Originally Posted by
Vlad
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.
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.