Before women are ever exposed to the world of alternative body modification, they have been overexposed to the beauty culture through their personal interactions as well as the media. They have ...

Even before her mastectomy, Inga Duncan Thornell knew she didn’t want to have her breasts reconstructed. She didn’t want to go through more surgery and didn’t like the idea of implants. So when her ...

Tattoos are more than ink and pretty pictures. They hold stories, involve intimacy, and often sear with physical and emotional pain. Getting one has usually involved choosing a picture and biting down ...

In less than five months, Sandee Althouse has covered her arms in micro-realist art. She considers it a creative way to focus ...

We know that tattoos can connect people with shared interests. We know that tattoos can be empowering. We know that tattoos can help someone reclaim their body. Now a new study suggests that tattoos ...

Last year, a good friend of mine, radio host Mike Opelka, visited the 18th Annual Philadelphia “Tattoo Arts Convention,” which he writes about as spotlighting both skin art and “tattoo regret” — which ...

There’s a moment when a marriage ends and a wedding ring is taken off for the last time that symbolizes a fresh, new start. But Amanda Marxen was denied that rite of passage after separating from her ...