Before one can make a judgment on this subject, a good bit of knowledge is needed. Fear of the unknown can sometimes lead people to form harsh opinions, or to even hold them back from doing things they really want to do. Here is a clear explanation of how these basic types of body modification are actually done, and how the human body is trans

formed into a beautiful work of art.

Body alteration is also a way to help many people gain confidence about themselves. Sure, breast implants or liposuction is a route that many take-but others don't feel the need to have such extreme surgical procedures. What about that enormous birthmark on their forearm? What about that nasty scar on their leg from when they fell of their bike as a child? Former tattoo artist, Ruth Marten, laid it out by saying, "People compensate for injuries with beautiful designs. There's a natural urge to decorate. It's eternal, so primordial." (Krakow 126) In fact, one tattoo artist, Sheila May, is a well-regarded speaker at medical conventions. She has thirty years of tattoo experience and she has worked wonders when treating vitiligo, a disease in which the skin loses pigment and creates extreme discoloration. May blends inks together to create the perfect color, and tattoos over the discoloration, blending the tones of the skins to look much more natural, and normal. Cosmetology, the process of applying make up, is an art field. May specializes in cosmetic tattooing. For instance, she has applied permanent eyeliner to multitudes of women who just get tired of applying it themselves (Krakow 123). No make-up remover can remove it, and it often looks quite natural. She brings much needed confidence to many of her clients.

Hopefully with each new generation, opinions and reactions towards body mutilation will become more tolerant and accepting, and maybe they will be welcomed into the majority's definition of what is considered beautiful. There are many reasons to alter the body. It's natural to want to accessorize-and that is really all body modifications are. Just as one woman changes her look by getting a hair cut, another does it just as well by piercing her navel, or getting a tattoo. Today, there are still reactions of, "Don't you realize that's permanent?" and, "Why did you do something so stupid?" These reactions will always be there. There will always be uninformed and biased people in all social classes, generations and cultures, and they are the true examples of what is unattractive - incapable of looking beyond what is on the surface and at what lies beneath. Body mutilation is art. It just happens to use the human body as a medium, just as a painter uses a canvas.

Body Piercing: Piercing is an extremely popular form of body art these days. It can be understated and elegant, like a tiny nose ring. It can be funky and fun, like many different piercing styles in the same ear. It can be radic

Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 1720
Approximate Pages = 7 (250 words per page double spaced)