Scarification FAQ (Another "If you have to do it, at least read this first" FAQ.

) This FAQ is compiled by and copyri ht (c) !""! #$%&I'%.()$ Inc. For more on scarification, visit http*++,,,.bme-ine.com+ .ersion* !."" /ate* "01231!""! This document supersedes any prior scarification FAQs released by #$% and+or Shannon 4arratt. 5lease ensure that you are vie,in the most recent version of this FAQ by visitin #$%. 6arnin * This document is not ,ritten by medical professionals, and may contain numerous errors. It is intended as a startin point and introduction for those interested in this sub7ect, but is by no means complete. 8eaders are stron ly ur ed to do as much research of their o,n as possible, as ,ell as spea9in to their doctor before see9in out any such procedures. For :uestions re ardin this FAQ, please visit #$%. 2. I'T8)/;(TI)' A'/ /ISS%$I'ATI)' I'F) Is this FAQ complete< 6hen ,as this FAQ ,ritten< 6hat is the revision history of this FAQ< (an I distribute this file< !. =%'%8A4 Q;%STI)'S 6hat are the different 9inds of scarification< 6hy ,ould someone ,ant to do this to themselves< 6hat are the ma7or ris9s of scarification< 6hat are 9eloids< 0. #8A'/I'= 6hat is brandin < 6hat is stri9e brandin < 6hat is a "stri9e"< 6hat is "cautery" brandin < 6hat is "laser" brandin < 6hat does a healed brand loo9 li9e< >o, much does a brand hurt< In stri9e brandin , ho, hot should the metal+brand material be< 6hat are the stri9e brandin utensils made of< 6hat shape should the stri9e brand utensils be< >o, lon and hard should does one press the stri9e brand in< Are the fumes from brandin dan erous< (an one use a olf ball initial1brander< 6hy< (an I use a solderin iron to do cautery brandin < >o, lon does a brand ta9e to heal< >o, should I ta9e care of the brand durin healin < 6hat if the brand doesn?t heal li9e I ,ant< (an I tattoo over a brandin < Is brandin safe< (an a brand be removed< 6hat is the history of brandin < @. (;TTI'= 6hat is cuttin < >o, is this different from cuttin in the clinical sense< 6hat is in9 rubbin < Is an in9 rubbin cared for differently than a normal cuttin < >o, much does a cuttin hurt< 6hat tools are used for cuttin < (an I use A1acto or similar hobby blades< >o, deep should the cuttin be< 6hat is s9innin (s9in removal)< >o, lar e a piece of s9in can be removed safely< 6hat is the clamp1and1cut method< 6hat is pac9in <

B. (>%$I(A4 S(A8IFI(ATI)' 6hat is chemical scarification< >o, eCtreme are the results of chemical brandin < >o, precise are the results of chemical brandin < 6hat is chemical pac9in and chemical rubbin < 6hat is in7ection scarification< D. A#8ASI.% S(A8IFI(ATI)' 6hat is abrasive scarification< 6hat is tattoo machine scarification< 6hat is the $amiya techni:ue< 6hat are some other tools in use for abrasive scarrin < E. ()4/ #8A'/I'= 6hat is cold brandin < >o, is cold brandin done< If free-e brandin is so ood, then ,hy haven?t all ranchers adopted it< 3. )T>%8 $%T>)/S )F S(A8IFI(ATI)' 6hat is braidin < 6hat is chaotic scarification< F. 8%S);8(%S 6ho can I o to for scarification services< >o, do I 9no, if the artist I?m interested in is :ualified< (an I perform scarification on myself< >o, much does scarification usually cost< Is scarification le al< >o, do I learn scarification< (an I o to school for scarification< I'T8)/;(TI)' A'/ /ISS%$I'ATI)' I'F) Is this FAQ complete< This FAQ isn?t even remotely complete. I?ve done my best, but it contains any number of errors and omissions. If you are an %A5%8I%'(%/ 58A(TITI)'%8 and ,ould li9e to help, it is definitely appreciated. 5lease email any feedbac9 on this FAQ to liderGbme-ine.com 6hen ,as this FAQ ,ritten< The first version of this FAQ ,as ,ritten in 2FFB to replace the retired rec.arts.bodyart Alternative #odyart FAQ ,ritten by 4ani Teshima1$iller. 6hat is the revision history of this FAQ< .ersion 2."" 1 )ri inal (2FFB) .ersion !."" 1 (omplete re,rite, loosely based upon ori inal ($arch !""!) (an I distribute this file< First of all, you may not chan e the teCt of this FAQ in any ,ay, and any :uotes from it should include the author+maintainer?s name and ,eb ;84* Shannon 4arratt, http*++,,,.bme-ine.com+ Hou may freely copy, archive (ftp and ,eb pa es) and disseminate any #$% FAQs. Hou may not create your o,n sections or add your o,n information in the FAQ. 5artial distribution is not permitted. Hou may print copies of these FAQs for personal use. Hou $;ST obtain prior permission from me before you ma9e the FAQs available commercially, even if it is for the minimal fee to cover your medium, posta e and+or handlin . 5ermission may be ranted on a case1by1case basis, and ,ill usually involve providin the author ,ith a copy of your product. Hou need not obtain special permission to :uote parts of this FAQ for academic research purposes (althou h you must cite this FAQ). IF H); A8% A $%/IA 8%5)8T%8 )8 I);8'A4IST, you are eCplicitly re:uested to email me prior to usin material in, or :uotin from this FAQ. =%'%8A4 Q;%STI)'S 6hat are the different 9inds of scarification<

The basic cate ories are brandin (scarification throu h burns, either from heat, or from lasers or electrocautery devices), cuttin s (fine scarification usin a thin blade, sometimes coloured usin tattoo in9, sometimes includin the removal of patches of s9in), and various other less common means includin the use of chemicals and other non1traditional means. 6hy ,ould someone ,ant to do this to themselves< $any people that do these forms of body modification are doin it to mar9 a rite of passa e in their lives. %ven thou h many people hold that scarification is no more painful than tattooin , it is someho, more "intense" to most people. It has very symbolic meanin to them and often their peers or partners. ;p until :uite recently, in modern ,estern body art, most of this ,as done in an SJ$ environment. >o,ever, no, that the vast ma7ority of people interested in body modification have had little to no contact ,ith the SJ$ community, that has chan ed, and many people are ettin these types of modifications for purely aesthetic reasons. Some people 7ust li9e the ,ay it loo9sK In addition, scarification ",or9s better" on dar9er s9in tones than tattooin can, ,hich is mas9ed on heavily pi mented s9in. In addition, because scarification has a three dimensional aspect, many people en7oy the feelin of healed scars (li9e the ad says, "(hic9s di scars"). 6hat are the ma7or ris9s of scarification< #y far the lar est ris9 is the aesthetic one. #randin , cuttin , and scarification are far from precise arts, and because the call for scarification is much smaller than that for piercin or tattooin , most artists are simply not that eCperienced. In addition, even eCperienced artists have trouble ettin consistent results because there are so many variables in the healin process. To compensate, many artists feel it?s responsible to stic9 to relatively simple eometric desi ns, rather than more intricate patterns. Additionally, there are ris9s of infection, as ,ith other body art, but this is minimised ,ith proper ,ound care. Also, improper techni:ue (for eCample cuttin or brandin to deep) can be eCtremely dan erous, so be sure your artist 9no,s ,hat they are doin K Finally, I ,ant to point out one that thin on the aesthetic ris9* it?s not the artist that creates the scar, it?s your body. %verybody scars differently, so a techni:ue that ,or9s reat on one person may loo9 horrible on another. 6hat are 9eloids< $ost simply put, 9eloids are raised scars. That said, not all scars are 9eloids 11 9eloids are a very specific sort of fibrous scar tissue that the body produces in response to trauma. As far as the use of the ,ord "9eloid", it is both a noun, and a verb. The verb, "to 9eloid" means to create these raised scars of course. Leloidin is in part related to the amount of melanin in your s9inM the dar9er your s9in, the better you enerally 9eloid. That?s part of the reason ,hy li ht s9inned people have historically stuc9 to tattooin and dar9 s9inned people have stuc9 to scarification (plus scarification sho,s up better than tattoos on dar9 s9in). 5eople ,ho are enetically prone to 9eloids can pretty much leave their fresh scarification alone and be left ,ith lar e even raised 9eloids, ,hereas other people ,ill need to artificially irritate the ,ound in order to have it raise. #8A'/I'= 5lease note that I have included eneral information on healin and scar formation as it comes up. 5lease read this section, and all the other sections as ,ell, to et as complete a picture as possible (i.e. don?t 7ust read the section that is your specific interest). 6hat is brandin < #randin is scarification via heat. The heat destroys tissue throu h a serious burn. As the body heals this ,ound, it becomes a scar. 6hat is stri9e brandin < Stri9e brandin is the most common and most traditional form of brandin . In it, applyin a piece of heated metal to the s9in ma9es the brand. 6hat is a "stri9e"< A stri9e is an individual brand "hit". A full brand desi n is made up of many separate stri9es, each of them ma9in up a small se ment of the final desi n. Stri9es ,ill definitely overlap, and the artist may re1brand certain areas for consistency (or to brand lar e flat areas). 6hat is "cautery" brandin < (autery brandin is the use of a more modern tool such as solderin iron1type devices to apply the burn. Some smaller medical cautery units can be used to create very small precise brands. 6hat is "laser" brandin < "4aser" brandin is a term coined by Steve >a,orth as an easy ,ay to eCplain his electrocautery unit to the eneral public. Althou h medical lasers could certainly be used for scarification, this brandin is done usin a device similar to an arc ,elder for s9in. The body is rounded, and a spar9 7umps bet,een a cuttin electrode and the s9in, vaporisin tissue in its path. An electrocautery device offers the ability to eCert very precise control over the depth and nature of tissue dama e, allo,in the eCperienced artist to build up a teCturally diverse scar. 6hat does a healed brand loo9 li9e<

Ideally a healed brandin loo9s li9e a pattern of thic9 raised lines, sli htly li hter than s9in colour. >o,ever, the amount of raisin or 9eloidin varies reatly, dependant on a lar e number of factors. Sometimes these scars even inset rather than raise. Stri9e brandin enerally produces fatter, more raised scars, ,ith modern cautery devices bein able to produce a more subtle line. >o, much does a brand hurt< Stri9e brandin actually hurts much less than most people eCpect 11 in some ,ays it?s a "head ame" as much as a physical ordeal. 5roper stri9e brandin hurts for a second until the nerves are burned a,ay (not li9e a minor burn, li9e on your stove, ,hich only burns the surface). That said, please don?t read that as it bein painless 11 it still hurts A 4)T both durin and after the stri9e bein applies. It should also be noted that the endorphin rush can be :uite eCtreme, and some people find the subse:uent euphoria disorientin (and sometimes addictive). 6hen ettin branded it is recommended that you o ,ith a friend ,ho can help you et home if you find the eCperience over,helmin . (autery brandin (includin "laser brandin ") is enerally considered to be far more painful than stri9e brandin , ,ith many people oin so far as to claim that it?s the most painful modification they?ve ever one throu h. Finally, independent of the pain of the procedure, durin the lon healin period the brand ,ill be very sore, especially if it is on a body part that fleCes (thereby causin the ,ound to brea9 and tear sli htly as you move). In stri9e brandin , ho, hot should the metal+brand material be< >ot enou h to do sufficient dama e to the tissue so as to form a permanent scar. /ependin on the person?s s9in and the individual style of the artist, it can be anythin from a propane torch to a lo,ly candle to the nature flames of an oa9 fire pit. $ost eCperienced artists lean to,ard a propane torch. 6hat are the stri9e brandin utensils made of< Stri9e brand utensils are metal, either as complete tools, or as small shaped pieces held in vice1 rips. $etal holds the heat ,ell, and effectively and :uic9ly (and predictably) transfers it to the s9in. $ost artists choose to ma9e their brandin tools out of thin hi h1 rade stainless steel sheet metal. That said, other materials such as silver, random metal findin s (bolts, etc.), and even ceramics have been used. $etal aller ies and biocompatibility does come into play to some eCtent, but in eneral any forei n substances ,ill come off ,ith the scab (if they?re even transferred at all). As far as the thic9ness of the metal, thinner is usually better. It?s easy to heat, and easy to form, and only carries a limited amount of potential dama e (,hereas a red1hot 2+!" bolt can do enormous dama e if held a ainst the s9in for too lon ). 8emember as ,ell that a brand ,ill typically heal to three or four times as thic9 as the utensil, and usually never be thinner than 0+2D" (about the same as the line dra,n by a fat ma ic mar9er). 6hat shape should the stri9e brand utensils be< The ,hole brand is not done as a sin le brand. The desi n is divided up into many smaller sections no lar er than about an inch and a half. These smaller sections may be shaped of course (i.e. arcs instead of lines). It should be noted that a small area of s9in is enclosed in branded tissue (for eCample a small circular outline brand), it ,ill probably die as ,ell and become part of the scar (as it can lose it?s blood supply). >o, lon and hard should does one press the stri9e brand in< The brand is pressed in lon enou h to burn throu h all the surface s9in. If this is not achieved the client ,ill be left ,ith a lot of pain and blisterin , and then after healin either no scar, or a blotchy mess that barely resembles their desi n. As far as ho, lon and hard, this really depends on ho, much the material has been heated. $ost important thou h is that all of the stri9es are even in relation to the s9in they?re on as this ,ill increase the chances of the brand loo9in uniform. It should be noted that as a brand is done, the s9in in the area ,ill contract, deformin the tissue and sli htly chan in the ,ay follo,in stri9es are absorbed. Are the fumes from brandin dan erous< The fumes from brandin contain active biolo ical matter from the person bein branded, and certain diseases can be transferred via these fumes. This ,as discovered because doctors ,ho ,ere removin enital ,arts ,ere bein dia nosed ,ith cases of enital ,arts inside their sinuses. 6hile most viruses and bacteria that can affect humans ,ill be 9illed by the heat of brandin , a small number ,ill not be and this $;ST be ta9en into consideration. Shops providin brandin must at an utter minimum use a >%5A filter. 6earin mas9s ,hile brandin is also considered a minimum re:uirement. In addition, if possible, a vacuum directin the fumes into a filter system is a ood idea (althou h this is not in eneral use). (an one use a olf ball initial1brander< 6hy< This idea is so ludicrous that I feel bad even includin it in this FAQ, but I have been as9ed this :uestion constantly over the last ten years. A ain, ,hen a brand is made, it ,ill spread a reat deal. ;sually a brand ,ill heal to three or four times the ,idth of the utensil used to ma9e it. So if one uses an initial brander (,hich creates :uite tiny letter), the final product ,ill 7ust be a blob. A brand should be lar e and simple enou h that it compensates for spreadin . Hou?ll et the same results if you 7ust put a ci arette out on yourself (and no, don?t do that either). (an I use a solderin iron to do cautery brandin < The problem ,ith solderin irons, ,ood burners, and similar devices (includin small handheld medical cautery tools enerally used to control small bleeders) is that they don?t retain enou h heat to be used ,ith any de ree of reliability. In

order to use them effectively, one must brand ,ith so many "re1heat" pauses that undue pain is iven to the client. If a tool such as these is to be used, it should be as po,erful as possible to ma9e the brandin eCperience (and product) a positive one. >o, lon does a brand ta9e to heal< A brand (actually all scarification) ta9es a lon time to completely heal. #rands o throu h a fe, phases, ,hich different reatly in len th (and nature) from brand to brand. First a brand ,ill o throu h a scabby phase ,here they loo9 li9e an absolutely horrible ,ound. This phase enerally ta9es from a fe, ,ee9s to 7ust over a month. Then the brand ,ill loo9 li9e a :uite bri ht red raised scar ,hich slo,ly becomes pin9er, and then eventually sli htly li hter than normal s9in colour. This sta e ta9es bet,een siC and t,elve months for most people, and additional raisin may occur durin this period. >o, should I ta9e care of the brand durin healin < There are t,o main schools of thou ht as to the aftercare of scarification in eneral. $any artists believe that a 4IT>A ("leave it the hell alone") method is best. Assumin that the initial cuts are ,ell done, by leavin it alone, the body ,ill enerally heal a fairly consistent ,ound. The do,nside of this method is that if the person?s enetics are not prone to 9eloidin , that the amount of raised scar ,ill be fairly minimal. The other school of thou ht on scarification aftercare is to irritate the ,ound (usin a variety of methods ran in from simply pic9in the scab, to rubbin it ,ith steel ,ool or a toothbrush, to usin chemical and eCfoliant formulas). Irritatin a healin scar ,ill reatly increase the amount of scarrin , but at the same time, almost al,ays leads to inconsistent scarrin (that is, different parts of the scar ,ill raise different amounts). 6hat if the brand doesn?t heal li9e I ,ant< If your brand (or any scarification) doesn?t heal the ,ay you?d li9e it to (for eCample, inconsistent 9eloidin ), you can have it touched up usin secondary scarification sessions. (an I tattoo over a brandin < Hes, but the scar has to be 6%44 >%A4%/ (in enerally, at least a year old). Assumin that the scar is ,ell healed it should be able to hold in9 7ust as ,ell as "normal" s9in. If the colour is solid (for eCample a lar e blac9 area) the scar ,ill probably still be :uite visible, but if the tattoo is multicoloured it ,ill mas9 most scars. Some people, especially those ,ho are not enetically prone to 9eloidin , also choose to "eCa erate" a healed brand by outlinin it in a li ht red or ,hite, ma9in it easier to see. Is brandin safe< Scarification operates throu h controlled in7ury. It is not safe. That said, many thin s ,e do every day are not safe either. 5ractised responsibly by eCperienced practitioners, scarification of all 9inds should fall inside "acceptable ris9". (an a brand be removed< In theory a cosmetic sur eon can remove a brand usin lasers and other advanced techni:ues, but it ,ill be very eCpensive and not necessarily effective. /on?t et a brand if you don?t ,ant one 11 it?s a serious burn resultin in a serious burn scar, and must be removed as such. Thin9 of the time it ta9es for a burn victim to cover their scars. ;nder any realistic conteCt, removal of brands is not an option. 6hat is the history of brandin < >istorically (in %urope), brandin ,as enerally limited to punishment. #oth the %n lish (and S on the chee9) and the French (a fleur de lis on the shoulder) branded criminals, alon ,ith almost every other culture. In modern times, blac9 fraternity members commonly et brands of the fraternity?s letters. (;TTI'= 6hat is cuttin < (uttin is a form of scarification ,here a desi n is cuttin into the s9in usin a sharp blade, leavin a relatively precise scar. A healed cuttin usually loo9s li9e a sli htly raised scar in the shape of the ori inal desi n. >o,ever, the artist can also produce lines as ,ide and raised as ,ith brandin should they choose to. >o, is this different from cuttin in the clinical sense< (uttin (as in self1cuttin ) is a symptom of a lar er psycholo ical problem. It is enerally mar9ed by slashes on the arms and chest, rather than primarily aesthetic cuts. In no ,ay (other than they?re both cuts) are these activities related, and if an artist feels your motivations behind see9in scarification are suspect they ,ill not ,or9 on you. An online search for "self1in7ury" ,ill return many helpful resources for those ,ho suffer from this illness. 6hat is in9 rubbin < In9 rubbin , first popularised primarily by cutters ,or9in inside of the lesbian SJ$ community, is cuttin ,here tattoo in9 (or other colourin a ent) is rubbed into the fresh cut. $uch of the in9 stays lod ed in the cut, resultin in a coloured scar. That said, usually a reat deal of the in9 falls out ,ith the scabs, leavin ,hat loo9s more li9e a poorly done tattoo than ,hat the eneral public ,ill reco nise as an in9 rubbin . Is an in9 rubbin cared for differently than a normal cuttin < It is essential that the fresh scabs from an in9 rubbin ')T be pic9ed. Iust li9e a tattoo, if you pic9 the scabs, you ,ill pull out the in9. 4et the scabs fall off naturally. )nce the in9 is fully encapsulated in the scar, you can rub the scar if you ,ant, but not before.

>o, much does a cuttin hurt< 6ith a sharp scalpel and even cuts, it?s no ,orse in pain than a tattoo 11 for many people less. That said, it?s a very different feelin to be cut, almost li9e lon paper1cuts, over and over. 6hile not inherently a onisin , the adrenaline response may be far reater than ,ith other body modification, and it?s important that you be monitored after the cuttin . If the procedure includes in9 rubbin , that usually stin s :uite a bit. 6hat tools are used for cuttin < =enerally small medical scalpels are used. These may be either sin le piece disposable units, or blades that can be mounted on a variety of handles (,ith some people usin s,ivel handles). The specifics are lar ely up to the personal preference of the artist. (an I use A1acto or similar hobby blades< Quic9 ans,er* '). 4on er ans,er* >obby blades are no sharper than sur ical blades (in enerally they are far duller). They are ,ider thou h, ,ith multiple microscopic serrations ivin the illusion of feelin sharper, but actually causin them to sli htly rip the tissue they?re cuttin throu h rather than ma9in a clean slice. In addition, many hobby blades contain a thin coatin of oil ,hich can irritate the ,ound (and not in a ood ,ay). That said, even thou h hobby blades are not acceptable for scarification, some artists prefer their handles to those of sur ical blades. Sur ical blades may be mounted in the handles of hobby blades, but this is entirely up to the personal style of the artist. >o, deep should the cuttin be< It depends reatly on the desired effect, but, to eneralise, cuttin is about as deep as a tattoo (into the "permanent s9in" but not throu h it), or about 2+2D". (uttin deeper increases the amount of scarrin , but also increases the chances of serious complications. A shallo, cut on the other hand may heal entirely, leavin no mar9s at all. Additionally, some artists choose to cut a .1shaped double line. 6hat is s9innin (s9in removal)< (uttin by default creates only a relatively thin sin le line. Some advanced artists actually cut the outline of lar er areas and then remove these patches of s9in. This allo,s lar er areas to be relatively precisely converted into scars. >o, lar e a piece of s9in can be removed safely< "Safely" is a relative ,ord of course. Hour s9in is your primary means of defence a ainst our eCtremely hostile environment, and the more of it is compromised, the more ris9 you are at. $ost people seem perfectly able to heal a fe, s:uare inches of s9in removal ,ithout complication, and I have seen sin le piece removals as lar e as almost thirty s:uare inches (a siC inch circle) heal successfully. That said, s9in removal should be treated as hi hly dan erous. Admittedly it ,ill a ma9e consistent scar more difficult, but there?s no reason that this type of procedure can?t be done over multiple steps. 6hat is the clamp1and1cut method< (lamp and cut is a precursor to s9in removal scarification. In a clamp and cut procedure, a small area of s9in is lifted up usin a clamp, and then cut off. Similar effects can be achieved by usin biopsy punches to remove small circular patches of s9in. 6hat is pac9in < If deep cuts are made on an an le, the resultin ,ound can be pac9ed ,ith "relatively inert" clay and other substances. 6hile this type of scarification is lar ely unheard of in the 6est, it ,as :uite common in Africa until recently. /urin healin , massive scars envelop or force out the clay 11 this is one of the harshest methods of scarrin , but is by far the most effective if hu e 9eloids are sou ht. That said, the results are not enerally even so be prepared for somethin that nearly everyone ,ill assume ,as a horrible, horrible accident. 8ecuttin and repac9in can be used to fine1tune the results. 5lease note that ') reputable practitioners ,ill offer advanced techni:ues such as this to the eneral public (nor should they). (>%$I(A4 S(A8IFI(ATI)' 6hat is chemical scarification< (hemical scarification is the use of chemical a ents to dama e the s9in and induce scarrin . $ost people a ree that the results achieved usin this techni:ue are not that different from those achieved usin other, far simpler, safer, and more predicable methods. As such, little research has been done into this method. >o, eCtreme are the results of chemical brandin < Typically they are not that eCtreme. To ans,er a common :uestion, if you attempt to replicate the chemical brandin sho,n in the movie "Fi ht (lub", the odds of you ettin similarly dramatic results are slim to none. Achievin heavy scarification usin chemical means is unpredictable and dan erous, and little to no documentation eCists to uide practitioners. At present, it is not recommended to pursue such methods of scarification. >o, precise are the results of chemical brandin < The amount of scarrin produced is difficult to produce, and ,ithout mas9s, it is almost impossible to form precise shapes. That said, by usin a "mas9in techni:ue" similar to that used ,hen paintin flames on a hotrod, ed es can be specified

,ith an acceptable de ree of precision. 8anchers eCperimented briefly ,ith chemical a ents to mar9 animals (they ,ere loo9in for methods that allo,ed them to mar9 their animals ,ithout dama in the valuable hide). An acidic a ent ,as developed to achieve this, ,hich ate a,ay the hair and left a scab similar to that ,ith a burned brand. >o,ever, the effects ,ere not as easy to see as a heated brand, and animals tended to smear them by rubbin them after application. 'o,, these brandin compounds have all but disappeared from the mar9et. 6hat is chemical pac9in and chemical rubbin < Some people choose to use various chemicals rubbed into traditional cuttin s in order to induce eCa erated scarification. 6hat is in7ection scarification< Instead of usin base or acidic chemicals to burn do,n into the s9in, and instead of rubbin chemicals into cuts, some people actually in7ect :uestionable chemicals under the s9in. In some cases, these blister up and form a permanent scar, resemblin the inoculation mar9s of the past. A#8ASI.% S(A8IFI(ATI)' 6hat is abrasive scarification< Abrasive scarification is scarrin achieved usin friction to remove enou h layers of s9in to create scarrin . Abrasive scarification is enerally used to create subtle unraised scars, but it can be used to create almost every type and teCture of scar. 6hat is tattoo machine scarification< Tattooin ,or9s by reciprocatin needles passin repeatedly throu h the surface of the s9in. If a tattoo artists is too "heavy handed" (that is, tattooin too deep, or needlessly spendin too much time in a iven area, rindin it up), the tattoo ,ill heal ,ith some de ree of scarrin . This can be done on purpose as ,ell. If a desi n is dra,n on the s9in, and is then tattooed in very hard ,ithout the use of in9 (usin either nothin , 7ust ,ater, or even an eCfoliant abrasive), it ,ill heal as a scar. /ependin on the amount of destruction that is done, this scar may be anythin from a "normal" raised scar to nothin more than a sli htly discoloured patch. 6hat is the $amiya techni:ue< The $amiya techni:ue, named after its creator %i-o $amiya (not by his re:uest I should add), is more commonly 9no,n as "/remel scarification" since it is often done usin the /remel hobby tool. ;sin various rindin heads, the tool is used to "carve" the scar into the surface of the s9in. 6hat are some other tools in use for abrasive scarrin < Artists have eCperimented ,ith a variety of abrasive tools, includin vibratin lass en ravin tools. ()4/ #8A'/I'= 6hat is cold brandin < A very small number of people have eCperimented ,ith cold brandin usin li:uid nitro en. "Free-e brandin " is eCtremely rare, if not lar ely unheard of, amon body modification enthusiasts, but many ranchers re ard it as the best ,ay to brand their animals as it does only minimal dama e. The animal is easy to identify as any hair that ro,s from the brand ro,s in ,hite, and this effect is permanent. >o, is cold brandin done< The actual procedure is surprisin ly similar to stri9e brandin . Instead of immersin the (often copper) iron into the heat of a propane torch, the iron is bathed in a solution of li:uid nitro en (or any number of other coolin a ents 11 another common solution is a BN dry ice, FBN pure alcohol solution). The iron is then pressed to the flesh. The amount of time is determined by the thic9ness of the s9inM the thic9er, the lon er. For horses and co,s, this usually means bet,een thirty seconds and a minute 11 for humans it should be far less. If a ood brand has been achieved, an indent in the shape of the brand is leftM ,ithin five to fifteen minutes it becomes level and then s,ells up. 6hen hair ro,s bac9 it should be ,hite. If the brand is left on lon er, the hair ,on?t ro, bac9 at all (but the amount of scarrin should be minimal). $any ranchers prefer free-e brandin because of the 4A(L of any 9eloidin (and because it?s less traumatic to the animal). If free-e brandin is so ood, then ,hy haven?t all ranchers adopted it< Free-e brandin ta9es a lot lon er to do than fire brandin , and as such is not economically viable to the lar er ranchers ,ho need to process sta erin numbers of animals. In addition, free-e brandin ta9es a fe, days to become evident, ,hereas fire brandin is immediate. )T>%8 $%T>)/S )F S(A8IFI(ATI)' 6hat is braidin < %verythin that I 9no, about the ,ay the body heals su ests to me that #8AI/I'= IS A' ;8#A' 4%=%'/. That said, I?ll tell you the story any,ay, 7ust don?t try and replicated it.

The eneral concept behind braidin is that three strips of s9in (or more) are lifted up and left attached at one end (sort of li9e the start of a s9innin ). Then, these strips are braided and pac9ed do,n close to the body. The stories o on to say that ,hen healed, the resultin scar loo9s very much li9e braided bread. ;nfortunately that?s 7ust not the ,ay the body heals. If someone actually attempted this, the braided s9in ,ould not et ade:uate blood supply on top of not bein able to adhere to the tissue belo,, resultin in necrosis. In a best case scenario it ,ould be an aesthetic ni htmare, as ,ell as the potential start of serious medical repercussions. If you ,ant the appearance of braided s9in, cautery brandin is most li9ely to be able to ive you somethin that resembles it. 6hat is chaotic scarification< (haotic scarification is the conscious enactment of "chic9s di scars". (ertain activities 11 be it #$A racin and other eCtreme sports, or be it fi htin or punchin out ,indo,s 11 tend to lead to scars because of the in7uries they brin . $any vie, these scars as desirable, and not only see9 them out by puttin themselves in harm?s ,ay, and by rubbin irritants into any ,ounds to induce them to scar. 8%S);8(%S 6ho can I o to for scarification services< Almost every (but not %.%8H) scarification artist ,or9in in the 6estern ,orld is also a body piercer. The easiest ,ay to find scarification artists local to you is an Internet search, coupled ,ith visitin the better piercin and tattoo studios in your area. >o, do I 9no, if the artist I?m interested in is :ualified< As9 to see a portfolio. If the portfolio does not contain many ,ell1healed pieces, then you have no ,ay of tellin ,hat the artist?s ,or9 turns out li9e. It?s not hard to ma9e a scarification piece loo9 ood ri ht after it?s done 11 it?s far more important ho, it heals. Additionally, if you can, read any eCperiences about the artist on #$% and tal9 to their other customers. (an I perform scarification on myself< I can?t stop you from doin this, but the best ,ay to et a lo, :uality scar is to do it yourself. Self scarification, ,hile common, is not recommended. >o, much does scarification usually cost< It varies reatly 11 some artists don?t char e at all, and others char e a reat deal. This variation is not lin9ed to the :uality of ,or9. In eneral, a scarification of a iven si-e ,ill cost about the same as a tattoo of about the same si-e. Is scarification le al< 4a,s vary from place to place, and advanced methods of scarification (chemical brandin , etc.) as ,ell as methods usin modern tools (such as medical electro1cautery devices) may not be fully le al. Scarification such as cuttin and brandin ,hich has an established history is le al ,hen performed in a consensual conteCt in most 7urisdictions. >o, do I learn scarification< $ost artists are self trained, but this is not the most responsible option, especially no,adays. The best ,ay to become a scarification artist is by apprenticin under an eCperienced practitioner. As far as ho, to achieve that, et to 9no, one on a personal level and ta9e it from there. In addition, it is important that youn people readin this realise that under no circumstances should scarification be considered as a "career" 11 the commercial mar9et is 7ust not lar e enou h. (an I o to school for scarification< Fa9ir $usafar (,,,.bodyplay.com) offers roup trainin in traditional scarification techni:ues, and has recently added some modern (cautery) techni:ues as ,ell.

This document is copyri ht (c) !""! #$%&I'%.()$ Inc. 5lease be a,are that body modification is far from an eCact science, and ,e don?t 9no, everythin about it. The information in this document may contain numerous errors, mistruth, and omissions, includin advice that may be dan erous.