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.

Just like Nazareth sang….

….Love Hurts.

It hurts even more when it is proclaimed with cigarette  burns.

fzya-love-hurts-literally-copy

On Modblog we feature some of the most amazing artistic scarification in the world. Yet, we often overlook the rarely updated ritual cutting and ritual branding galleries when looking for pictures to feature. In these galleries the scarification is rarely about the finished result and usually about the process.

For a picture of the process of this scar, keep on keeping on.

lovehurtsburn

Comments

270 responses to “Just like Nazareth sang….”

  1. PinkPig Avatar

    Seriously? Some people would consider my studio-done tattoos to be “self mutilation”. I’m sure you can imagine what I’ve heard about my split tongue, ear pointing attempts and scarification. Of course, some of the people who read ModBlog would be fine with those and freak out at subincisions.

    Has calling the owner of these scars nasty names made you feel better about yourselves? Nice and big? Congratulations on being an internet bully in an area that should be set aside for understanding and consideration.

    If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all. Your Mum was right. Now go comment on some youtube videos – it’s about the same intellectual standard.

  2. PinkPig Avatar

    Seriously? Some people would consider my studio-done tattoos to be “self mutilation”. I’m sure you can imagine what I’ve heard about my split tongue, ear pointing attempts and scarification. Of course, some of the people who read ModBlog would be fine with those and freak out at subincisions.

    Has calling the owner of these scars nasty names made you feel better about yourselves? Nice and big? Congratulations on being an internet bully in an area that should be set aside for understanding and consideration.

    If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all. Your Mum was right. Now go comment on some youtube videos – it’s about the same intellectual standard.

  3. good friends and a bottle of pills Avatar
    good friends and a bottle of pills

    thumbs up for Pink Pig! you’re right on all of your points.
    one more fart on Gizmo’s face for wishing death upon another. you are dead inside you fucking Gremlin

  4. good friends and a bottle of pills Avatar
    good friends and a bottle of pills

    thumbs up for Pink Pig! you’re right on all of your points.
    one more fart on Gizmo’s face for wishing death upon another. you are dead inside you fucking Gremlin

  5. Dimruthien Avatar
    Dimruthien

    First of all, I am thoroughly amused by people using this entry as another instance of modblog going down the shitter because the content is self-injury. Why does this amuse me? Because Shannon posted self-injury all the fucking time and modblog apparently wasn’t going down the shitter back then. How gloriously hilarious!

    Next up: “If he’d gotten it professionally branded, cut, or tattooed, no one would even think to call it “self-mutilation.” Why would it not be self-injury if he’d had it done by a professional? Because self-injury/harm/mutilation is done by yourself to yourself. Thus the “self” in “self-injury”.

    I think that the body modification community needs to realise that just because an act may be similar (self-injurious cutting vs scarification cutting, self-injurious burning vs branding) does not mean that it is the same act or should be treated as the same act. Self-injury is a psychological problem that shows that the individual lacks appropriate coping mechanisms to deal with an aspect of their lives (trauma, psychosis, dissociation, etc). It is not body modification in the sense that a person cuts themselves up like a ham because they like the aesthetic or they derive some deeper and spiritual meaning from it. It is not the same, and will never be the same. A self-injurer is rarely, if ever, wanting to scar their body, they just want to deal with whatever shit they’re going through and often don’t think about the long-term ramification of their chosen coping mechanism (scars). Self-injury is not body modification and it shouldn’t be perceived that way.

    The motivations and intentions behind self-injury are incredibly different to body modification. I guarantee nearly every photo in the “ritual cutting” section of BME is self-injury, not a form of body modification.

    And need I bring up this old fucking argument about triggering photos on modblog being under click-throughs? Seriously, guys…

    http://wiki.bmezine.com/index.php/Self-Harm#Body_Modification_and_Self-Harm

  6. Dimruthien Avatar
    Dimruthien

    First of all, I am thoroughly amused by people using this entry as another instance of modblog going down the shitter because the content is self-injury. Why does this amuse me? Because Shannon posted self-injury all the fucking time and modblog apparently wasn’t going down the shitter back then. How gloriously hilarious!

    Next up: “If he’d gotten it professionally branded, cut, or tattooed, no one would even think to call it “self-mutilation.” Why would it not be self-injury if he’d had it done by a professional? Because self-injury/harm/mutilation is done by yourself to yourself. Thus the “self” in “self-injury”.

    I think that the body modification community needs to realise that just because an act may be similar (self-injurious cutting vs scarification cutting, self-injurious burning vs branding) does not mean that it is the same act or should be treated as the same act. Self-injury is a psychological problem that shows that the individual lacks appropriate coping mechanisms to deal with an aspect of their lives (trauma, psychosis, dissociation, etc). It is not body modification in the sense that a person cuts themselves up like a ham because they like the aesthetic or they derive some deeper and spiritual meaning from it. It is not the same, and will never be the same. A self-injurer is rarely, if ever, wanting to scar their body, they just want to deal with whatever shit they’re going through and often don’t think about the long-term ramification of their chosen coping mechanism (scars). Self-injury is not body modification and it shouldn’t be perceived that way.

    The motivations and intentions behind self-injury are incredibly different to body modification. I guarantee nearly every photo in the “ritual cutting” section of BME is self-injury, not a form of body modification.

    And need I bring up this old fucking argument about triggering photos on modblog being under click-throughs? Seriously, guys…

    http://wiki.bmezine.com/index.php/Self-Harm#Body_Modification_and_Self-Harm

  7. Siren Avatar

    What the hell happened to this post.
    No matter what anyone has to say, he’s obviously already done it. Damage (or beauty) done. Who cares which one it is?

  8. Siren Avatar

    What the hell happened to this post.
    No matter what anyone has to say, he’s obviously already done it. Damage (or beauty) done. Who cares which one it is?

  9. Erotic Jesus Avatar
    Erotic Jesus

    I don’t imagine intentionally burning yourself with a cigarette is particularly hygienic, bro.
    There’s a really deep looking hole on the top left of the ‘s’ that looks pretty unpleasant too.
    =/

  10. Erotic Jesus Avatar
    Erotic Jesus

    I don’t imagine intentionally burning yourself with a cigarette is particularly hygienic, bro.
    There’s a really deep looking hole on the top left of the ‘s’ that looks pretty unpleasant too.
    =/

  11. ghostinthewood Avatar
    ghostinthewood

    Dislike button

  12. ghostinthewood Avatar
    ghostinthewood

    Dislike button

  13. Tamcatt Avatar
    Tamcatt

    reminds of cutting days. . . .when I needed to distract my emotions by focusing on physical pain. . .. like when my parents said, “do you want me to give you something to cry about?!”

    @ #10 chokehold makes me rofl!

  14. Tamcatt Avatar
    Tamcatt

    reminds of cutting days. . . .when I needed to distract my emotions by focusing on physical pain. . .. like when my parents said, “do you want me to give you something to cry about?!”

    @ #10 chokehold makes me rofl!

  15. Linda Avatar
    Linda

    Thank you, Dimruthien.

    I get very very fed up at the people who don’t agree with someone else’s point and then start calling them stupid, youtube-level, narrow minded, and such.
    Excuse me, I am both intelligent and open minded, and that is exactly the reason why I don’t agree with this post – because I can see the difference between body art and self harm, and I understand the implications of both.

    There is a history of mental illness in my family and I would be the very last to say they should pop some pills so they’re all happy-go-lucky. I fully understand that negative feelings are both unavoidable and necessary. But burning yourself over and over again with a cigarette because you’ve been hurt in love, that’s crossing a line, that’s not healthy. A person needs to learn to deal with the negative things happening in life. A person will be hurt a few times in life, what are you going to do, burn yourself up every time because you can’t cope? Wouldn’t it be better to learn to deal with these things in a different way?

    So far, all the self harmers I’ve met have also tried to commit suicide. What then, are you going to say “well, if that’s what they want to do to themselves, to each their own”??? And then post it on modblog??

  16. Linda Avatar
    Linda

    Thank you, Dimruthien.

    I get very very fed up at the people who don’t agree with someone else’s point and then start calling them stupid, youtube-level, narrow minded, and such.
    Excuse me, I am both intelligent and open minded, and that is exactly the reason why I don’t agree with this post – because I can see the difference between body art and self harm, and I understand the implications of both.

    There is a history of mental illness in my family and I would be the very last to say they should pop some pills so they’re all happy-go-lucky. I fully understand that negative feelings are both unavoidable and necessary. But burning yourself over and over again with a cigarette because you’ve been hurt in love, that’s crossing a line, that’s not healthy. A person needs to learn to deal with the negative things happening in life. A person will be hurt a few times in life, what are you going to do, burn yourself up every time because you can’t cope? Wouldn’t it be better to learn to deal with these things in a different way?

    So far, all the self harmers I’ve met have also tried to commit suicide. What then, are you going to say “well, if that’s what they want to do to themselves, to each their own”??? And then post it on modblog??

  17. Samantha Avatar
    Samantha

    I second ghostinthewood, this makes me sad. and that looks really, really unhappy.
    i have a few cigarette burns on my arms..and they NEVER looked that nasty.
    keep it clean, brah.

  18. Samantha Avatar
    Samantha

    I second ghostinthewood, this makes me sad. and that looks really, really unhappy.
    i have a few cigarette burns on my arms..and they NEVER looked that nasty.
    keep it clean, brah.

  19. katie Avatar
    katie

    i would love the guy whos arms these are to actually comment on this 🙂
    & clearly bme has posted it because they know what mixed responses they’ll get.
    & im bored of reading long comments over 4 lines! haha stop taking it to heart

  20. katie Avatar
    katie

    i would love the guy whos arms these are to actually comment on this 🙂
    & clearly bme has posted it because they know what mixed responses they’ll get.
    & im bored of reading long comments over 4 lines! haha stop taking it to heart

  21. CoryVictorious Avatar

    I think by the fact that he did the lettering inwards, towards himself so that he can read it, shows that he probably didn’t care whether the letters looked perfect. He wasn’t looking to win any “best scar” awards. It also doesn’t say “fuck life” or something of that nature. I don’t see this as self harm, it seems to be a scarification using an interesting instrument.

  22. CoryVictorious Avatar

    I think by the fact that he did the lettering inwards, towards himself so that he can read it, shows that he probably didn’t care whether the letters looked perfect. He wasn’t looking to win any “best scar” awards. It also doesn’t say “fuck life” or something of that nature. I don’t see this as self harm, it seems to be a scarification using an interesting instrument.

  23. sleepybones Avatar
    sleepybones

    love for modification perhoops?

  24. sleepybones Avatar
    sleepybones

    love for modification perhoops?

  25. cj Avatar
    cj

    It never ceases to amaze me how much people judge each other. There isn’t a soul on this planet that knows the “one right way” to get modified. And as far as it looking like crap, I’m pretty sure nobody here is the fashion police. The irony in this situation is profound….

  26. cj Avatar
    cj

    It never ceases to amaze me how much people judge each other. There isn’t a soul on this planet that knows the “one right way” to get modified. And as far as it looking like crap, I’m pretty sure nobody here is the fashion police. The irony in this situation is profound….

  27. Nyarlathotep Avatar
    Nyarlathotep

    A few points. (Let’s see if I can get all of them straight.) First, I see an awful lot of people here jumping to conclusions. Whether or not your conclusions are factually correct, there IS NO EVIDENCE either way. It’s entirely possible that yes, this was precisely the aesthetic that the individual was going for. (From the standpoint about the slogan being on-message in form as in content, working it as a self-done scarification piece make a whooooole lotta sense.)

    Secondly, I’ve burned myself with cigarettes a few times. (Turns out that it’s a good way to get free beer in a bar when you’re really poor.) For the few people that seem to be squicked out about it, they don’t heal up differently than any other burn, once you’ve removed the debris (i.e., cigarette ash) from the burn site.

    Third, the “HURTS” might be very new; it almost looks like fresh 2nd degree burns where the blister hasn’t even burst yet.

    Fourth, I dealt with a painful personal issue by going to someone else and paying them to brand me. Aside from the fact that I didn’t do it myself, what is the functional difference? The end result is much the same; I now have a permanent, physical reminder of a particularly shitty time in my life, and yeah, people can see it and occasionally ask questions.

    …Which leads to Fifth, why can something be both ritualistic and self-harming at the same time? Why is pain-transference only “OK” when someone else is doing it for you?

    Sixth: [sermon]For the people who say they have “friends” that used to self harm and that therefore this is wrong to put in modblog: please go fuck yourself. With a big rusty pole or splintery post. Most of the people who are self-harming at a younger age are not at risk for suicide, and we will turn out just fine on our own, fuck you very much. I invite you too look pray to God Wikipedia (and, if you can work through it, the cited references), with special attention paid to the chart towards the bottom that lists “autocastration, self-enucleation, amputation” as psychotic forms of self-harm. …And yet those are cool here! [/sermon]

    The essential problem that I see is that, while the vast majority or people that are/have been on iam.bmezine can either understand or accept what the person in the photos is doing/has done. Unfortunately, modblog is pretty open, so something like this gets the attention of trolls from all over tuh interwebs.

  28. Nyarlathotep Avatar
    Nyarlathotep

    A few points. (Let’s see if I can get all of them straight.) First, I see an awful lot of people here jumping to conclusions. Whether or not your conclusions are factually correct, there IS NO EVIDENCE either way. It’s entirely possible that yes, this was precisely the aesthetic that the individual was going for. (From the standpoint about the slogan being on-message in form as in content, working it as a self-done scarification piece make a whooooole lotta sense.)

    Secondly, I’ve burned myself with cigarettes a few times. (Turns out that it’s a good way to get free beer in a bar when you’re really poor.) For the few people that seem to be squicked out about it, they don’t heal up differently than any other burn, once you’ve removed the debris (i.e., cigarette ash) from the burn site.

    Third, the “HURTS” might be very new; it almost looks like fresh 2nd degree burns where the blister hasn’t even burst yet.

    Fourth, I dealt with a painful personal issue by going to someone else and paying them to brand me. Aside from the fact that I didn’t do it myself, what is the functional difference? The end result is much the same; I now have a permanent, physical reminder of a particularly shitty time in my life, and yeah, people can see it and occasionally ask questions.

    …Which leads to Fifth, why can something be both ritualistic and self-harming at the same time? Why is pain-transference only “OK” when someone else is doing it for you?

    Sixth: [sermon]For the people who say they have “friends” that used to self harm and that therefore this is wrong to put in modblog: please go fuck yourself. With a big rusty pole or splintery post. Most of the people who are self-harming at a younger age are not at risk for suicide, and we will turn out just fine on our own, fuck you very much. I invite you too look pray to God Wikipedia (and, if you can work through it, the cited references), with special attention paid to the chart towards the bottom that lists “autocastration, self-enucleation, amputation” as psychotic forms of self-harm. …And yet those are cool here! [/sermon]

    The essential problem that I see is that, while the vast majority or people that are/have been on iam.bmezine can either understand or accept what the person in the photos is doing/has done. Unfortunately, modblog is pretty open, so something like this gets the attention of trolls from all over tuh interwebs.

  29. B. Bailey Avatar
    B. Bailey

    Gay

  30. B. Bailey Avatar
    B. Bailey

    Gay

  31. SeeeingRed Avatar

    Man, this is just getting way to out of hand. People actually typed paragraphs arguing over this stuff???

    I could give a care less, those aren’t my arms.

  32. SeeeingRed Avatar

    Man, this is just getting way to out of hand. People actually typed paragraphs arguing over this stuff???

    I could give a care less, those aren’t my arms.

  33. -LEO- Avatar
    -LEO-

    Must have hurt a lot, don’t really know why, the “finished” look is no good
    And the 2nd picture is not of the process, he should have taken a shot of the other arm, would have looked more like it was the process

  34. -LEO- Avatar
    -LEO-

    Must have hurt a lot, don’t really know why, the “finished” look is no good
    And the 2nd picture is not of the process, he should have taken a shot of the other arm, would have looked more like it was the process

  35. -LEO- Avatar
    -LEO-

    The 2nd shot is not the process, that arm’s already healed
    Don’t like this, why bother on the whole process (must have hurt like a bitch) for such a poor looking thing?
    This would go more for a cancer ad or something than for a love statement

  36. -LEO- Avatar
    -LEO-

    The 2nd shot is not the process, that arm’s already healed
    Don’t like this, why bother on the whole process (must have hurt like a bitch) for such a poor looking thing?
    This would go more for a cancer ad or something than for a love statement

  37. sourmilkforsale Avatar
    sourmilkforsale

    “Love Hurts” must be one of the shittiest thing one can ever tattoo or brand, not to mention the slight shittiness that comes with it if you brand it with cigarettes. That’s what I think personally.

    Yes, I have a grudge against those “These-words-means-nothing-but-are-cool-phrases”; love hate, love hurts and all those similar retardments :]]]]

  38. sourmilkforsale Avatar
    sourmilkforsale

    “Love Hurts” must be one of the shittiest thing one can ever tattoo or brand, not to mention the slight shittiness that comes with it if you brand it with cigarettes. That’s what I think personally.

    Yes, I have a grudge against those “These-words-means-nothing-but-are-cool-phrases”; love hate, love hurts and all those similar retardments :]]]]

  39. lauren Avatar
    lauren

    self-mutilation, shitty modifications…whatever you want to call it, why is bme glorifying or even simply showcasing something that isn’t extraordinary in any way? of what use is this post to anyone? it isn’t especially beautiful, it doesn’t display technical savvy…i just really don’t understand why this post exists, or why the ritual cutting/branding sections exist at all. that shit is boring, mindless, graphic, disturbing and really depressing all at once.

  40. lauren Avatar
    lauren

    self-mutilation, shitty modifications…whatever you want to call it, why is bme glorifying or even simply showcasing something that isn’t extraordinary in any way? of what use is this post to anyone? it isn’t especially beautiful, it doesn’t display technical savvy…i just really don’t understand why this post exists, or why the ritual cutting/branding sections exist at all. that shit is boring, mindless, graphic, disturbing and really depressing all at once.

  41. Skittles5000 Avatar

    i dont know who alot of you are to say that this isnt beautiful since beauty is in the eye of the beholder. i keep seeing why didnt he go to a studio, and why didnt he have a pro do it. maybe he didnt want a pro to do it. Not everybody runs to a studio and shells out pockets of money for mods. this could have been the look he was going for and the way he wanted to do it. and by what is said, diy mods are self mutilation while having someone else mutilate you is okay? double standards much? its his fucking body and his fucking choice. just cuz its not something you would want gives you no right to insult him and his choices. its really unfortunate that we as a subculture, who need to stick together, have discrimination within our group. alot of you should be ashamed. snotty, high horsed, petty people alot of you are.

    and i see alot of you complain about what is being posted on modblog and that its lame and whatnot. you bitch, moan and complain, yet you keep coming back so stop whining.

  42. Skittles5000 Avatar

    i dont know who alot of you are to say that this isnt beautiful since beauty is in the eye of the beholder. i keep seeing why didnt he go to a studio, and why didnt he have a pro do it. maybe he didnt want a pro to do it. Not everybody runs to a studio and shells out pockets of money for mods. this could have been the look he was going for and the way he wanted to do it. and by what is said, diy mods are self mutilation while having someone else mutilate you is okay? double standards much? its his fucking body and his fucking choice. just cuz its not something you would want gives you no right to insult him and his choices. its really unfortunate that we as a subculture, who need to stick together, have discrimination within our group. alot of you should be ashamed. snotty, high horsed, petty people alot of you are.

    and i see alot of you complain about what is being posted on modblog and that its lame and whatnot. you bitch, moan and complain, yet you keep coming back so stop whining.

  43. SS Avatar
    SS

    This post exists because it’s a mod, lauren.

    There is a FINE line between modification and “self-mutilation”. Who’s to say this is self-mutilation? Would it be different if it was a professional scarification? It would certainly have cleaner lines, but it’s not the same as doing something yourself. Not everybody wants clean lines, some people like to do things themselves. Also, lots of people have gotten “Love Hurts” tattooed on themselves, and there was no uproar about that. This may be a “shitty” looking mod to some of you, but it’s unusual to see someone with a design (or in this case, words) made out of cigarette burns.

    I know friends who used to cut too, but I don’t relate that to this. Just because you know someone who does something/did something similar, doesn’t mean that’s what this is. Maybe those people that cut did it for self-mutilation or because they were upset. You don’t KNOW that this is why this person did it. Really, if you argued it correctly, ANY modification could be viewed as mutilation.

  44. SS Avatar
    SS

    This post exists because it’s a mod, lauren.

    There is a FINE line between modification and “self-mutilation”. Who’s to say this is self-mutilation? Would it be different if it was a professional scarification? It would certainly have cleaner lines, but it’s not the same as doing something yourself. Not everybody wants clean lines, some people like to do things themselves. Also, lots of people have gotten “Love Hurts” tattooed on themselves, and there was no uproar about that. This may be a “shitty” looking mod to some of you, but it’s unusual to see someone with a design (or in this case, words) made out of cigarette burns.

    I know friends who used to cut too, but I don’t relate that to this. Just because you know someone who does something/did something similar, doesn’t mean that’s what this is. Maybe those people that cut did it for self-mutilation or because they were upset. You don’t KNOW that this is why this person did it. Really, if you argued it correctly, ANY modification could be viewed as mutilation.

  45. dean Avatar
    dean

    shittist H ever took me ages hat 2 read wut it said sort out the h and th hurt lol

  46. dean Avatar
    dean

    shittist H ever took me ages hat 2 read wut it said sort out the h and th hurt lol

  47. soma Avatar
    soma

    Man, I knew I shouldn’t have clicked on the “ritual cuttings” link…….I think I just threw up in my mouth a little bit. Those cuts are *intense*, a million times worse than this. It’s strange and pure speculation, but whatever motivated this burning, thank god it took on an aesthetic form/pattern/wording and not just single deep gashes into the skin like other photos in the ritual cutting section.

    And although I can’t agree with everything Dimruthien has said, mad props to them for so clearly articulating the difference between self harm and body modification. I haven’t cut in 10 years but wow, I have never been able to make that distinction!

  48. soma Avatar
    soma

    Man, I knew I shouldn’t have clicked on the “ritual cuttings” link…….I think I just threw up in my mouth a little bit. Those cuts are *intense*, a million times worse than this. It’s strange and pure speculation, but whatever motivated this burning, thank god it took on an aesthetic form/pattern/wording and not just single deep gashes into the skin like other photos in the ritual cutting section.

    And although I can’t agree with everything Dimruthien has said, mad props to them for so clearly articulating the difference between self harm and body modification. I haven’t cut in 10 years but wow, I have never been able to make that distinction!

  49. Militant Mitten Avatar

    bad break up? tee-hee

  50. Militant Mitten Avatar

    bad break up? tee-hee

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