10. Scarification
Scarification is pretty much what it sounds like, supposed body
beautification through the creation of scars on the body. They have
actually taken this to art-form level, knowing exactly how deep to cut
for what effect and understanding what affect each degree of burn will
produce.
They even know how to optimize the process through the healing
treatment. The technique is so developed that they have figured out how
to release the brains endorphins, the chemical components that block
pain and can put the person being scarred into a euphoric state of bliss
during the procedure.
Scarification, or cicatrisation in French, is an elaborate
form of deformation that has squirreled its way into most modern
cultures. Scarification produces trauma to the skin; the scarification
performer must have in-depth
knowledge of the human skin to avoid excessively deep cuts or burning
too hot for too long. It is hard to find qualified scarificators,
perhaps because the procedure is not as popular as tattooing.
Scarification was used widely throughout history to mark people for
status, accomplishments, and even as punishment.
9. Racial Transformation
Racial transformation is not completely possible although many people
have tried. Their motivations have varied from scientific curiosity to
survival to just plain race envy. With the stigma that has been placed
on certain races, often times the attempt to change one thing to be like
a certain race turns out to be completely wrong to start with.
Attempts at racial transformation – changing the physical aspects of
the way you look – are really nothing more than body deformations
because you are physically changing something that goes way beyond
cosmetic appearance, and usually with many changes involved, not just
the nose.
8. Breast Ironing
This is, unfortunately, as bad as it sounds. Someone, usually the
mother, will hold a girl aged 8-13 – the age that she starts to develop –
and iron her chest with an extremely hot object. They are trying to
stop her breasts from growing, believing in their minds that they are
protecting the child from rape and/or pregnancy. They also beat on the chest with heated objects like the kitchen tool
used to mash potatoes, or anything else that is handy. They pound and
press with the heated object, causing more damage than they realize. In
their minds their intentions are good; they want the child not to be
molested and to have a chance to finish her education.
More than 4 million females have suffered this fate at the hands of loved ones
over the years in regions of the Republic of Cameroon. Breast ironing
causes tissue damage, which can lead to breast cancer, cysts,
infections, the inability to breast-feed their eventual children,
depression, and malformation and/or the loss of at least one breast and
possibly both. There are several humanitarian organizations that
actively rally to put an end to this antiquated tradition.
7. Tooth and Ear Sharpening
Tooth sharpening was done in a spiritual light, historically, and
also in Bali to change negative emotions, which were thought to reside
in the teeth. And now this are some people in today’s world who still do
this weird act of body deformation but certainly not for any spiritual
aspirations. Now it is done because some teenage simpleton wants to
either look like a vampire, or emulate his or her idol, lead singer for
Twisted Sister, Dee Snider. Vampires are all the rage now so I guess I
get that. What I do not get, however, is ear sharpening.
6. Body Piercing
Body piercing is an invasive
procedure with risks of infection and excessive scarring. If it is not
done right, it can be very dangerous indeed. Many people do body piercings
for religious reasons, but in today’s modern world, it is an expression
of individuality and sometimes even young revolt against the norm. Some
people like it, most people tolerate it in those that we love.
There is a large portion of the population that find it gross and very
undesirable. What many people fail to realize is that it is almost as
old a tradition as any other form of body modification and deformation
and has been around almost as long as humans. It is not surprising to
find ear, nose, and even genital piercing in mummified tombs.
5. Extreme Corset
This is not Photoshop. The
19th Century women of style defended the corset vehemently. They wrote
newspapers articles to dispute warnings from the doctors of the times
about the medical maladies these corseted women were setting themselves
up for. These corsets, which lace in the back and contain steel or
whalebone supports, were drawn so tight that women could not draw a deep
breath. Many women wore them almost 24/7 and permanently deformed their
bodies just so they could fit into an incredible 14-inch waist.
Constricting the human body into a tight fitting corset would adversely
affect breathing, thus restricting the blood flow as well. Without blood
born oxygen being carried efficiently, many ailments were able to
attack the weakened immune system. Corseted women were always known for
their pale, drawn skin and frequent light-headedness. It also constricts
the digestive system. The
build-up of toxins in the body would result and the liver and other
organs could not process or filter the higher levels, again causing
illness and even death that would go undiagnosed during the times. These
were just two of the numerous dangers of wearing a body-deforming
corset only to fit into a ridiculously sized dress. The real tragedy
here is that mothers would start their daughters in corsets at around
age 7.
4. Foot Binding
The tradition of binding the feet of Chinese women started, it is
strongly believed, in the 10th century and was only universally outlawed
in 1949. Incredibly, ten centuries of women suffered this horrible and
progressively painful deformation of their feet.
When you think about a prosperous Chinese man walking into a room and
notice the geisha girl, her hair in a bun, white make-up on the
delicate features of her face, you realize that she is shuffling behind
her master/husband rather than walking. This is a direct result of
childhood foot binding.
The feet are tightly bound when wealthy Chinese women were but
children and after two years, the foot almost doubles over on itself.
The bones slowly break in half,
leaving a two-inch deep cleft in the bottom of the foot, almost dead
center lengthwise, and width wise. While this lotus shape in women’s
feet was a source of pride, it was extremely painful for life.
3. Neck Rings
Long neck Karen is not a women, it is an entire tribe of people whose
women wear neck rings. For them, it is a symbol of beauty. In reality,
it is body deformation. The rings, many of them not rings at all but
brass, slinky shaped coils with up to 20 coils for an adult, only create
the illusion that the neck is stretched. Again, in reality, the heavy
rings are pushing the chest, ribs, and collarbones down in an unnatural
fashion causing real medical harm to the women. It is really tragic what
people do in the name of beauty. It is more tragic what we force upon
our children in the name of ignorance. They start placing the rings on
their female children between ages 2 to 5 years old.
The long Neck Karen were taken during siege in their native Burma.
Forced to live outside a refugee camp in Thailand, separated from their
non-elongated countrymen, they have become a tourist attraction where people from around the world pay 250 baht fee at the gate ($8 US) to walk through their makeshift camp and snap pictures.
Now the UNHCR, the United Nations refugee agency that helps displaced
people all over the world has found houses for these people in another,
more friendly country. They want to help them to get jobs and build a
life for themselves and to be free. While Thailand has released the
other 20,000 Burmese refugees, they refuse to release the Long Neck
Karen. It seems to everyone that Thai authorities are using these people
to draw tourist trade to that part of their country and it is
effective.
This beautiful tribe of people is being used to profit a country that
was never their home. Unfortunately, there is nothing anyone can do
about it except the UN, who is talking about a tourist boycott. One
brave woman named Zember, a quiet member of the tribe has resolutely
taken the rings she wore so proudly from age five off her neck in
protest. What do you think should be done, if anything, for these
unwilling hostages? Please post your comments below.
2. Cranial Deformation
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| These are implants and not really cranial deformation but i guessed you'd get the message |
The art of cranial deformation actually dates way back before written
history and was practiced worldwide with a focus on the Mayan and
Egyptian civilizations, yet this is not quite as amazing as the fact
that it is still going on today, believe it or not, in isolated areas of
Africa and South America. It is one of–if not the–longest running
method of human deformation in the history of humankind. It was thought
that the elongation of the skull can directly affect your intelligence
and your sensitivity to the spirit world, hence, the more elongated your
skull, the smarter you are and the closer to the spirit world you must
be. Famous figures depicted with elongated heads are King Tut, the boy
king, and Queen Nefertiti.
1. Comprachicos
Having the distinction of being a neologism, this word is used to
describe people who mutilate other people by manipulating them while
they are still children. The Comprachicos word itself stands for “Child
Buyer”. This terrible form of prolonged torture has been taken to
medical and psychological extremes. The most common form of this
sadistic treatment is stunting the growth of the child through bindings.
They would also leave muzzles on their faces, tightened while they grow
to deform their faces and dislocate their joints.
There was a cult, it is whispered in dark and dangerous places, a
strange, nomadic, and dangerous group of people who existed in 17th
century France that would buy and trade children to perform terrible
deformations upon them in order to sell them as circus freaks or court
fools.
While the term Comprachicos was coined in the 18th century, the form
of torture that it stands for is much older. In Ancient China this form
of body deformation was performed as an art; a macabre art that would
take years to perfect. Comparable to that of growing and preparing
bonsai trees except that there were no trees. The children were placed
in a special bottomless porcelain vase where they would stand upright
during the day and laid down during the night. Eventually the body would
have no room to grow, the flesh and bones would compress and bend
against the contours of the vase. After several years the vase is broken
and a grotesque figure of a pot shaped man is exposed.
Source : http://listsoplenty.com
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