Disfigurement

Disfigurement (mutilation) is a word which generally has negative connotation. A disfigurement is some harmful modification of an organism's body. In history, "popular" disfigurements have (as a form of torture) included damage to ears, eyes, feet, genitalia, hands, noses, teeth, and/or tongues. Forms of disfigurement have included amputation, burning, flagellation, piercing, skinning, and wheeling.

Genital mutilation is a name for various types of non-medical alteration of the genitals.

The most common forms are:

• circumcision
• genital piercing
• female genital mutilation
• castration

Disfigurement, when viewed positively, is known as body modification.