but getting your ear pierced is self-mutilation too IMO
or your tongue or whatever
I had some piercings and I always felt they are unnatural
so I decided not to wear them anymore
same goes for other jewelry, I barely wear any
but for some reason the tattoos and my branding feels natural to me
the branding also was a kind of self-conquest for me since I had to defeat the fear of the pain
to me it don't makes a difference if you wear make-up, earrings, jewelry, tattoos, piercing, if you dye your hair, or the way someone dresses, its all the same
its a way to express yourself
it tells the story of your life
I also love the traditional tattooing of the Hawaiian and the Maori