This book investigates how and why the criminal law differentiates between different types of body alterations, with particular reference to how they are conceptualised within legal discourse. The body alterations that are addressed include sadomasochistic injuries; female genital modification and male circumcision; cosmetic surgery, body modification and healthy limb amputation; and sex reassignment surgery and genital ?normalisation? surgery. The author analyses the techniques and processes by which some body alterations are discursively constructed as legitimate and legally approved whilst other body alterations are discursively constructed as illegitimate and legally sanctioned.