Tattoos, piercings and body augmentation: The extension of the self

An art? An extension of self? A preservation of self? or something else?

Who Are You Without Your Body?

Consider a quick thought experiment.

You wake up in an unfamiliar room, lying in a bed you’ve never seen, inside a house you don’t recognize. But something is even more unsettling—the body you have woken up in is not your own.

Your mind, memories, and knowledge are the same—only your physical form has changed.

So, who is the real you?

• Is it your mind in this unfamiliar body?

• Is it the body, regardless of whose mind is inside it?

• Are both versions "you"?

• Or is neither of them truly you, because “you” is the unitary idea of mind and body together?

Whatever you answered, you’ve just revealed your implicit belief about the self.

But what does this tell us about our relationship with the body? If the self is purely mental, then modifying the body shouldn’t change who we are. But if the body is an integral part of the self, then every modification—a tattoo, a surgical enhancement, or a bio-modification—isn’t just about aesthetics. It’s an act of self-definition.

The Body as an Extension of the Self

Most people, if forced to choose, would probably say that their mind in another body is still "them." This idea has been reified in pop culture through films like Freaky Friday and countless body-swap stories.

But if the self isn’t just the mind, how do we connect with our bodies?

Developments in psychotherapy and neuroscience over the last few decades have shown us that memory does not just reside in the brain—the body also keeps the score (Van der Kolk, 2014). This means that our physical form interacts with our mental state in ways we don’t always consciously recognize.

The body can be seen as an extension of the self or as its vessel—the medium through which we experience the world. And if we want our body to represent our self, we often feel compelled to shape it accordingly. This is not a new idea. Humans have been modifying their bodies for thousands of years.

The Oldest Form of Body Modification: Tattoos & Piercings

If you think body modification is a modern trend, it’s not.

The oldest recorded tattoos were found on Ötzi the Iceman, who lived around 3250 BC and had 61 tattoos on his body. Different cultures have seen body art in radically different ways. Some cultures have viewed tattoos as sacred, marking rites of passage, group belonging, or spiritual significance. Others have seen them as a defilement—a scar on the body, a disruption of its natural form.

Many motivations underlie body decorations (Weber, 2000). Body decorations may be a way of:

• Initiating into adulthood and one’s group

• Calling attention to selected parts of the body

• Advertising one’s masculine or feminine nature

• Belonging and being the same (think gang tattoos)

• Expressing uniqueness

• Feeling good about oneself

• Showing independence as a form of rebellion

• Showing love to another person

• Memorialising a loved one

• Bonding in a family ritual

• Escaping from boredom

• Blending the spiritual with the skin

• Creating an aesthetically pleasing exterior

If you ask someone why they got a tattoo, you will hear all kinds of explanations—most will fit into one of these categories. This is often how we extend our sense of self onto our exterior. But tattoos and piercings are just one form of body modification.

A New Era of Body Modification

In recent decades, cosmetic surgery has become one of the most widespread forms of body alteration. Unlike medical procedures that treat injury or illness, these modifications—lip fillers, hair transplants, and body implants—are done purely for aesthetic non-medical reasons.

The cosmetic industry reached $347 billion in 2024 and is projected to hit $878 billion by 2034. It has never been more relevant to discuss the psychology of body modification than today.

Yet, unlike tattoos, cosmetic surgery often faces harsher judgment. Some argue that it represents insecurity or in some cases severe mental illness rather than self-expression. Others believe it’s a modern extension of the human drive to shape the body to reflect identity. But what happens when body modification goes even further?

Where Do We Draw the Line?

Cosmetic surgery is just the beginning. With advancements in biotechnology and artificial intelligence, we may soon see body modifications that go far beyond what we currently consider possible.

• Neural implants that enhance cognition or memory

• Genetic modifications to alter physical traits before birth

• Bionic limbs that surpass the capabilities of human flesh

Science fiction is starting to look less like fiction. This raises profound ethical questions:

• At what point does body modification alter identity itself?

• If bio-enhanced humans have superior capabilities, will those without modifications be left behind?

• Should there be ethical limitations, or is bodily autonomy absolute?

As body modification moves into uncharted territory, we need to start thinking about where the boundaries lie. The current situation shows us the great significance of a philosophy of ethics. Ethics must be a core part of scientific training but it often isn’t. We often start competing in an arms race for the latest technological advancement without considering the ethical elements first.

Ethical Questions to Consider

As body modification continues to evolve, we (the individual) must ask ourselves:

1. To what extent am I comfortable with body modification?

2. At what point does body modification become self-harm?

3. Are changing beauty standards helping or harming future generations?

4. If biotech enhancements become common, will humans still be "human"?

These questions are not just theoretical—they will shape how future generations define selfhood, identity, and what it means to be human.

The Self in Transition

We have always modified our bodies, but we are now entering an era where body modification is becoming more extreme, more permanent, and more technologically advanced than ever before. What once started with tattoos and piercings is now extending into surgical enhancements and biotech modifications. At the core of it all, we must ask ourselves:

Are we shaping our bodies out of self-expression or self-rejection?

These are all important questions to consider as we discuss the idea of the embodied self, till then I hope you find comfort in the body you have as you attempt to create a healthy version of your idealized self. Not with self-hatred for where you are but with self-compassion and aspiration for where you want to be.