Scarification Tattoos
 

First, I want to warn anyone who googles this the images are very triggering. I mean extremly triggering

Scarification is when instead of getting a normal tattoo with ink someone will burn or cut a pattern into their skin to leave a permenant mark.

Has anyone heard of this? I just stumbled upon when I searched tattoos, but would you really consider this the same thing as a normal tattoo? I suppose it is not self harm because the desire not to cause pain or ignore yourself, but leave a permanent decorative mark, but....it just seems odd to me that this is something acceptable.

Now if this was part of person's culture I could possibly understand it however this is happening in the US, UK, etc, places where SI would not be acceptable. Also people will either seek out a 'proffesional' to do it for them or even do it themselves!

So is it a tattoo or SI? I don't know what to make of it or am I just being over sensitive because I am a SIer?

Technically it's not a tattoo, it's body modification.
So it isn't really comparable to a tattoo since it's completely different. Sure there's a pattern involved, but that's really all.

I've heard of it and it can actually look really quite good.


As I remember, there was some table of self harm that was split into 4 sections that describe it well.
(Quick check and found it on the Wikipedia self harm page: "Walsh and Rosen (1988) created four categories numbered by Roman numerals I–IV, defining Self-mutilation as rows II, III and IV")

I:
Stuff like ear piercing and nail-biting. It causes minimal damage physically and is socially acceptable.
II:
Other piercings, tattoos and "ritualistic clan scarring" (scarification). It's moderately damaging and is accepted by some groups.
III:
Cutting, burning, etc. Again, moderately damaging and this isn't acceptable in the general population.
IV:
Stuff like amputation. This tier is severly damaging and is unacceptable.


I think that chart, although it's old, has it spot on.
There's a definite destinction between body modification and plain self-harm in my eyes. (Of course, the line can be blurry, but that would be on a case-by-case basis and personal opinion.)

Also, you mention about it being culture from somewhere, but isn't tattoos and piercings the exact same? They all started like that.

I would say it is generally less acceptable than tattoos, which are becoming more and more acceptable.

It's also a lot more dangerous and uncertain than tattoos, since there is no guarantee that that design will scar the way you want it to.

Scarification tattoo - odd term. I thought it was simply called branding? (In the case of burns, anyway, duh...)

As someone else said, tattoos and piercings weren't so commonly accepted in previous times, either. And aren't originally British/American/European/etc in culture, if I'm not mistaken. The more people go for scarification, the more socially acceptable it might become, over time.

I guess the difference is the intent. If I cut in patterns, which has happened, the design is more a side effect, and the self harm is the main intent behind it. If I go to a good tattoo/scarification artist because I want a design that I find awesome, I go for the body modification, and the pain etc is just an unavoidable side effect.

As for the "even do it themselves" part. There are also people who do their own piercings - doesn't necessarily mean it's for self harm reasons, though whether it's smart is a different question. :P

Tattoos are body modifications. I agree that scarification isn't the same as tattooing, though.

What bothers me about scarification is that, in order to leave a 'good' scar, the wound is often irritated and deliberately kept open so that it isn't allowed to heal for weeks/months on end. I also find them remarkably unattractive. I'm not going to judge someone who has one, because I'm not totally free of body mods myself, but I think it's possible to go too far. As for whether or not it's self harm, I suppose it would depend why you'd be getting it. The same can be said of tattoos.

Oh **** i just couldn't help myself and went to google.

Same. I'm kinda regretting it now. Personally I don't really see the difference between tattoos and scarification. I mean, its someone else who does it for you, right?

Not necessarily, for either case. Both can be done by amateurs or even by yourself, but it's not really recommended.

There are huge differences between tattoos and scarification. Tattoos can be colourful and intricate in design, and what you see will tend to be what get. With scarification the design has to be quite simple, others probably won't see it very well (if you have white scars on white skin), and it might not scar the way you want it to. Scarification is also a lot more dangerous because of infection chances and such like.

how do you know it is going to heal correctly? and it would itch like crazy!!!

Agreed.

honestly i felt the total opposite of triggered. cutting is one thing, scarification looks like they scrape your skin off. call me crazy but i could cut my self, but never scrape my skin off like that...

there is a thread on this already somewhere......

me too :/

http://www.recoveryourlife.com/forum...=scarification

http://www.recoveryourlife.com/forum...=scarification

http://www.recoveryourlife.com/forum...=scarification

They are umm a bit dead now though

Absolutely nothing to do with tattooing what so ever.
Sorry, I just get a bit flustered when different body modification techniques are grouped together when they are not similar in any way.
Sure they can and will both be done because they look pretty but yeah.
I have seen many scarifications where people have self harm scars that are too prominent or there is too much scar tissue for a tattoo to work and I, personally, think that they can turn something not so nice into something beautiful - I know that when, if ever, I do fully recover, then I will be seriously considering this as an option. - I also think that as this is something completely natural, no ink or anything being added, then it can be a way to add something to the body and what not.

I know i guy who got one done...
Then he had a major problem with infection even after caring for it properly, then after that it was nice for about about 3 months then it was just a mess.

In my opinion its horrible and there is nothing "pretty" about it, scars heal over time, its like a sh scar it will change shape overtime and fade

I agree, plus i can understand sh as i used to do it, but not this.

You can't be 100% sure it will heal in the way you want it to.

I really think it's beautiful, but a lot more so when it is fresh and you can see the blood.
I have been so obsessed with scarification recently; I would really love to have some done. But I doubt I ever would because of how unpredictable it is.

... I shall have to stick to BMEzine :(

I agreee with the unpredictability of it but artists are continuously changing techniques and experimenting to see what turns out best and what works and what dosen't so I think that if you use a reputable artist then your pretty safe really. Just my two cents.