I don't want body mods until they're actually useful.
Tattoos? No. Piercings? Probably not unless it gives me a handier way to wear, eg, my glasses, or if I ever need one my hearing aid. I'm always thinking "why does this seem like a good idea to so many people?" and I never come up with an answer that's more useful than some identity thing.
This is a bit of an odd point of view. Why do you wear clothes that are anything except grey? Why do you get your hair cut? Neither of these things are useful. Could be argued that a haircut is useful in some cases, I guess, but then I could also say 'why do you not shave your head all summer and grow your hair all winter?'.
Piercings can be an identity thing. They can also be something someone likes the look of, like any item of clothing.
I can understand that kind of view very well - body mods are always a risk, one way or the other (allergic reaction, hitting a nerve...), for... fashion, more or less. If you exchange your grey shirt for a red one, or getting your hair cut in a practical way, you don't risk infection just for fashion. Yes, fashion - asserting your identity would be a lot different if everybody got modded, and the way people get mods changes over time as well.
Also, when I see a septum piercing, I always think of cows. I can't help myself.
Just because we see things a bit more utilitarian than others, doesn't mean you can go for the strawman right away.