It's Hard to Understand Why People Did This to Their Bodies .

For many people, body modification is a way of life. In the same way sports fanatics live and breathe football or baseball, an equally large number of people live and breathe body modification. In many ways, body modification is an art form. However, it can be shocking to the uninitiated, especially the more extreme forms of modification.
You might be forgiven for doing a double take if you see any of these 15 people on the street. Their modifications are shocking, but somehow incredibly beautiful at the same time.

1. Those are some nice cranial piercings. They probably get pretty cold in the winter.

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2. This body modification is called "scarification." Scarification involves creatively cutting the skin in intricate patterns. Once it heals, the scars leave behind a picture.

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3. This man holds the world record for largest ear gauges.

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4. This man just had his nipples surgically removed.

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5. Cheek piercing.

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6. Star-shaped subdermal implants.

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7. More scarification, this time on the shoulders.

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8. Corset piercing on this woman's back.

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9. I'm pretty sure those are pretzels inside his nose piercings.

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10. A different form of subdermal implant.

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11. This guy just had his tongue split in a process known as "bifurcation."

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12. Here's what a bifurcated tongue looks like after it's healed.

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13. Those are some giant ear gauges.

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14. This just looks dangerous.

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I know your initial reaction to these photos might be one of disgust and general "OMG Why?!" However, it's important to remember there is a person just like you or me behind the piercings and body mods. When it comes to extreme body modification, I think my grandfather put it best: "To each their own