Body Modifications and Breastfeeding: What You Need to Know.

Abstract

Body Modification is a group of practices that includes branding, scarification, tattooing, piercing, and other body art. This article will focus on tattooing and piercing. Archaeologists, historians, and body art practitioners note that tattooing and body piercing have been performed worldwide for over 5000 years (DeBoer et al. 2008). Tattoos have been found on Ice Age remains and Egyptian mummies (Gilbert 2000), while piercings date back to 1500 BC and nipple piercings have been documented in journals from the Victorian era (Angel 2009). Within the last 20 years body modifications have experienced an explosion in popularity, with people both young and old getting tattoos and piercings of various types. More than 20 million Americans, half of whom are women, have one or more tattoos and up to 30 percent have piercings, and many have both. This surge in body modification shows no sign of slowing down (DeBoer et al. 2008).