Body modification

Bodybuilding is the practice of progressive resistance exercise to build, control, and develop one's muscles via hypertrophy. An individual who engages in this activity is referred to as a bodybuilder. It is primarily undertaken for aesthetic purposes over functional ones, distinguishing it from similar activities such as powerlifting and calisthenics.

thumb|A drawing of a luxury hourglass corset from 1878, featuring a busk fastening at the front and lacing at the back

opening in the body created by an act or practice of body piercing, form of body modification

Transhumanism is a philosophical movement that advocates the enhancement of the human condition by developing and making widely available new and future technologies to enhance longevity, cognition, and well-being. Influenced by seminal works of science fiction, the transhumanist vision of a transformed future humanity has many supporters and detractors from a wide range of perspectives, including philosophy and religion. Some critics argue that transhumanism amounts to little more than a "rebranding" of eugenics.

Chinese custom of applying tight binding to the feet of young girls to modify the shape and size of their feet as a status symbol and mark of beauty, practised from 10th to early 20th centuries

thumb|A pedicure in progress thumb|Street pedicure in Bamako A pedicure is a cosmetic treatment of the feet and toenails, analogous to a manicure.

Trepanning, also known as trepanation, trephination, trephining or making a burr hole (the verb trepan derives from Old French from Medieval Latin from Greek , literally "borer, auger"), is a surgical intervention in which a hole is drilled or scraped into the human skull. The intentional perforation of the cranium exposes the dura mater to treat health problems related to intracranial diseases or release pressured blood buildup from an injury. It may also refer to any "burr" hole created through other body surfaces, including nail beds. A trephine is an instrument used for cutting out a round

thumb|265px|A woman giving another woman a manicure. Belleville, Ontario, 1930s. alt=|thumb|260x260px|Manicure closeup – clear nail polish being applied A manicure is a mostly cosmetic beauty treatment for the fingernails and hands performed at home or in a nail salon. A manicure usually consists of filing and shaping the free edge of nails, pushing and clipping (with a cuticle pusher and cuticle nippers) any nonliving tissue at the cuticle and removing hangnails, treatments with various liquids, massage of the hand, and the application of fingernail polish. When the same is applied to the toe

art with the human body

thumb|upright=1.2|Detailed facial scarification

deliberate altering of the human anatomy for non-medical reasons

Form of body alteration

pounding and massaging of a pubescent girl's breasts, using hard or heated objects, to try to make them stop developing or disappear

subgenre of horror that showcases graphic or psychologically disturbing violations of the human body

process of lightening the color of the skin around the anus to make the color of the anus more uniform with the surrounding area, either done in a salon by a cosmetic technician or through creams that can be applied at home

process of burning a mark, usually a symbol or ornamental pattern, into the skin of a living person

Body modification via bifurcation of the tongue

2012 film by Soska sisters

thumb|An advertisement for corsets with waist sizes from 15 to 23 inches (38 to 58 cm) thumb|A woman wearing a tight-laced corset, 1890. Note that Victorian photo editing techniques were likely used on this image, simulating a narrower waist.|alt=A view of a woman in a corset and bloomers from the back with her hands on her hips. She has a very small waist. Tightlacing (also called corset training) is the practice of wearing an increasingly tightly laced corset to achieve cosmetic modifications to the figure and posture or to experience the sensation of bodily restriction. The process origina

plate in a Mursi woman's mouth

thumb|right|150px|The principal adornment of these girls from the Bundu tribe in Sierra Leone is the adornment of bodies and faces with markings produced by the smearing on by the fingers of a substance called "wojeh", composed of white clay and animal fat. thumb|Calabar adornments Bird Feather stalks An adornment is generally an accessory or ornament worn to enhance the beauty or status of the wearer. They are often worn to embellish, enhance, or distinguish the wearer, and to define cultural, social, or religious status within a specific community. When worn to show economic status, the item

act of lengthening the labia minora

rigging of a human body to hang from implements that have been placed through temporary perforations in the skin

type of extensive tattoo

body modification type

thumb|upright=1.2|Comprachicos, illustrated by Daniel Vierge Comprachicos are groups in European folklore who were said to physically cripple and deform children to work as beggars or living curiosities. The most common methods said to be used in this practice included stunting children's growth by physical restraint, muzzling their faces to deform them, slitting their eyes, dislocating their joints, and causing their bones to malform. The term, a compound Spanish neologism meaning "child-buyers", was coined by Victor Hugo in The Man Who Laughs, an 1869 novel which triggered moral panics over

Body Modification Ezine (BME) is an online magazine devoted to body modification, noted for its coverage of the extreme and fringes of body modification and erotic body play.

Ritual body modification in Bali

Cranioplasty is a surgical operation on the repairing of cranial defects caused by previous injuries or operations, such as decompressive craniectomy. It is performed by filling the defective area with a range of materials, usually a bone piece from the patient or a synthetic material. Cranioplasty is carried out by incision and reflection of the scalp after applying anaesthetics and antibiotics to the patient. The temporalis muscle is reflected, and all surrounding soft tissues are removed, thus completely exposing the cranial defect. The cranioplasty flap is placed and secured on the cranial

Canadian webmaster and body modification figure (1973-2013)

face and body scarifications specific to the Yoruba culture

stiff jewellery worn as an ornament around the neck of an individual

temporary swelling distortion of the forehead