Russ Foxx (Vancouver Body Art and Modification Artist) Suspension

He kneels in front of his crowd, securing the two stainless steel fish hooks in his back to the pulley rigged to the ceiling. The music starts, loud and vibrant, and he is lifted to a standing position. He runs and kicks his feet off the ground until he is swinging back and forth through the air, suspended only by the flesh of his back as it stretches and bends over the hooks that hold him. To make his point, he picks up a man twice his own 160 lbs. and holds him off the ground in a bear hug, his skin resilient, holding the weight of them both. He swings by himself a few seconds more before he cuts himself loose, dropping to his feet again to the roar of the crowd.



For Russ Foxx, a Vancouver body art and modification artist, body suspension is a career, and a way of life. Not only is it a way for him to express himself, he said, it’s a means of helping others discover themselves through a unique and personal experience.

Body suspension originates from ancient Native American and Hindu cultures. Suspension experts who maintain www.suspension.org write that the practice has been going on for thousands of years as rites of passages, healing rituals and as a means of leaving the body and entering the spiritual realm. One notable Native American ritual is the Sundance ritual, in which the person is pierced through the chest and attached to a sacred tree. The person then pulls and dances until the piercing rips free.

Today, Foxx said, most people suspend to gain some sort of experience, whether it be to overcome fears, to gain a new level of understanding spiritually or just for the sheer endorphin release.

When Foxx does private suspensions, it’s usually for first-timers. Foxx encourages everyone to create their own ritual to make the experience more significant, whether it’s using certain lighting or music during the suspension or having certain people present.

According to Foxx, the physical and mental preparation by the suspensionist is the most important part in the prep stages.

“For me as a facilitator, there isn’t a whole lot…to do,” he said. “I already own the equipment. I’ve got it set up. It’s more about the person suspending making sure they’re going to be in a healthy physical and mental state for it, making sure they’ve slept, they’ve eaten (and) they know what they’re getting into.”

Foxx said he is most comfortable when performing public suspensions through his show, The Human Tacklebox. For him, something that is already fun becomes amplified when a crowd of people is watching.

Those who have never tried it often don’t understand the appeal, and though each individual suspends for various reasons, Foxx gets a lot of people suspending for the sheer adrenaline rush.

The body undergoes several stages of pain between preparation and suspension, said Dr. Sekhar Upadhyayula, a pain medicine specialist.

There’s a certain amount of residual pain taking place after the hooks have been inserted into the skin, Upadhyayula said, along with a quick burst of adrenaline. But as soon as there’s traction applied, the nerve endings in the skin’s stretch receptors respond, adding another burst of pain.

Then what we expect to happen chemically…is a secondary release of endorphins. This lasts a lot longer than the pain and that’s the sensation that they’re looking for. That’s when they get the euphoric effect.”

Suspension is most popular among people who are involved in body modification. There's an increase in interest among those in the tattoo community, said Katee Cavallaro, a Florida tattoo apprentice. Many people who are interested in suspension ask their tattoo artists for direction.

Sources

UPI
La Sumisa

Latest Trend: Elf Ears

The surgery is painful and irreversible. It's one body modification change, unlike a tattoo or a piercing, that you can't take back.



The unique and delicate procedure can leave you looking like one of Santa's elves. Numerous photos online show aficionados who appear to be thrilled with the results.

Steve Haworth, a body modification artist from Tempe, Ariz., performs the procedure. He slices the top of the cartilage and then sews it back together in a point.

"There's a lot of people out there who have an inner vision of themselves and they want to express that to the world around them," said Haworth. "I'm very happy to be an artist that can provide that kind of work."

Raised in a family that manufactured and invented medical devices used in eye surgeries and plastic surgeries gave Haworth ideas for alternate forms of modifications. He only performs his art on those over 18, he says.

(Ear Pointing done by Lukas Zpira at No Frills Tattoo, shown on video)

Sources

No Frills Tattoo
ABC News
La Sumisa

Creative Body Modification

Here's a few photos of those who had let their creativity run wild by having their body turned into the best work station.

Enjoy

Vampire Woman is taking Over the World

Maria Jose Cristerna better known as the "Mujer Vampiro" (Lady Vampire) is shown in this photo. The 35-year-old mother of four from Mexico says that she decided to tattoo her body after enduring years of domestic abuse. "The horns I have are a symbol of strength and were implanted without anaesthetic," she told the British Sun. Cristerna claims that almost 100 percent of her body is covered in tattoos.





Sources

ABC News
La Sumisa

Ear Gauges

Do you want to express your feelings in an artistic way? Do you want to create a new fashion statement to become unique among your group? Well, a new fashion trend that is becoming popular among different age groups is the so called ear gauges. It is a process of stretching your ear holes so as to fit large earrings or gauges. This is exceptional and very fashionable.

But, ear gauging is not totally a new trend in fashion. Many countries are already practicing it as part of their culture and tradition. This is also a form of body modification techniques which include body piercing and tattooing. If you have the courage and patience to feel the pain of ear gauging, then this fashion is suited for you.

Ear gauges range from a wide variety of sizes, styles, and designs. These are available in different jewelry stores and they can be found at affordable prices as well as fancy. Along with the gauges, you will also need tapers for those who already have pierced hole. This is needed to stretch the ear holes and achieved the desired diameter.

But for those who still do not have ear holes, you need first to let your ears be pieced with a piercing professional. This would take a long time because; you’ll need to wait for the wound to heal. Even with those who already have ear hole, you will still need to wait for the holes to increase in size. This is a process so you don’t need to rush up.

Ear gauging requires the help of a piercing professional to prevent complications. The area should always be cleaned with antiseptic solution to avoid infection. It will take approximately two week before you can wear ear gauges and display your unique fashion style.

Sources
Office 20 Con
La Sumisa

Chinese Tiger Tattoo

Quite Original and creative. This is a great piece of Body Art. Chinese Tigers are unique and almost extinct, it is estimated only 20 to 30 of them exist in the wild. Everything about this Tattoo (including skills of the Artist) is unique and when we think we've seen it all this masterpiece comes to light.

Great Work

Sources

CheckOutMyInk.com
Photo by: kmgsucks

Prince Albert (Male Genital Piercing)

The story goes something like this. Before his marriage to Queen Victoria in 1825, Prince Albert pierced his penis as a way to help hide the unsightly bulge it made in his fashionably tight trousers. His member was then “dressed down” a pant leg and the “dressing ring” was fixed to a hook to hold it in place. Unfortunately, like so much of the information surrounding genital piercing, this story is little better than hearsay.

While genital piercings have become increasingly popular with the mainstream appeal of body modification such as tattooing, very little serious medical information exists on the risks, or even benefits, of genital jewelry. As a result, many people find out the problems associated with these piercings the hard way.

To help shed some light on the underworld of penis piercings, below is an illustrated list of the various types of piercings followed by some of the potential risks.

TYPES OF MALE GENITAL PIERCINGS

Ampallang/Apadravya: A straight barbell is pierced horizontally (ampallang) or vertically (apadravya) through the head of the penis, passing either above, under, or through the urethra.

Dydoe: One or more curved barbells or rings is pierced through the edge of the penis head.

Foreskin: The foreskin of an uncircumcised penis is pierced with a bead ring or circular barbell one or multiple times.

Frenum: Behind the Prince Albert, this is the second most popular male genital piercing. A straight barbell, curved barbell, or captive bead ring is pierced through the flexible skin on the underside of the shaft. Variations include: 1.) Lorum Piercing—the piercing is positioned at the base of the shaft, near the scrotum, and 2.) Frenum Ladder—a row of several frenum piercings.

Guiche/Perineum: A captive bead ring is pierced under the scrotum, near the anus.

Hafada/Scrotum: A piercing on any part of the scrotum.

Prince Albert: A barbell or captive bead ring is fed through the urethra and pierced through the bottom of the penis. A reverse Prince Albert involves the piercing exiting through the top of the penis.

Pubic: A captive bead ring is centered atop the shaft at the base of the man’s penis to stimulate a woman’s clitoris during deep penetration.

RISKS
The most important thing you can do when getting a penis piercing is to find an experienced piercer who is licensed and reputable. Unfortunately the body modification industry isn’t regulated as heavily as it should be. As with any other piercing or tattoo, getting your body art from an unlicensed artist greatly increases your chances of catching a serious infection or communicable disease. An experienced piercer can also cause irreparable damage to one of the most sensitive, and important, parts of your body.

General care: Most all of these piercings come with a minimum of one week without sex as exchanging body fluids, sweat, and sex friction is a great way to develop a nasty infection. If untreated, a serious infection can result in permanent tissue damage or, in the worst case scenario, amputation or death. Even after this initial abstinence period, you should exercise extreme caution when having sex. You should wear a condom even with your monogamous partner for as long as the piercing is still healing: anywhere from 4 to 12 months.
Oral Sex: Until the piercing is fully healed, any body fluids such as saliva or sweat can cause infection. If engaging in oral sex, you should wear a condom and otherwise clean yourself regularly with antibacterial soap.

Difficulties with Safe Sex: Until the piercing is fully healed it will offer an open wound that leaves your penis more susceptible to infections and STDs. Even after the piercing is healed, any slight tear during sex will open up the problem anew. Also, some believe that shaft piercings, particularly barbells, increase the risk of the condom catching on the metal and tearing.

Urethra/Urination: The good thing about get a piercing that passes through your urethra is that your urine acts as a sterilizing agent, helping to clean the wound. However, even though the Prince Albert is the most popular penis piercing, these deep piercings come with a number of problems. Some men with a Prince Albert prefer to sit when they urinate to reduce the dribble and splatter effect the piercing has on their urine stream. This piercing also has the potential of angering your partner who has to deal with your urine splattering the toilet seat. Once the piercing is removed, it’s common for the urine flow to be diverted through the hole left by the jewelry. Some men merely cover this flute hole with their finger until it heals. Others may have to seek a minor plastic surgery to permanently close the gap. These piercings can also cause a narrowing of the urethra due to scar tissue, making it more difficult to use the bathroom. Urethra piercings also come with an increased chance of urinary tract infections.

Ripping and tearing: The motivation behind many of these piercings is to increase sexual pleasure for you and your partner by increasing friction. Unfortunately this same friction can cause the piercing to tear the skin or be ripped out. Shallow piercings like the Frenum and the Dydoe are particularly susceptible to being ripped out during rough sex. However, even a piercing as deep as the Prince Albert can get caught and cause a tear. In addition to unsightly and pragmatic scar tissue, if the bead end of a barbell comes undone during sex, the barb can inflict serious puncture wounds on you or your partner.

Erectile tissue: If the piercing accidentally goes too deep, it can damage your erectile tissue. This may result in a curved erection or increased difficulty getting and sustaining an erection.
Scrotum piercings: Any male genital piercing that is not on the shaft of the penis is particularly prone to infection due to increased perspiration and a lack of ventilation. The Guiche, which is positioned between the anus and the scrotum, is especially at risk. Also, this type of piercing isn’t recommended for anyone who sits for much of the day, as this may irritate the piercing. While the scrotum offers plenty of places for a piercing, it is extremely important that the piercing be shallow and not puncture the scrotum sac, as this will dramatically increase the chances of infection.

To See Photos of Male Genital Piercings Click on the link below.


Inked Plus Raw: Prince Albert

Sources

Tribe.se
The Daily Loaf