While it has been suggested that tattoos and piercings have gone mainstream, there remains a body modification subculture dedicated to more extreme forms of modification than are accepted by the majority of society. I present data from an ethnographic study of the subculture, focusing on various attempts to uphold group boundaries in a virtual community designed for body modification enthusiasts. As the website began to shift away from its subcultural roots, members increasingly criticised the new administration and mainstream body modifiers. Emphasising the social distance between themselves and those with discreetly modified bodies, members of the subculture ultimately abandoned the online community they helped build. This study contributes to the understanding of the significance of virtual spaces to real-world subcultures.