Ian Bell is scarred for life and wouldn't have it any other way.

The American body modification specialist, who hails from Minnesota, is heading to Tauranga for The New Zealand International Tattoo and Art Expo on February 18-19.

The 26-year-old is one of several international artists who'll showcase their work alongside a handful of the top local and national tattooists during the two-day event which is now into its seventh year.

Ian, who'll also be the only artist doing scarification at the expo, says it'll be his first time visiting New Zealand and he couldn't be more excited about it.

'I have been doing body modification professional for five years, and I've been traveling almost full time for two years now.

'I'm beyond excited to visit New Zealand, to work, and to take an extra few days and explore.”

As the name suggests, ‘body modification' is the deliberate altering or augmentation of a person's physical appearance or anatomy, and there's all sorts of modifications – from tongue splits and subdermal implants, piercings, tattoos and scarification, to breast implants and tummy tucks.

Ian discovered the world of body modification while perusing the internet at the age of 13, saying it immediately caught his attention and has kept it ever since.

'On my body, I have my tongue split, a decent amount of tattoo and piercing work, an RFID chip in my hand, and 10 implants in various parts of my body. The most extreme modification I have would probably be the amount of silicone implants that I have in my genitals.

'I'm not kidding, I've got eight of them.”

An example of Ian's scarification work. Supplied Photo.

While he's incredibly proud of the scarification work he carries out for people, Ian says performing earlobe reconstructions for people is an aspect of the job which gives him the greatest satisfaction.

'Sometimes having stretched ears makes it hard for people to obtain gainful employment in certain fields, and being able to give people an opportunity to peruse their dreams is an amazing feeling.”

With the differing types of body modification ranging from the timid to the extreme, Ian says there's no such thing as a typical client nowadays and he works on people who come from all walks of life, all have different careers, and all want different modifications.

Needless to say – there's not much that surprises Ian anymore.

'But the most appreciated and trusted I feel is when someone trusts me to pierce their child's earlobes.

'As simple as it is, it's an incredible feeling watching the sheer excitement and happiness on an eight-year-old's face when they see their earlobes pierced in a mirror for the first time.”

The International Tattoo & Art Expo is on Saturday, February 18, 11am-10pm and Sunday, February 19, 11am-7pm, at Queen Elizabeth Youth Centre in Tauranga.

Tickets cost $20 and are available online from Eventfinda and on the door. For a full list of artists and performers, visit www.tattooart.co.nz

A tongue split carried out by Ian. Supplied Photo.