Why do people get body modifications?
I am very active in the body modification culture and believe me, there are many reasons. The biggest is it is attractive to them (and make no mistake- any body mod is for cosmetic reasons, no matter what. Someone who looks ugly to you probably looks good to themselves). For some, the body they were given does not match their ideal of beauty This is generally the reason for more extreme modifications, like surgeries/amputations/etc. Trends of societies, and the standards of beauty, are another (foot binding, tanning, highlights). Some people want to stand out from the crowd (brightly dyed hair, extreme piercings) or do it for shock value. Also, self expression is a common reason for getting tattoos (this is more common in teen culture). Some societies and groups find it spiritual (ancient cultures, some people who stretch or pierce or cut or suspent, etc). For some, the process, not the result, is what is important. These people find the ritual very important. I currently have 16 piercings, 1" stretched lobes, and tattoos. I find that my modifications make me more physically attractive, and more confident. Also, the process of piercing itself is a coping mechanism for me, a kind of release of stress that I enjoy.
What's your opinion about teens with piercings or coloured hair?
I’m 16, I’m a distinguished honor roll student who is already planning for college, I have piercings, and I’ve dyed my hair since kindergarten. Now before you come after me, let me explain. Kindergarten: i was allowed a few small streaks of either red or pink. it stayed that way up until fifth grade, where I was allowed to do some small streaks of blue. I had hair down to the center of my back, and then in seventh grade I cut it to my shoulders and dyed my entire hair a natural red. that same year i got my first nose piercing, a simple nostril piercing on my right side. i was in love with it but i got so much hate from adults. did that stop me? not at all. the summer between seventh grade and eighth grade I got a pixie cut, and started dying my hair wacky colors again, starting with purple. once again, no one around my age even batted their eye, but adults in my life (other than my parents) had a fit. still didn’t let it stop me. in ninth grade, for my fifteenth birthday, my parents allowed me to get my septum pierced. then the following january i got my left nostril pierced to even out my nose. when I got my septum done, i got questions from a lot of kids at school, but no one said anything mean. the adults did though. “you’re so pretty, other than that metal in your face” “you’ll never find a boyfriend with all that jewelry”. my opinion is, as long as it’s not against any school dress codes or anything, who cares? let teens express themselves. hair can be cut and grown back, piercings can be taken out. chances are, if you do say no, your kids will probably find a way to do it anyway, and with piercings, it’s better to take them to a good reputable piercer and get it done safely than to have them do it at a friends house with a dirty safety pin. (pictures of me from 2012, and from september 2018 for reference as to what i look like, my hair is a natural red again now because i’m in the process of growing my hair back out)
Why do people hate body modifications?
I dont get it, a lot of people hate body modifications, but here's the thing. People are okay with getting one or two tattoos, but when people cover themselves In tattoos people find it offensive & disgusting! Like really? Same goes with piercings and like stretching your ears. What's the big deal? Some people tattoo their eyes, I'm aware that its dangerous & that you could go blind. But people find it gross & un natural. I would like to cover myself in tattoos, I want some piercings, and I want to stretch my ears out. I'm a girl, and everyone's trying to talk me out of it because its not "feminine". This is my choice. They tell me how are you supposed to get a job with all those tattoos? I do not want a 9-5 job. I already have selected my goal & it's okay if I have tattoos. But really why do people hate the fact of other people covering themselves in tattoos? They think the person is mean & satanic? Some of the nicest people I've met are covered in tattoos.!
Why do jobs/schools not allow body modification or unnatural hair color?
I mean how does having a tattoo, stretched earlobes, blue hair or lip piercing effect your ability to work or learn? It doesn't? I mean as for jobs, to not hire someone for having a tattoo or blue hair just because some of their customers are intolerant is no different than refusing to hire someone with an accent because some of their customers could be racist or hate foreigners. By excluding a group of people for the sake of those reasons will never allow ignorant people to learn that people who are different in appearance aren't obnoxious, rude, or irrisponsible people. Some of the most gentle and kind hearted people have body modifications. The argument that these things cause "distractions" in schools is ridiculous too. How does someone having a tattoo or piercing distract another person from learning? I'm just finding it ridiculous that people could be fired or refused opportunities based on appearance and not skill.
Careers for modified people? (serious)?
Well first of all body piercer should not be a fall back. It is an incredibly difficult industry to get into, and if it's a fallback then you really don't have the passion required to get there. It depends on where on your face as well. Take myself for example, i have my septum pierced and my lip. When i go to work (i'm in uni so currently just working part time at a supermarket to earn a bit of extra cash) i simply flip up my septum and take out the lip bar. It's like they were never there in the first place bar the small dot on my lip. My ears, however, are more difficult. I have a helix in one ear, which can be replaced with a retainer easily enough (and most places are fine with this) but my custom snug cannot. I can't take the jewellery out, its pretty much there for life. This causes a problem. On your face many industries wont accept piercings, and from the list you gave you don't really seem to have much of a specific idea about careers, but even in something like animation (i'm studying this and computer programming at uni) i'm often expected to turn up looking less ... modified. I don't think hair colour is really a problem, though other than purples and reds mine is pretty basic. My advice would be to pick a career because you love it, and fit the modifications around that career. In 20 years time you probably wont want the piercings anymore, but will still want the career. If you sabotage the likely hood of you getting into that industry because you want to 'be who you are' then you'll be missing out big time. It's all about image these days and sometimes you just have to do whatever you can to get the job you love. I would say to avoid microdermals to the face, or any kind of surface piercings on the face (including eyebrow and anti-eyebrow) and don't tattoo somewhere you can't hide. That way you're pretty much good to go. (Remember, you're only 17, modification mistakes you make now will stick with you the rest of your life.)
Why is it that people judge a girl if she has too many piercing and tattoo and highlighted hair?
Tattoos and piercing is something we Indians associate with western culture and what I have observed is even though we have been following western culture for half a century now, some people are still reluctunt to adopt it freely. And other factor is it's considered outrageous for women to have tattoos and piercing, even I faced a lot criticism for my tattoos.But it's completely normal. I would also like to share that tattoos and piercing was earlier compulsory in some parts of India so we should be chill out about it.
Why do gender fluid people feel the need to have multicoloured hair?
I’m gonna swim against the current, but before I do, I want to emphasise that the other answers here are correct … lots of people dye their hair, for all kinds of different reasons. I am genderfluid, and I have NEVER dyed my hair, but I DO want to try it one day. ;-)When you see a crowd of non-binary young people, there does tend to be a greater number of unusual hairstyles, piercings, tattoos, or coloured hair. Why is that?There are many reasons:They are young and finding themselves, in a world where the straight and normal path is closed to them.Hair is something they can control, which is reassuring when there are other things they can’t control, like misgendering or bullying, or parental rejection.Hair is a low risk real-life experiment, compared to the gender experiments they are considering. Experiments in public and social settings are one of the key ways that we discover who we really are.In a hostile school environment, hair can be an indicator of either,“I’m queer”, “I’m genderqueer”, “I’m eccentric and queer friendly”, or “I’m a rebel and if you’re on the outside, I’m right there with you.”Hair can be a way of finding allies and friends.Dyeing hair can be a pleasant distraction from body image issues or troubling life circumstances.If acceptance of chosen name or pronouns is lacking, hair colour can be a way of asserting who they are.Gender diversity can be hard to live with. Gender diverse people of all stripes can and do suffer gender dysphoria, and can be victims of bullying and family rejection because of who they are. If they find some kind of benefit in dyeing their hair, more power to them!Naomi Lauren's answer to What are some simple tips for avoiding potentially triggering statements or comments when speaking to a trans or non-binary gendered friend?
What jobs don't discriminate against piercing, tattoos, colored hair, etc?
Tattoo parlors Body-modification studios Surf shops Skateboard outlets Record stores (some) Novelty shops (some) Hair salons (some) Trend boutiques (some) Art dealers (some) Fast food franchises (some) Adult bookstores Fetishwear shops Theater box offices (few) Theater snack counters (few) Alternative music clubs/bars The list could get longer but I think you get the idea. Keep in mind that your employability depends on whether the business that employs you is able to justify your employment against your ability to be an asset to their bottom line and let's face it......you've decided on 'fringe culture,' so fringe is where you have consigned yourself. Nowhere in the corporate world will your particular mode of dress/accessory be considered acceptable in the workplace. You have pretty much consigned yourself to having a minimum wage job.
Why do I see people with tattoos or piercings everytime I walk into a vegan/vegetarian restaurant?
Im not sure that it's the hipster reason regarding what the person before me said, I think it has to do with traditional vs. new ageVegans especially as well as vegetarians are ‘rule breakers’ in that they don't eat the classic meat and potatoes dinners and don't eat cheese and such, it's completely against what traditional families made their children eat. When they choose a diet that is not the traditional meat and potatoes, they are not conforming to societies unsaid ‘rules’. Thus getting tattooed and having piercings isn't that much of a big deal when you already consider yourself not traditional….This is how I see it, I'm a vegan, I've got more than the average persons ear piercings, I have a couple of tattoos and want more… I just see them as not extreme.It could also do with the growing population of people who are young and vegetarian/vegan and how the commonality of tattoos in society is rising, thus we were never taught the stereotype of “only people in jail get tattoos, only prostitutes get tattoos” (this is what my 70 yr old father says the attitude towards tattoos was for decades) and so it could just be a coincidence that when you go into the restaurant it's probably mostly people under 40 and a lot were never taught that mentality towards tattoos and piercings.K