The Modern Modification Lifestyle: Heavy Mods

If you’re among the modified (or just have a Tumblr and Instagram habit), you’ve probably seen the phrase “heavy mod” in your travels. So what exactly is it? Well, the answer can vary from person to person, but in the most basic terms, heavy mods are those that involve the use of more than just a needle.

This includes surgical modifications like ear pointing and punching, implants of various types, tongue splitting, stretching, branding, etcetera. Some may incorporate large scale microdermal skin designs, alternative types of scarification, and certain styles of tribal tattooing (including facial tattoos) as well.

For many of these modifications, specialized equipment will be used such as cauterizing tools, dermal punches, scalpels, and tapers. Those who have performed hook suspensions or received ocular tattoos will tend to also consider these procedures to be temporary heavy mods, as they are performed using large gauge hooks and syringes.

Many other modifications that are not surgical in nature but involve the use of devices to shape the body are sometimes categorized in this way too, such as tightlacing corsetry for waist augmentation, foot binding, and neck elongation via metal coils or rings.

For more about heavy mods, stretching, and tattooing, visit our Body Art and Extreme Modification category, and tell us about your mods in the comments below.