tattoos and piercing, is it a fashion statement or a means of self mutilation?

Answer 1

It's a very normal part of the human condition to decorate things including oneself. From the earlest stages of humamnity tatoos have been used - that ice man from the Italian alps had tatoos and he lived thousands of years ago (he also had a fine hat I seem to remember), some mummified pharohs have tatoos and most tribal cultures practice some form of bodily modification like ear piercing, tatooing, ritual scaring, even stretching the vaginal inner labia.
People want to improve things including their bodies.

I don't have a tatoo or a piercing but I can see the innate cultural values that inspire people to get them.

Answer 2

mutilation is causing damage, piercings and tattoos when done properly only decorate not damage. It can be fashion or spiritual in nature-modern primitve. Watch a movie called Modify if your interested...it's very graphic but has interesting views and shows procedures.

Answer 3

I would like to say fashion statement, but then different people do it for different reasons, you know...post-modernism. Anyway, who says self mutilation is not a statement by itself?