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Extreme tattooing seems to be more about memory (skin as life blockchain?) while extreme piercings seem to be about something else since the ornamentation seems relatively low on information/symbolizing
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They're costly signals of tribal affiliation. Mostly just "counter-culture" as the tribe, but subcultures have their particular styles for both.
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this feels true: any time you show a new tattoo to people they ask "what does it mean?" looking for a story or symbolism, to the point where if you get something arbitrary there might be confused scowls. no one asks what your belly button ring means
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