Sunday, April 02, 2006

The Next Level of Personal Expression/Idiocy?

A while back, I posted about grillz. At the time, I wrote it off as a silly, expensive way to personalize one's look. Little did I know that people out there are doing much more extreme things to their bodies.

The latest crazy seems to be body implants. An incision is made, and then an object made of either titanium, soft solid silicone, or Teflon is inserted. Other materials such as stainless steel can be used, but some people can develop an allergic reaction and reject the implant. If rejection does occur, the body will push the implant out through the skin.

According to this article ,"The length of time the process takes depends on the type of implants and the person it is being done on. Each person's fibrous layer is different; some may take less than 10 minutes, others up to half an hour. It also depends on the size of the implant. The implants are meant to be permanent but they can be removed. In fact it's easier to remove them than it is to put them in. If someone isn't happy with the outcome, or if they've shifted at all, they can easily be removed or replaced."

I'm all for personal expression. In fact, I allow my daughter to dye her hair and wear pretty much whatever she pleases, as long as it is age-appropriate. I won't allow her to pierce any part of her face until she is out from under my roof, though I have consented to a bellybutton piercing when she turns 13. I endorse creativity. I applaud individuality. But this seems insane. Once again, I feel as old as the hills...and being a parent seems more difficult.

1 comment:

SongBird said...

YYYYEEECCCCHHHH!!!!! That is totally gross!!!! That dude looks like he has a clarinet imbedded in his arm. A little, tiny splinter in my finger is extremely irritating and it hurts. I don't understand how they can stand doing that to themselves. GROSS!!