Frequently Asked Questions

In the Official Steve Haworth Modified, LLC online store, we sell exact replicas of Steve’s 3D silicone body jewelry, tools, piercing supplies, SHS jewelry and more! Located in Phoenix, Arizona, Steve Haworth pioneered the body modification industry with his 3D body art form, and paved the way for many of the human canvas opportunities that are available today! Steve started his own work in 1991, and began supplying the industry in 2002.

PLEASE NOTE: Although we handle most of our shipments twice a week, and some times more often when able, we travel often and orders can take 7-14 business days to process at times. Please be patient and know that we are working to get your order to you as quickly as we can. Thank you!

We’d like to hear from you! We answer emails within 24-48 hours in most cases. If it has been several days and you have not heard back from us, please email us again at stevehaworthmod@gmail.com.

Thank you for your interest in Steve’s modification artistry. We very much appreciate your business. We ask that you please read this FAQ in its entirety before you contact us.

How do I make an appointment with Steve?

Fill out the contact form, and describe the modification you are seeking in as much detail as you can, and a general time frame in which you would like to have your appointment. Steve’s home studio is in the Phoenix, Arizona area, but he often travels to other locations around the country and around the world. Please check Steve’s Facebook page to see where Steve will be visiting next.

Is Steve coming to my neck of the woods anytime soon?

Steve does travel frequently, around the country and around the world. If you would to know what travels he has coming up, please visit Steve’s Facebook page to see where he will be next. If you’d like to have Steve visit your town, feel free to email and let us know you are interested. If he gets enough interest from a particular place then it will be financially feasible for him to visit. It is particularly helpful if you take the initiative to drum up interest in the body mod community of your town for Steve’s work and seminars. You can try contacting or visiting your local piercing/body mod studio and see if they have any interest in having Steve out for a guest visit.

How old do I have to be to get an implant?

You absolutely must be at least 18, and we will be checking your ID. Please don’t write in and ask if we will make an exception for you, because we won’t. Doing so is illegal. Also, a parent’s signature or permission isn’t enough, you must be 18. Moreover, modifications are a serious commitment that should not be taken lightly. We understand that you’re excited about getting them, but another couple of years or so for you to consider and plan out permanent modification is not a bad thing. In fact, it’s best for everyone of any age to take a long time to research, seriously consider and make absolutely sure they want the modifications they are seeking.

How can I learn this art form?

To start with, you’ll want at least a couple of years of piercing under your belt. There are also classes that Steve recommends that you can take from Health Educators. If getting to Health Educators isn’t feasible for you, many of these classes (such as Bloodborne Pathogens, Elimination of Cross Contamination, First Aid & CPR) are typically available in local community colleges. Even if you don’t get your education from Health Educators, it’s a good list to use as a guideline. If you’re wishing to learn from Steve, there are two ways he teaches – one, through his seminars, which he offers a few times a year in various locations nationally and internationally. Please visit the Seminars page. And two, by offering his set of custom designed implant tools, which entitles you to sit in on his procedures whenever he is in your area (depending on the permission of the person being modified, of course). Steve will explain to you step-by-step what he is doing, and in some cases allow you to assist if possible. Apart from that, Steve does not do apprenticeships, so please do not email us asking him to take you on as an apprentice. Steve works from his private studio and has neither the need nor the facility for apprentices. We will not teach you how to do a mod via email. Please do not email us asking questions like, “How does Steve split a tongue?” The response will be “with a scalpel.”

Can Steve implant nipples, make my ears smaller or help me with a sex change?

We get a lot of emails from people asking about having him implant nipples lost from cancer, altering the ears for a more normal appearance or even help with sex changes. All of these cases are very understandable because it’s hard to find doctors who will do this the way the person wants or because the doctors fees are very high and they can’t afford them. We have great sympathy for you and really wish we could help. Our hearts go out to you, but unfortunately, we cannot help you or Steve could go to jail for practicing medicine without a license.

Steve can and does repair stretched ear lobe blowouts, and can help you resize your stretched lobes, but there is a limit to what he can do. What you want must be along the lines of a modification. He cannot return your ear to a “normal” appearance – that is considered a medical need, and you must go to a plastic surgeon for that. And sometimes, people have stretched their lobes to the point that there is nothing that Steve can do for them.

The medical industry has set a very clear line of boundaries that state that they will not modify people away from what society deems normal or pleasing. In short, we will not cross those lines no matter how much Steve would be the right person for what it is that you need, so please do not ask. It is just not worth the financial and personal risk for Steve.

Can Steve give me piercing advice? Why did he retire from piercing?

Please do not write to us asking for advice on piercing. Steve has been out of the piercing business for many years, and as such no longer feels qualified to advise on piercing matters. In Steve’s own words: “One thing that I’ve always been a firm believer in is, if you’re going to be a piercer, be a piercer. Donate all of your effort to your art form and then you will be able to give your customer the best possible piercing you can give them…. That’s why I completely stopped doing piercing when I started doing three dimensional modifications. That way I could channel all my energy and all my efforts into that particular medium. So I don’t have too much to comment on the piercing end of it… That field advances constantly, so I’m way behind in the times as far as that goes.”

What do I need to know to get a modification from Steve?​

We ask that you please do your best to research them on your own and fully understand the risks and healing issues involved with each type of mod. For examples of Steve’s work, you can consult his portfolio here on the site. We expect that our clients will come to their appointment well fed, well rested, well hydrated, and in good health.

If you have questions about the work feel free to email us and we will answer them. Unfortunately, we do not have time for phone consults going over every detail of your mod, but we will be happy to discuss them at length in email.

If you are interested in a subdermal implant, please understand that Steve will not put subdermal implants anywhere near your spine, the back of your neck, your abdomen, your shins, or over moving joints for safety reasons. Steve only works in silicone and specifically the cast molded silicone he produces. He will not implant another artist’s implant into you. Photos are welcome and you are more than welcome to draw on yourself showing location and design in the photo. Holding up a ruler to the design is helpful as well. You can view the prices and types of implants he has at his official online store Steve Haworth Modified, LLC.

Does it hurt?

Yes, it hurts, both during the procedure and after during the healing period, but the pain is not unbearable. Steve can do wonders with ice and is very good at making his clients comfortable. His advanced methods mean that it will heal quickly and well. We expect that the people seeking modifications from Steve will have researched their desired modification thoroughly and understand the potential pain and risks involved, and have been modified before so they know how to handle the pain and aftercare required for heavy modification.

I just saw Flesh & Blood and I want Steve to come to where I live and suspend me

If you live near the Phoenix area or are willing to make a trip out, Steve’s suspension team Life Suspended holds regular suspension events a few times a year where people can get suspended for a fee. Private suspensions are also available in the Phoenix area. Please contact them at phxlifesuspended@gmail.com for pricing and to make an appointment. While Steve does sometimes perform suspensions in other parts of the country and the world, at conventions and events, in general, it is impractical for him to do suspensions away from home. He does not travel just to do one suspension for an individual (unless you wish to pay for his travel and accommodations for himself and his team, in addition to a private suspension fee). Please realize that suspension is not a one-man procedure; it requires a team of trained people, specialized equipment, and an appropriate venue that will support this equipment. The good news is that there are many other great suspension teams around the country and the world who would be happy to suspend you; Steve is not the only person who does it, nor was he even the first. There is an entire culture of talented suspension artists and teams in the world just waiting for you to discover them. We highly recommend reading Suspension.org in depth for all your suspension questions, and finding a suspension group in your area. If you still want Steve to suspend you, you are of course welcome to visit us here in Phoenix.

Can I get custom implants?

Steve can do custom implants for you. However, keep in mind that it requires him to create a new mold, which means design work and fabrication of the mold, then molding of the silicone. All of this is very time and energy consuming. So you need to expect to pay from $500-$2000 for your implant alone, depending on whether the design you want can be re-used for other clients. If you want the mold destroyed and your implants to remain completely unique, understandably it will be more expensive. In some cases, Steve can create your design based on shapes he already has, in which case it will cost you the price of the silicone pieces, plus a gluing charge (he glues them together with implant grade liquid silicone). These figures are just for the implants themselves, not the procedure work.

Can I interview Steve for my magazine / school project?

Unfortunately, due to Steve’s busy schedule, he is no longer able to participate in student projects. However, Steve has given many interviews and done many public appearances on television and film in the last 15 years, and it’s highly likely that you can still do a report on him with the information available on the web and elsewhere. We suggest the documentaries ‘Modify’ and ‘Flesh and Blood’ and visiting BMEzine for more information. If you wish to use pictures of Steve for student projects only, you may do so.

For magazine and publication interviews, or if you would like pictures of Steve’s work for commercial purposes, please realize that this is how Steve makes a living, and he will need to be compensated for it. Please include a website for reference to your magazine or publication.

Can Steve recommend another modification artist closer to me?

No, we’re sorry, but for liability purposes we cannot recommend anyone else. If you are not looking for work from Steve please research other artists and choose wisely. You may email us to ask if that person has purchased tools from Steve or not.

If you have further questions or would like to make an appointment, please fill out our contact form and be sure to include all required details!