The Next Generation of Body Art
Bud Castilleja, staff writer

As a form of self-expression, young adults across the world “get ink done” as often as some sort of piercing.

If you can stand the pain, tattoos and piercings could be a great way to modify one’s body. Three times more painful than any tattoo or piercing, scarification has recently become one of the more modern forms of body art.

Scarification is the cutting and removal of skin so scar tissue produced by the body forms a design. New and offbeat as it may sound, scarification has been around for centuries. In West Africa and New Guinea, scarification has been used as a rite of passage among tribes. In some cultures, a woman willing to receive scarifications would prove her maturity and wish to bear children.

The Maori, a tribe from New Zealand, use a form of scarification known as ink rubbing to produce facial tattoos. The Maori believe their bodies to be naked without tattoos. Branding, another form of scarification, has been historically used to mark slaves and criminals. The burning of the skin would often be letter coded, reflecting the crime.

When thinking about joining this nifty trend, certain considerations must be taken. For instance, scarification is not a precise art. The body creates the scar, not the artist. The final product is a result of many variables, such as skin type, depth of the cut, and how the wound is treated during the healing process. The healing process is half the work. If done differently, it will affect the final outcome of the scar.

Also, a method that was used on one person will not always be the best method for another. There are many dangers concerning this new practice, and sanitation is the most important. Because scarification is not as popular as tattoos just yet, experienced artists can be hard to find. To be on the safe side, the artist chosen should have a working knowledge of the anatomy of human skin to avoid any accidents.

The reasons behind why people get this treatment done can be simply because they enjoy the pain. Endorphins are released in the brain while under the knife, so it is known to make some people feel euphoric with an adrenaline rush. For some, it is just another way to separate themselves from others in the everlasting quest to be the most unique.