(Author’s note: Excuse me while I get all meta on you.)
Full-disclosure time: When I first saw on Lane Jensen’s IAM page pictures of the microdermal he’d put into someone’s eyelid, I was mortified. This was too much, too risky, and, though I had not been apprised of the details of the situation, it read as irresponsible at best and fame-seeking at … well, not quite “worst,” but getting there.
The client, it seemed, was quite young [Author’s note: She was 17 years old and her father was present. My point stands, nonetheless], with minimal visible prior body modification work done — not to say she was too immature, but, in the same way that most responsible tattoo artists will refuse to work on a lightly tattooed client’s hands or face, so should it be when it comes to highly experimental piercings (a distinction which, for the sake of this article, we’ll say includes microdermals). Because, as widespread as microdermals have become (and my God have they become widespread), this is still a new concept. The first images of microdermals (then called “dermal anchors” — oh, memories!) appeared on BME in an image update dated October 27, 2005. The first mention of them on ModBlog was April 15, 2006. On November 6, 2006, an article was published featuring interviews with a number of practitioners who had been performing microdermal procedures.
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| ModBlog’s first microdermals |
So let’s say that microdermals are, in their current iteration (as a modernized and ostensibly simplified version of traditional transdermals), at most, about two-and-a-half years old. In most circles, this would place a project in its infancy — far from having been extensively tested or fine-tuned, and potentially rife with unknown (and sometimes well known) risks. (Very seldom are feature films released, for example, that comprise a series of unedited first takes.) Yet, in the body modification community, infamous for its impetuousness, two-and-a-half years is an eternity. The idea of the “guinea pig” is now largely irrelevant; as soon as something “new” has been done, provided the client doesn’t die on the spot, it’s added to the portfolio, uploaded to all manner of Internet forums and, if it’s interesting enough, it’ll probably even get posted on ModBlog.
Pardon me while I put on my ombudsman hat, but make no mistake: ModBlog takes a lot of blame here, playing the dual role of collective consciousness and enabler. Almost everything posted on ModBlog comes via BME submissions, which are filtered for funny, attractive and generally unique content, given a punny caption and then offered up to be criticized and lauded, copied and adopted.
That is to say, ModBlog is supposed to feature the best that BME has to offer.
Such is our position: We want to promote an environment in which new, exciting and beautiful procedures can be put on display and discussed, yet we’re also an archive, for whom comprehensive documentation is a mandate. Appearing on ModBlog, vitriol of the commentariat notwithstanding, is often a validation of sorts: If it’s good enough for BME to showcase, shouldn’t it be good enough for you?
Well, no. Not always. Sometimes in documenting things, we come off a little too enthusiastic about items that aren’t quite ready for prime time, or that we’ve convinced ourselves are worthy of attention simply because we’ve given them a lot of attention — the state of “being famous for being famous.” (See also: Anything related to Kim Kardashian or Brooke Hogan; Gawker’s tireless efforts to track Julia Allison’s every move; The Hills in its entirety.) Is this really a healthy phenomenon? Making stars out of people because of their physical modifications and creating an environment in which this miniscule level of fame can be achieved by pushing one’s limits further, harder and, quite possibly, dangerously quickly? There’s a fine line between celebrating the community and unduly, unfairly celebritizing its members.
And, like I said, this is, to an extent, our fault — “us” being the body modification media, slight as we may be. There is — be it real or imagined — an element of pressure to be more “extreme,” for lack of a better word (and there are many). On another forum, one commenter recently posted that he’d just passed his one year anniversary of entering the wonderful world of body modification, and posted the following laundry list of work he’d done (consider the entire quote [sic]):
septumx2, smileyx2,tongueweb, Apadravya, lorumx5, fingerwebx3, handwebx3, nipplex2, navelx3, lobex9, conchx2, helix/2g Dermal Punch, tragusx2, eyebrowx6, labretx10, “rhino”/unidentified
Though I definately don’t still have all those and I counted where I re-did piercings, I remember wach one… I wonder what mods are to come in the future?
Fifty-three piercings and six tattoos in one year. His first year. Holy crap. Another poster followed up with their own first-year anniversary inventory ([sic] again):
it all started with a septum piercing … It’s now at 1g … 0g flat punch, 0g conch punch, x4 vertical bridges, x4 horizontal eyebrows, 6 tattoos, 1 chest scarification, 6 lip piercings, venoms (now stretched to 10g), tongue webbing, ears pierced at 8g (now 5/8ths), multiple arm surface, belly button, clavicle surface, x2 nape, x5 lower back surface, tragus, smiley.
AND MANY MORE TO COME.
This isn’t a journey — it’s an obsession, whether it’s instigated internally, by a desire to fit in, lead the pack, or otherwise. A bodybuilder doesn’t start out deadlifting 700-pound weights. A mountain climber doesn’t scale K2 as an introductory ascent. This is unhealthy behavior, regardless of the outlet, but body modification allows for it rather easily — even encourages it, be it to pad a portfolio or to get one’s 15 minutes of ModBlog fame. If I had a nickel for every conversation I’ve had with people who mention the role that ModBlog played in the popularization of microdermals, well, I’d probably be able to afford to have one put in my eyelid.
This isn’t to decry experimentation or having fun with one’s body — Rachel posted a video of Lassi doing a guiche suspension a few weeks ago, for God’s sake. But this eyelid microdermal business is different; these images presented an ethical dilemma. By all accounts, it was awfully unsafe and, while not in direct contact with the eyeball, would potentially be a nightmare for the general eye-region. It’s one thing for a trained professional and experienced body modification enthusiast to throw a hook through his taint, but it’s another matter entirely to risk massive harm to a young, inexperienced client just because the opportunity presented itself and it seemed like an interesting procedure to try. I’m not an expert of anatomy, but one thing I’ve picked up on is that unless you are incredibly certain of your methods and the anticipated outcome, you don’t screw around with someone’s eyes. In a field in which calculated risk-taking comprises a significant portion of the action, simple consent should not be the be-all end-all for a practitioner when deciding whether or not to perform an experimental procedure.
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| The microdermal in question |
On the other hand, though? This was ModBlog fodder in every conceivable way. It was probably the first time it had been done, it looked healthy enough and, most importantly, it was new. Considering our standards, it probably deserved to be posted.
We decided not to post it. ModBlog’s influence is tangible, and we decided that appearing to endorse it in any way would have been irresponsible. Let’s wait, we thought, and maybe once we can see some results, we can determine if this is appropriate to post. It would end up in the BME image archives, of course, but ModBlog, to be sure, is a different beast altogether. This was a test — one that didn’t need to be publicized, and arguably performed on the wrong client. We didn’t want to be nannies or censors — BME would still accept the photos for its galleries — but as for ModBlog? This didn’t yet embody the best that BME had to offer. Body modification practitioners should cherish their guinea pigs — not exploit them.
Of course, being an online company has its drawbacks. Through a miscommunication, it ended up getting published on ModBlog. Naturally, some people loved it, some peopled hated it. Some claimed it was yet another moment in BME’s perpetual decline, while others probably asked their piercers if they could get their own (or, conversely, some piercers likely asked their clients if they were interested in trying it out). This isn’t a criticism of the chain of events: It’s just occurred enough by this point that there exists a recognizable pattern and, for the most part, we love it (see also: mustaches tattooed on fingers, etc.) — that’s why we do this. Body modification is a passion, and dealing with it professionally every day would be impossible if we weren’t legitimately excited by people’s experimentation and determination to modify and beautify themselves.
But that’s not an absolute, and it doesn’t mean that everything must be supported or looked upon favorably. Just because something can be done doesn’t mean it should be; there may be no right reasons for modifying yourself, but there are sure as hell wrong ones, and those are made substantially worse when the client is being used — whether it’s by the one performing the procedure or the one publicizing it.
(Ed. note: While Jordan is an editor for and a valued member of BME, this is an editorial and does not necessarily reflect the views of other BME staff or BME as a publication. As well, Lane has been invited to do an interview and defend his position. This will be published as soon as possible.)
Comments
207 responses to “On Eyelid Microdermals, ModBlog and Turning Body Modification Into a Contest.”
It’s rather unfortunate to see people tote hate towards an individual online. It’s safe enough to say that the mod itself was risky and experimental but do we honestly have nothing better to do than bad mouth a person for trying something new? Meanwhile, we’re debating the maturity of a girl that 99.5% of this community doesn’t even know. She is a mature girl; I happened to have the chance of meeting her at a suspension a few weeks back- she is mature and has more of a knowledge base than a good portion of people I know in the industry. Not to mention that Lane was considering this before hand; going over pros and cons to figure out the situation in the event of it actually happening. The girl from what I was explained when I first heard about this, came in asking for a CBR in her eyelid. Something that is obviously going to cause irritation and severe issues later on. So, he chose a micro-dermal and it turned out well in my opinion but as I’ve seen so far after peering into this industry as well as the community here, people knock anything by anyone who happens to have a bad rep from a few folks spreading slander. It looked healthy and in amazing shape so I don’t why we’re criticizing a girl who can’t defend herself online and a guy who happened to be responsible for training a few of the people commenting here. Whether or not it was wrong of him to do it is up to him and the client. If he didn’t feel comfortable doing it, he wouldn’t have done it. If she wasn’t comfortable doing it at the last minute then it wouldn’t have happened. I don’t understand why people need to jump to every conclusion possible when 100% of the story isn’t out to the open. Whatever, hey? Anything to be negative.
can I just pose the question to all that if someone is coming in persisting to have something done, would you rather see someone who has experience doing these things, even if they are on other parts of the body, do it or have them go to someones basement or shop where they do not ID clients and get it done and have horrible complications possibly?
just my opinion, but the way I feel, is that it could have turned horrifying if she would have gone to someone who was not experienced doing any of these procedures…
The client consented. That right there should be the end of any and all discussion. No offense to Jordan, but I really don’t see why he thinks he has the right to say what people should and should not do to their bodies. Not only the girl but also the condemnation of the others mentioned in the article just doesn’t sit right with me. I’ve always seen BME and this community as a place that fosters the notion that it’s ok to play with ones body. It kinda seems now that the mission statement is saying the exact opposite.
I will always hold the belief that you should be able to do to your body whatever the hell you want, and I’ll continue to hold that belief regardless of the official stance or what the popular majority think.
And for those who are preaching about age, remember that in this local it was legal. Would it be immoral in America to get an 18yr old drunk? Sure, but in Canada that’s legal. If this procedure was done in the USA I’d be right behind everyone preaching against lane.
If you want to try something out and experiment – do it on yourself, or your friend -> piercer. I think then it’s a fair way… and yes, your kind of “journey” as well…
I was under the impression that she required the consent of her father to get the procedure. Besides that I wouldn’t believe giving an eighteen year old alcohol is immoral, only illegal.
I agree with what ever else you typed.
wow, the second forum post quoted is from a forum on BodyMod.org, and it is me.
um, i may be young and relatively new to modification, but it kinda sucks, because i got all my information from sites like these and respectable shops around my hometown. And my post was used almost in a negative manner. I don’t do this stuff to please others, if i did, i would have a great high paying job and lots of “cool modded friends”. But i dont have any heavily modded friends that live near me. i do this because it makes me happy.
Sucks to have a post singled out and used in a way it was not made for.
fucking sucks.
but otherwise, retarded article.
thanks for putting me on modblog like this, lol.
warren, i was playing devils advocate a little there 😉
i used to be way more liberal towards personal liberties than i am now (stil only 22yo) as i have started to realise that some of the population is too stupid to make some choices for themselves..at ANY age..and thus need to be protected from themselves
Cere: Here in NM, I could legally put a microdermal, or any piercing, tattoo, branding, or cutting for that matter, on a 3 year old should it’s parent sign a consent form. And since you say it’s ok for Lane to do this cuz it’s legal, I’m gonna start doing just this now. Anyone want to bring your infants in for extreme mods, the line forms here. 😛
There is a distinct difference between consent and informed consent.
its sick that this is entirely about the almighty dollar. every single bit of it.
Can someone refer to the post where it states the girl’s father gave consent?
Its all going to come full circle. I think that the ‘ mod scene’ is so oversaturated right now that its become almost a trend. And its all about keeping up with the jones’ and that’s just what society has succumb to.
In essence modblog is a blog. You aren’t gonna agree with everything, and sure as hell no one is asking you to.
Although it does sadden me to see poorly done/kept body mods, I don’t mind.
I’m waiting for enough people to fuck up to knock it out of the trend status.
I’m sick of kids asking me ‘what gauge am I, and how long it took’ and ’2 years and you’re only at a 0?!’
Its not a trend.
But that’s not the controversy at hand, I mean what bearing does the ‘age of consent’ really hold?
And form over function is strong in the mod community, yes the micro dermal was risky, but nothing is learned or achieved without trial and error.
::falls off soapbox::
This would be the best thing i have even read bout the industry. I am a body piercer, I have had many people come in and ask for stupid things or just really random.. I always ask them why? whats making wanna do this.. I don’t judge them but seriously if i was asked to do something i didn’t believe was safe, i would send them on their way. Tell them to research the outcomes of their ideas. Yes, trying new things too a few of my mates that are heavily modified and know what there in for is ok because they know the outcome. Some humans are just wanting the attention to be in the “moment” not in it for themselves.
But again without trying things in the first place would we be out of the trees yet?
STILLL GRRRRR PEOPLE ARE FOOOLS 🙂
Lexci- I believe someone said something about it in either the comments on this post or the other.
I’m glad I read this, because it reaffirmed that I’m still in the right community, and there are other people around here who care about experimentation that is still ethical and safe and most importantly – right for the individual, and not just trends and being the most extreme and ‘omg I made it to modblog I’m famous lol’.
If she wanted it done, and Lane had refused, someone down the line would have done it for her. Or, she may have attempted to do it herself.
When I hear the above it really, really makes me seethe. It’s the same as the heroin dealer who says ‘if I didn’t sell the drugs they would only go get it from someone else who sells sh*t that could be cut with anything. At least mine is pure and they get good deals’ – this is something I have actually heard someone say to justify their ‘livelihood’.
However you dress it up, both examples.. highly unethical.
I feel like now that people have read this article they are going to assume that EVERY 17 year old or 18 year old with tattoos and piercings are just trying to one up each other and doing it for the sake of having it done.
which scares me.
alot.
I turn to modblog and BMEzine to find comfort in being different, I’ve been ostracized by practically everyone else and I’m sure many of you as well. I feel like now the older generation of the modified ‘community’ are going to look down at the younger one and a gap will begin to form, which again scares me. alot.
so hopefully there are some people out here who think this article is about as ridiculous as they come, yeah sure it was worded beautifully but the content worries me to the core.
I always found this ‘community’ to be a very loving and open minded one, not a “OMG, those kids have to many piercings! WTF” one.
🙁
i think you make a very good point. i get a lot of people asking me my opinion and advice on what they should get pierced/who should do it etc.
the only reason they ask me is because i’m the ‘most modified’ person around where i live. that’s all they go off. i’m no expert.
but we come across ‘professionals’ who are willing to do this sort of thing to people who haven’t necessarily thoroughly thought about the complications that may arise and even if they have, because no one has ever seen someones eye go green and drop out of its own socket, or someones breast have to be removed due to infection, they just don’t care enough not to do it to someone/themselves. the only time they would admit that it was wrong would be when the person drops dead as a direct cause, otherwise the excuse is that ‘no one could have known that would happen’.
Sean – I didn’t get that sort of vibe from this article at all. Rather, I would see an older, more experienced member of the community looking out for younger/newer members of the community, and their safety, not a judgement. I am 25 and have much younger friends – I wouldn’t judge them for mods they want, rather point out realities and risks, and let them decide. Likewise I have older friends, and friends around my age who have been in this scene a lot longer, and I have never felt looked down on. But maybe that is because I am sensible and mature and think before I speak or act, and am not after 15 minutes of fame. Unfortunately, same can’t be said of a lot of humanity!!! :p
Sean- I’m going to have to agree with almaxaquotal. Ill be 19 in a few months and I have never felt as though I’ve been looked down on by the older generation. I appreciate the fact that they in some ways look out for those of us who haven’t been in the mod community as long. Because there are a lot of people who love to make a profit off of teens that don’t know what their doing. But if that is how you feel than its up to us to change those views. Prove to them that some of us do know what were doing, that we do our research, that we don’t do it as a trend or for 15 mins of fame. If we can’t show them that than of course we will be lumped into a category of naive impulsive teens just like the girl in question.
I’m speaking mostly of this section:
“This isn’t a journey — it’s an obsession, whether it’s instigated internally, by a desire to fit in, lead the pack, or otherwise. A bodybuilder doesn’t start out deadlifting 700-pound weights. A mountain climber doesn’t scale K2 as an introductory ascent. This is unhealthy behavior, regardless of the outlet, but body modification allows for it rather easily — even encourages it, be it to pad a portfolio or to get one’s 15 minutes of ModBlog fame. ”
like, I’m not saying it’s happening YET, in fact most every person I’ve met in the community has been GREAT to me, my best friend is the piercer and a tattoo artist at Everlasting ink in New Minas Nova Scotia, and we went to the tattoo festival in Nova Scotia together this summer, and I met some really amazing artists and worthwhile friends there!
so I’m not saying every older person looks down on the younger generation, but I’m just afraid that some people might after reading that. But seeing those couple of comments makes me feel a whole lot better.
🙂
i totally understand your concerns, but i must disagree at some point: even though BME has always a major role in new procedures becoming widespread, you always discourage doing it in an irresponsible way, you always talk about safety, going with a trusted professional with experience in the subject, etc. there is and will ALWAYS be irresponsible people that wants to be “the first one” at any cost (and i’m not only talking about modified people, but professionals too, i bet a lot of them do this kind of stuff for the portfolio even when theyŕe not qualified and/or experienced), and you can’t control it. it’s not of your duty, also. people has to become responsible about their own actions, and if there’s some 17 year old girl whose father and piercer are completely insane people that let her do whatever crosses her mind to become “the first girl with a microdermal in her eye”, it’s not your fault. i bet 99% of us remember having read in the first entries about microdermals that they were an experimental procedure, not recommended for begginers. you cannot take the blame. also consider you are a major source of information about the right way of doing body modification, at least, i always read here about everything i want to know before getting into any new modification. don’t blame yourself for the stupidity of people that uses information in the worst possible way.
how do you have 10 labret piercings in one year? 0_0
it ain’t up to some emo looking guy posing as a journalist to say who is and isn’t modding people for celebrity status within the community. this is another reason why i left iam, because of the bitchiness of the “head people”. shit, to me it seems like everyone who writes on this site is a wanna-be of some sort. you’ve got rachel posing as some kind of modded barbie doll, jordan who thinks he’s john pilger, and roo who’s stilted british humour went out of vogue in the late 80s. it’s a shit show where opinion becomes law. just profile mods and quit acting like you’re the censors. that’s not what BME was ever about.
Jon what are you talking about!? CLEARLY it’s more than Rachel and the site administrators being “bitchy”.
I’m personally enjoying modblog without reading about people eating shit and calling it modification. I think they needed to draw in the reigns for a bit and this is a great start.
I <3 barbie! Thank you so much for the compliment! 🙂
I’m just an outsider looking in, but I did find it refreshing to see an article on this site (which I quite enjoy, BTW) admitting that for SOME SEGMENT of the population, these days body modification has become trendy and so YES, you have some people rushing and racing, for acceptance status within that subculture. It’s become mainstream enough in some circles that it’s POSSIBLE to get mods to fit in there.
Anyone reading here a while knows that periodically there will be someone asking “are breast enhancements appropriate mods to feature on BME” and it sparks discussion, and previously there would be at least a few responses to the effect that “body modification is done to stand out, not to fit in, so it’s different” and “with body modification, people are making their own journey to be their true selves, not fit an image.” For many (most?) sure. But not everyone. So, it’s interesting to look at the “trend” phenomenon too. Certainly things have gone more mainstream in the past 10 to 15 years, seeing someone with septum or lip piercings in my town (which has a university) is common now. 12 years ago, my friend having an ear pierce with a little metal grommet you could barely see through (0, I think, and still one of my favorite looks) was just crazy wild unheard of “ew”. In many ways, this new commonness is a good thing.
But then you get the infamous post on here of the 15 y.o. kid who apparently jammed a piece of chain link through his lip. Not a good move…
Mind, I don’t think most of the community is that way, nor do I think that those people who ARE “keeping up with the Joneses” are necessarily only the younger members, either. I just think it’s healthy to acknowledge that yes, with things getting more widely known and done, some of this “subculture race” is bound to occur, just like with everything else. It’s now POSSIBLE to race for a trend reason.
Still, if you want to see that side of things, there are lots of yahoo answers posts waiting and ready to horrify. I think this site (modblog BME) does a good job of featuring articles, both positive AND negative ones. Plus as others posted, if the article itself leaves off some specifics, someone in the comments is bound to point out certain dangers.
This article is yet another good read. Thanks for it.
I like all the opposing views and opinions this ‘debate’ or whatever is seeing, and I keep changing my mind about stuff too, which is kinda cool. Or poser. Whichever. Oh, and I randomly dreamed about all the BME staff last night. Does BME headquarters really consist of huge 30ft statues made from leather which people live in and stuff, with all the staff driving hotrod cars? THAT’s a crazy lifestyle right there..
Comparing Lane to Steve Haworth or Howie is like comparing George Bush to Stephen Hawkings.
i would just like to state the fact that the girl’s “father” who supposedly signed for her was actually her boyfriend.
I think the overriding problem with body modifications is the ‘herd’ effect it seems to have.
4 Years ago, I decided to get a labret piercing – at the time, I knew only a handful of others, and knew it was somthign I wanted to do. Fast-forward 4 years and almost every other person between the ages of 16 and 20 has a visible facial piercing.
In short, it’s my belief that people are no longer havng piercings because it’s what THEY want to do, rather they are getting piercings because its what their peers want them to do.
This, naturally, spirals into the well-known supply and demand pattern – people believe that in order to fit in they must have a piercing, then to also be an individual (ie – an individual with a glass celing of their friendship groups expectations of them), they have to take it to the next level. And theres always going to be a piercer around who is more than willing to take it to that next level, regardless fo the motivations and thoughts behind a particular procedure.
Esentially, I think it boils down to the question of which do you value more, your social ‘standing’ or your health.
Thats not to say that you should be prevented from getting a piercing because of what others perceive to be the ‘wrong’ reasons – rather that the most exterme, cutting edge procedures should not be carried out unless the client had the full understanding of the procedure itself, and more importantly its potential rammifications for their future.
phew… that was quite a rant…
Sean- there’s no need worrying about those “few” that will all of the sudden think were all idiots because of what this article says. Someone like that shouldn’t be worth your time. Believe me there are more people here that will give us a chance than those who won’t.
i’m pretty much just blown away someone’s dad let them get a microdermal on their EYE.
it seems to be right on the crease, too!
wonder how that’ll heal for her.
*quietly steps around all the drama*
I agree with most of what you’ve said here, but what I wouldn’t be okay with would be the possible censorship of new procedures that people are experimenting with. I am not a modification practitioner but I do consider myself a full-fledged member of this community, and I check Modblog as a sort of ‘news’ – I know interesting, unique mods will be posted, and sometimes this includes novel procedures that people are trying out. I think new innovations in any field deserve exposure, and body modification is no exception. Just because something is potentially unsafe and it was done does not mean it should be censored from appearing on Modblog. I want to learn about the new things people are doing! Yes, eyelid stuff included! If I’m not going to learn about it on Modblog & BME, then where? I can think of no more credible source.
Your commentary somewhat leaves out the importance of personal responsibility in all of this. It is the responsibility of the person undergoing a certain procedure, new & scary procedure or a tried & true one to do the research about safety, aftercare, and possible complications.
BME has always advertised itself as being a very non-judgemental place. No one is really allowed to flame each other on here, it’s supposed to be a peaceful, respectful place where everyone gets along. If someone wants to get a new procedure that might be dangerous and understands the consequences, what right does anyone have to stop them? What right does anyone have to judge them? Everyone has their own reasons for doing what they do, and I don’t believe anyone deserves judgement on this level. If someone wants to get something either because it’s a part of them or because they want to look more hardcore, who cares which reason it is?
I certainly don’t.
Choosing to not post something on ModBlog is NOT censorship.
I am so glad this got delt with.
BME and Modblog serve to provide us with information. While our community may seem to be booming when you look through BME’s galleries, it’s really quite small. In my area, there are few modified people that have more than a simple nostril piercing or lip labret. Nothing extravagant or extreme, and no way to keep up with the rush and evolution of the community.
The point is not to discriminate against material we do not agree with. Push boundaries, so that they may give way and open up to new opportunities. I am confident that, unless all parties involved were complete clods, the potential physical risks were obvious and understood by the client. Her maturity cannot be assumed because of age. I’m sure that everyone here knows a thirty-something that throws fits like a toddler, and a young teenager with the characteristics of a wise man.
Featuring things like this on Modblog are almost entirely -necessary-. Without trial and error, and all the risks, mistakes, and problems encountered, we could not continue to grow as a community and our practitioners would never improve their method. If someone is encouraged to have a modification because it was featured on Modblog, I would consider it to be a positive step. It is the responsibility of the client to be aware of all the risks beforehand and of the practitioner to be well informed and only undertake experiments he believes he can handle. If we never stepped out of our range of comfort, who would grow and learn? Only the person bold enough to push their boundaries.
Every piercing is potentially dangerous. As is every tattoo and every other modification. Clients who have their nipples pierced may develop Mastitis. An infected tongue piercing could pass its infection into the blood stream, the brain, or the heart, or the likely possibility of tooth and gum damage. Although most of these are rarities, they are still entirely real risks. But we consider them to be negligible because it is how we feel we should express and challenge ourselves.
yeah those “punny captions” are great, asshole. look at me, i went to undergrad school, i can type many paragraphs in immediate succession.
anyway, who gives a fuck about risky procedures. obviously shoving some metal “permanently” into your eye is going to carry the risk of your fucking eye falling out. i don’t give a fuck. what are you, stupid? i run around punching people in the eyeball all the time with a fat ring on. all the fucking time. you think those people have depth perception? I DON’T GIVE A FUCCCCCCCK. god damned microdermals look like shit in every circumstance anyway. do something original, punch yourself in the eye socket with a wrench or rip your eyelids off with a vice grip. now that is experimental.
at 135 – Just the REASON why they wouldn’t post something as new as this would be censorship – because it is dangerous. Okay, so it’s dangerous – mention that when it’s posted with an article like this one to accompany the image. Don’t ignore the fact that this sort of stuff is happening.
137 – word up 🙂
130- Comparing Steve to either of those two is a travesty…
Howie is a raging psycho who WILL end up hurting someone VERY BADLY
Lane is a rockstar.. maybe it’s an Alberta thing
whatever happened to the days when you needed to be “in the know” to get the advanced stuff done? sigh..
wait…. so BME ISN’T a dick sizing contest!? oh man… so I’ve been stretching my ears out for no reason!? I’m not going to impress anyone!? AND my split tongue!? I now have to live with this freakish lizard tongue and no one is going to notice or CARE!?
well, I guess I’ll just have to go find something else for my entire life to be about….
haha
i just read through that entire thing
and basically
who cares
its their body, its like how people smoke, sure alot of people dont approve of it, its their body and they can do what they like.
so what if some kid wants to get 50 piercings in one yr and rush it all
they will probably regret it one day
let them figure that out for themselves
i think its great to come on modblog and see some completely experimental new piercing
My point was that Lane is probably more qualified than whoever else the girl could have found to do this project. This is something that could have gone south in a real bad way. Lane did a good job and if I was to question the”ethics” of any of the parties involved it would be the parents of the child, rather than Lanes.
Also, to number 98:
Seeing as you are so determined to have your opinion heard, I will counter and defend the microdermal as an ‘experiment’ by your definition. Although first, I’ll suggest that you take a trip back to basic English class, as you seem to have an understanding of Science. You are ranting about the scientific method. An experiment is any sort of test of an idea, and can be applied to many situations.
The scientific method and microdermals! The basic run-down of the scientific method is –
1. Observation | 2. Hypothesis | 3.Testing/The Experiment | 4. Analyze your data | 5. Share your data
The observation: there is a curiosity or demand for a type of product or procedure that would give the look of an implant, without the drawbacks or commitment.
The hypothesis: Something that has an anchor would be easy to insert and keep it grounded beneath the skin, creating a single point on the surface of the skin that gives the appearance of a transdermal/single point piercing/ et cetera. Easier procedure, arguably less permanent, and all of those wonderful perks. Also: an anchor with several small holes may allow the tissue to grow through them, ‘rooting’ the implant more permanently.
Testing: Fishtail labrets and many microdermal prototypes are implanted into willing “guinea pigs”. Eventually, the more successful modern model is invented and tested.
Analyze: Fishtail labrets suck. Microdermal implants that do not reject give the appearance of a smaller transdermal implant without the invasive procedure. They can also be used as single-point “piercings”, to decorate tattoos, and what have you. Hoorah!
Information sharing: Articles regarding microdermals are published on BME, and they begin to gain popularity in the modified community. Success!
Sorry. It’s a full moon tonight, I think. 🙂
Wow this is one hell of a fire storm.
Way to chase one of the most contributing members of Bme away… GOOD EFFIN JOB JERKS!
What 135 said.
Modblog and BMEzine do not serve as vaults of information. I think that’s a dreadful definition. This isn’t censorship – Digg and that HD key was censorship – this is acting responsibly until further information is gained about the situation. Like the article says, there will only be a rush of people wanting this done, before anyone knows about the risks. Modblog will be held responsible for procedures gone wrong – it doesn’t need a reputation among parents of ‘they’re the ones who encouraged people getting studs in their eyelids.’
sometimes, people just try too hard to be different.