) other than that its all ears mainly.

    also, the lady in that picture is stunning.

  24. deadlypoison Avatar

    my oldest (non ear) peircing is my nose, had that since i was 14 (im nearly 22 now) other than that its all ears mainly.

    also, the lady in that picture is stunning.

  25. Fantazi Avatar
    Fantazi

    My bellybutton piercing (now retired) would have turned 9 this year. My cartilage piercing turns 7 and my first tattoo as well…

  26. Fantazi Avatar
    Fantazi

    My bellybutton piercing (now retired) would have turned 9 this year. My cartilage piercing turns 7 and my first tattoo as well…

  27. uncleflo Avatar
    uncleflo

    My first was a frenum piercing I did when I was 38 or 39 years old, followed within a few months by both nipples. I am now 62 years old so, 23 or 24 years.

  28. uncleflo Avatar
    uncleflo

    My first was a frenum piercing I did when I was 38 or 39 years old, followed within a few months by both nipples. I am now 62 years old so, 23 or 24 years.

  29. badmolly Avatar
    badmolly

    I got my ears pierced after begging my mum for it for months. I was five. She took me to the doctor and he did them both with a needle. Good on mum for being wary of guns! Ill be twenty six in june, and my lobes are now 14mm, thanks to good placement.

  30. badmolly Avatar
    badmolly

    I got my ears pierced after begging my mum for it for months. I was five. She took me to the doctor and he did them both with a needle. Good on mum for being wary of guns! Ill be twenty six in june, and my lobes are now 14mm, thanks to good placement.

  31. andrea Avatar
    andrea

    inner labia, self done when i was 17…so 6 years old now.

  32. andrea Avatar
    andrea

    inner labia, self done when i was 17…so 6 years old now.

  33. Marshall Avatar

    My septum piercing is a good fifteen years old now. I rarely wear jewelery in it anymore, but the hole is still there and ready to go.

  34. Marshall Avatar

    My septum piercing is a good fifteen years old now. I rarely wear jewelery in it anymore, but the hole is still there and ready to go.

  35. reignboblu Avatar

    Let’s see I’m 28… my original lobes are …probably 20 years old or so now, my tounge is 11 years old and my oldest tattoo is … 10 years old. Wow. I hadn’t realized I’ve been modded for a decade already.

  36. reignboblu Avatar

    Let’s see I’m 28… my original lobes are …probably 20 years old or so now, my tounge is 11 years old and my oldest tattoo is … 10 years old. Wow. I hadn’t realized I’ve been modded for a decade already.

  37. suzanne Avatar
    suzanne

    I had my lip pierced 3 times and my tongue done about 13 years ago when I was in my early 20′s. The piercer had apprenticed at Guantlet. Shortly after I tattooed my ankles myself when I discovered an old tattoo machine lying around the animal hospital where I worked. No one ever got around to using it on dogs but….

  38. suzanne Avatar
    suzanne

    I had my lip pierced 3 times and my tongue done about 13 years ago when I was in my early 20′s. The piercer had apprenticed at Guantlet. Shortly after I tattooed my ankles myself when I discovered an old tattoo machine lying around the animal hospital where I worked. No one ever got around to using it on dogs but….

  39. hitonihi' Avatar

    Sir’s and my first non-lobe piercings were our nipples, almost 4 years ago. I still have the left piercing, and he took both of his out.

  40. hitonihi' Avatar

    Sir’s and my first non-lobe piercings were our nipples, almost 4 years ago. I still have the left piercing, and he took both of his out.

  41. CarrY Avatar

    my tongue piercing is 14 years old right now and my first tattoos ( all covered up thanxfully hahaha) r 16 years old , sometimes i wake up and almost say good morning to them 😛

  42. CarrY Avatar

    my tongue piercing is 14 years old right now and my first tattoos ( all covered up thanxfully hahaha) r 16 years old , sometimes i wake up and almost say good morning to them 😛

  43. Aaron Avatar

    lobes gunned @ 16 and scalpelly-corrected @ 18, and i’m almost 22 now, so my lobe holes are about 5 years old.

    my first tattoo (which still isn’t done) was started about 4 and a half months ago. i have a long way to go and a lot of skin to attend to!

  44. Aaron Avatar

    lobes gunned @ 16 and scalpelly-corrected @ 18, and i’m almost 22 now, so my lobe holes are about 5 years old.

    my first tattoo (which still isn’t done) was started about 4 and a half months ago. i have a long way to go and a lot of skin to attend to!

  45. dejan Avatar
    dejan

    12 year old guiche. got it done underage at a shady place at 14ga and didn’t pay attention to it for a few years, then tried some different jewelry on it and effortlessly slid in a 4ga. o_O

  46. dejan Avatar
    dejan

    12 year old guiche. got it done underage at a shady place at 14ga and didn’t pay attention to it for a few years, then tried some different jewelry on it and effortlessly slid in a 4ga. o_O

  47. alesita Avatar
    alesita

    also nipple piercing (left) when i was 16 years old (!!!)… they didn’t even ask me my age, and told me to clean it 3 times a day with iodine (!!! x2, obviously i didn’t, i used phisiologic solution). it neaver healed anyway, and eventually i had to take it out. it’s been 7 years since….. and i got it redone by myself last year, and now both nipples are beautiful and succesfully healed. lalalala

  48. alesita Avatar
    alesita

    also nipple piercing (left) when i was 16 years old (!!!)… they didn’t even ask me my age, and told me to clean it 3 times a day with iodine (!!! x2, obviously i didn’t, i used phisiologic solution). it neaver healed anyway, and eventually i had to take it out. it’s been 7 years since….. and i got it redone by myself last year, and now both nipples are beautiful and succesfully healed. lalalala

  49. lili Avatar
    lili

    nipple piercings 14 years old this june, first tattoo 15 years old. i’m feeling a little old….

  50. lili Avatar
    lili

    nipple piercings 14 years old this june, first tattoo 15 years old. i’m feeling a little old….

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