Body modification is the technical term for tattoos, piercings, and all other body alterations deemed alternative or cosmetic. Tattoos originated over 10,000 years ago, and have since been discovered on ancient Egyptian mummies and preserved Neanderthals from the ice age. In many societies ear piercing is also done as part of a ritual such as in Borneo where the mother and father each pierce one ear of their child as a symbol that the child depends on their parents. Women tattooed their symbols on their forearm indicating their particular skill. Tattoos around the wrist and fingers were believed to ward away illness. Today, a large demographic of young adults have multiple piercings and tattoos, but it wasn’t always as popular.

When Christianity began to gain popularity in the Mediterranean, tattooing was increasingly associated with criminals as well as the pagan religion and was prohibited in Europe by Constantine, the first Christian Roman emperor. Luckily, by the late eighteenth century, tattoos were no longer prohibited and started to become popular with British sailors and seamen.  In 1891, Samuel O'Reily invented the first electric tattooing machine, which was originally intended to allow anyone to obtain a reasonably priced and readily available tattoo.  Regrettably, by the turn of the century, tattooing had lost a great deal of credibility due to the delinquency and secular stigma.

Tattoo and body modification artists were shunned into the ‘bad’ parts of town, and the cultural view of tattooing was so poor for most of the century that tattooing went underground. Few were accepted into the secret society of artists and there were no schools to study the craft. There were no magazines or associations relevant to body modification, and tattoo suppliers rarely advertised their products.

Not all hope was lost for body modification artists. Around the 1940’s, tattoos were seen as badges of honor from WWII heroes, symbols of rebellion in the younger groups, and were featured on rock-star level icons like the Rolling Stones and George Harrison. The amount of body modification in pop culture and the underground scene resulted in the body art explosion we’re seeing today. In a study conducted by Feinberg School of Medicine found that 36 % of people aged 18 to 29 had tattoos; 24 % of those aged 30 to 40; and only 15 % of those aged 40 to 50 had tattoos.  16% had obtained their first tattoo before age 18. So what are all of these people getting tattooed?

Currently the top ten tattoos in America are tribal style, nautical stars, crosses, angels, wings, Maori tribal, dragons, butterflies, and fairies. While these tattoos seem to be popular now, they most likely won’t be forever. Many students seem to be sporting tribal, floral and script tattoos, which they may or may not regret later in life. Luckily, body modification enthusiasts can look back on their past tattoos and piercings with a positive attitude and laugh.