scarification...

[Aaron Saunders]

Uhhh...as someone who avidly promotes tattoos, this is disgusting. Can't wait to get my next ones (back of right tricep, back of left calf, inside of right wrist.)

Taking a f'n dremel to your leg? No, thanks. I'm good.

 

[Aaron Saunders]

go do something fun and dangerous and if you get a scar then at least you'll have a story to tell. get a motorcycle and when u split your head open it'd be much cooler.

+1

Actual scars with a real story "Some guy jumped me and I cut my hand breaking his jaw 'cause his head went through a window" -- now that's a cool scar.

 

[Stanley Design]

Scarification is a tradition, a ritual and more than esthetic for most people who are into them. To most people body modification is about "hey dude I got taz playing a bass tattooed!" or "hey man I got a lipring isn't that rad?!".

Real body modification is EXACTLY that, it's modifying your body. Becoming more than human, changing yourself and your body to something different. Subdermal implants, transdermal implants, scarification, splitting, stretching, beading, tooth filing, etc.

The rest is modifying your mind, the ritual and experience. Pulling and trucking, suspension, blood play, play piercing. Pushing your body to it's physical limits.

I'm not into most of it, but I respect and understand that there's a large large difference between "cool tattoo" and "I split my weiner in two so when I get a hard on it looks like a V"

 

[jady]

The scarification I have seen involved a scalpel carving the design by making an incision and then cauterizing the cut with a spray antiseptic lit on fire. That way some really intricate lines can be carved and the end result is very detailed and artistic.

 

[Aaron Saunders]

The scarification I have seen involved a scalpel carving the design by making an incision and then cauterizing the cut with a spray antiseptic lit on fire. That way some really intricate lines can be carved and the end result is very detailed and artistic.

Yeah, but we weren't talking about surgical precision. THAT is a lot healthier and more tasteful. There's a world of difference between that and a dremel, or running a dry tattoo needle on yourself.

 

[Stanley Design]

It doesn't really matter how you do it, it's all going to be about the same amount of pain, the same amount of sterility, and the same end result depending on your skills, your artists' skills, and your will to heal it properly.

Healing scarification rarely uses antiseptic or healing aid of any kind. You WANT to keep it dirty, exposed and prolong the healing for as long as possible to obtain a "better" scar. The exact opposite of what you would do to try and get a cut to heal better, obviously.

Tattoo gun scarification healed example. This is what mine looks like, very shallow, not very visible.

Scalpel healed example. This is what the dremel style looks like as well usually.

 

[Aaron Saunders]

That pretty much turns my stomach.

 

[Stanley Design]

Doesn't really appeal to me either. But different strokes and all that jazz.

 

[soulgeezer]

Real body modification is EXACTLY that, it's modifying your body. Becoming more than human, changing yourself and your body to something different. Subdermal implants, transdermal implants, scarification, splitting, stretching, beading, tooth filing, etc.

Wow! Were you the dude in Silence of the Lambs? Are you Buffalo Bill???

Seriously -- For your sake and the sakes of the people who love you, get some help. This is not only abnormal behavior, it is dangerous and self-destructive, as well. You may think it's cool, but the fact is that wanting to do something like this indicates that you've got issues that *need* to be dealt with.

You can argue the tribal and ritualistic things all you want. With a name like Todd Stanley and being that you live in PEI, I'm guessing you're not a member of an African or aboriginal tribe. You're probably (and I'm just guessing) a middle class white guy, looking for something "cool" to do.

This whole thread has turned my stomach. That is the normal reaction of a normal person to the idea of injuring oneself in a manner that would result in severe pain and deep scars. The fact that you are not reacting this way likely means that you need to get some help.

I'm not trying to be rude -- I am genuinely concerned about a young person who would want to do something like this. I hope you take my words as intended and not as either condescending or an attack. I'm just worried about you, dude.

 

[Stanley Design]

Ah don't worry about me, I'm not into most mods, but that IS what body modification culture is about, and a lot of people are ignorant in the fact that just because it's uncommon in most social circles, extreme mods are "sick" and people have "severe problems" to be interested in them. I would never do almost any of them, but some I do have and some I am interested in.

Currently I can stick a bic pen through my nose cartilage, but noone can see it or knows until I show them, the experience was very personal and memorable getting it pierced that large. The healing process was long, and I would not hesitate to go though it again, the pain was worth the experience and I like how I look.

Just know that people are into extreme modification for decent reasons, not because they are freaks and metally unstable. I find that extremely rude. If people want to do certain proceedures to themselves, I wont come down on them for it, maybe I'll laugh and say "haha ew" but I still respect their beliefs and don't think they are bad people because of it. There are people so deep and extreme into it that it really IS terrifying, but that's just their scene and as long as it doesn't effect me I'm willing to believe that they do those things for personal reasons.

I find no difference in getting a facelift or a boob job, or splitting your penis, or pointing your teeth, or getting facial tattoos. It's all the same, and can all be for the same reasons.

 

[JimmyM]

I find no difference in getting a facelift or a boob job, or splitting your penis, or pointing your teeth, or getting facial tattoos. It's all the same, and can all be for the same reasons.

Right...because they're attention-starved whacknuts! Dremel tool, huh? Nice!

 

[SpankyPants]

sometimes it can turn out OK, but scars can heal really funky sometimes.

personally, being a tattoo collector, i advise against it. there are waaaaaayyyy more possibilities for infection too.

Evan is speaking as a voice of wisdom and experience.

Be very careful.

Also, I often hear that to contextualize how you may feel about this scar in 10 years is to remember who you were 10 years ago. If you were a decade younger and got a tatoo (or sacrification) then - at the ripe age of 7 - would you still like it today?

 

[Baryonyx]

Man, this sounds like a bad idea.

Not only with the possiblity of infection, it'll look godawaful. I probably wouldn't even trust you to get a tattoo, but wanting to scar yourself like this just makes me think you're unhinged.

 

[Ray Holt]

Man, this sounds really dumb. I mean how lame is a scar that you put there on purpose?

I've got plenty of scars and "battle wounds" and I enjoy the stories behind them all. The time when I was a kid and tore my knees open falling on gravel... the blister I have that's just kind of hardened over into skin from playing hockey too much... all the little knicks and cuts on my hands from chisels/razor blades and the like (building guitars)... the CIRCLE SCAR on my left forearm from getting shot with a paintball gun from 6 inches away (thought the circle scare was pretty cool hahaha)...those are cool to me because they remind me of the experiences I've had.

Putting one there on purpose not only sounds dangerous, but just plain ol' lame. Go get some more REAL scars like a REAL man would

 

[Baryonyx]

Putting one there on purpose not only sounds dangerous, but just plain ol' lame. Go get some more REAL scars like a REAL man would

+1

I have a good one on the bottom of my chin from a golfing accident!

 

[Jiggybass]

There are two different kinds. You can do it the way you described which is traditional scarification, and probaly the most popular, it's mostly for stuff that is thicker lines and for the ritual of it. Especially if you plan on keeping the skin to cook/eat or whatever you desire.

The other way is dermabrasion scarification, which is more like a tattoo and more controlled. With this the skin isn't cut off, it's just destroyed. They take a tattoo gun and dry run it really roughly over the design, destroying the skin with the needles. Or sometimes they take a dremel tool which is becoming really popular due to it's ease of purchase, that way you can do it yourself.

This is a dremel style dermabrasion....

Dayum, that looks great!

 

[Baryonyx]

Or not! Why not just get a proper tattoo!?

 

[Jazz Ad]

It's a good idea to stay away from mainstream sites to discuss away from mainstream body mods.
As usual bmezine will be an excellent source of advice.

 

[Lazylion]

Should be fun, now just have to finish convincing my parents to not freak out.....this could be delayed for a while

Listen to your parents. They are older and, most likely, wiser.

...around here I don't know one person who's got one. Many don't realise until I describe it in detail the process for the marking, and then they get disgusted.

Why do you suppose that is?

Becoming more than human..."

Yeah, right. Or less.

...just because it's uncommon in most social circles, extreme mods are "sick" and people have "severe problems" to be interested in them.

Again, why do you suppose that is?

...splitting your penis...

OK, some things are sicker than others.

That pretty much turns my stomach.

+1 Why don't you just hang a sign around your neck that says "I'm mentally ill." That's what most people will assume. You may enjoy that reaction now, but will you get the same kick out of it for the rest of your life? Are you SURE about that? At least with a sign, you could take it off when you were tired of it!

My advice: don't do it.

 

[Relic]

To each their own I guess..but.
Why do I feel like a daring rebellious non-comformist since I refuse any body modification at all??
If you want to be different and make a statement these days, do nothing to mutilate your bod, you'll stand out more.