STYLE
From Issue #6
3D Body Implants
'Body Art' for Extreme Individuals
By Karen
Coyle
Along
with tattoos, piercing, branding and scarification,
implants are a type of body modification, or body art as some
call it.
Implants are created by placing an object under the skin to
make a design. It's a pretty simple procedure really: an incision
is made near the area the implant will be placed, then a pocket
is made and the object is inserted. The incision is then stitched
up and it's all done.
Steve Haworth is a pioneer and expert in the art of 3-D body
modification. When asked, in an interview with bmezine, what
motivates people to get the implants, Steve replied, "Extreme
individualism. Ten years ago if you had a piercing or a tattoo
you stood alone, and today, even though piercing and tattooing
are still a wonderful form of self-expression, you stand in
a group."
The most commonly used materials are titanium, soft solid silicone,
and Teflon. Other materials such as stainless steel can be used,
but some people can develop an allergic reaction and reject
the implant. The procedure itself is quite safe, but as with
any sort of body modification, there are some risks.
Steve says, "We can sterilize our instrumentation, we can
make the area that we're working around aseptic, we can control
to some small extent airborne pathogens, but otherwise that's
the max of what we can do."
But if the right material is used and a professional does the
procedure, it is very rare that the body will reject it. If
rejection does occur, the body will push the implant out through
the skin.
Another
serious risk is hitting nerves while making the incision or
inserting the object. "There's a lot of areas in the sides
of the head near the temple and the cheek area that I will not
work on because there are nerve channels that run in those areas
that control muscle function," Steve said to bmezine. "I'm
really, really, really apprehensive about doing work on the
back of the hand," Steve adds, as there is the risk of
possible loss of sensation to some of the tissue.
Once the procedure is finished, sometimes the object will shift
slightly from it's original position and that's completely normal.
However, if the customer is careless and doesn't take proper
care, the object can shift severely and in turn change the look
of the design.
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 the 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.
Steve has performed bead implants on his fiancé and has
been "in and out of her wrist three times in a row. The
first time was five beads, the second time was five larger beads,
third time was a captive bead ring instead of beads. As far
as reversible, in most cases it's easier to remove than to put
in," Steve explains.
Some people will go to great extremes to stand out in a crowd.
Brodie Hutton, 17, said, "I think the body implants look
cool, but it depends on where you put them. I like the ones
on the chest and the arms, and I think guys look a lot better
with them than girls do."
However, Michael Johnston, 18, isn't a fan of the procedure.
"It's closer to body mutilation than modification. If people
really want to be different they should just do their own thing
then they won't need to put a sign on their body that says,
'look at me, I'm trying to be different."
So, like with any art, whether it be on the human body or hanging
on a wall, it all comes down to personal preference, some people
like it and some don't.
