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Scarification is a term that is used to describe the act of scarifying. Scarifying involves scratching, etching, or some sort of superficial cutting or incision. Scarification can be applied to horticulture, which involves cutting the seed coat using acid, sand paper, or a knife to encourage germination, the cutting of concrete using hydrodemolition, or as a permanent body modification, etching designs, pictures, or words into the skin. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Shortcut: WP:WIN Wikipedia is an online encyclopedia and, as a means to that end, also an online community. ... Image File history File links Emblem-important. ... Horticulture (Latin: hortus (garden plant) + cultura (culture)) are classically defined as the culture or growing of garden plants. ... Not to be confused with Gemination in phonetics. ... Hydrodemolition, also know as hydro demolition, hydroblasting, hydro blasting, hydromilling, and waterjetting is a concrete removal technique which utilizes high-pressure water to remove deteriorated and sound concrete as well as asphalt and grout. ... Body modification (or body alteration) is the permanent or semi-permanent deliberate altering of the human body for non-medical reasons, such as spiritual, various social (markings), BDSM edgeplay or aesthetic. ...

Scarification in construction

Scarification of concrete can be done using hydrodemolition, aka hydro scarification, and high speed scarification. The depth of removal depends on the application, but usually does not exceed 1/4" to 3/4". The use of scarification on concrete is used to provide a better bond profile with an overlay of the same material. Scarification sometimes follows an initial milling of a surface using a large mechanical grinder. The hydro scarification following this process can have the effect of eliminating microfractures produced by the impact of the milling machine. The absence of micofractures and the creation of a better bond profile, both help to create a better bond strength with the concrete overlay. Hydrodemolition, also know as hydro demolition, hydroblasting, hydro blasting, hydromilling, and waterjetting is a concrete removal technique which utilizes high-pressure water to remove deteriorated and sound concrete as well as asphalt and grout. ...

Scarification as a body modification

In the process of body scarification, scars are formed by cutting or branding the skin. Scarification is sometimes called cicatrization (from the French equivalent). Body modification (or body alteration) is the permanent or semi-permanent deliberate altering of the human body for non-medical reasons, such as spiritual, various social (markings), BDSM edgeplay or aesthetic. ... For other uses, including articles on self-injury, see Cutting (disambiguation). ... To Brand a person means to burn a symbol into a living persons skin using a hot or cold iron, with the intention that the resulting scar makes the symbol permanent. ...

History

Scarification has been used for many reasons in many different cultures:

• Scarification has been used as a rite of passage in adolescence, or to denote the emotional state of the wearer of the scars, such as times of sorrow or well-being. This is common among Australian Aboriginal and Sepik River tribes in New Guinea, amongst others.
• Scarification, by deliberately burning skin, is called branding and has historically been used to mark slaves and criminals, usually with the brand being visible and often letter-coded to reflect the crime.
• The Māori of New Zealand used a form of ink rubbing scarification to produce facial tattoos known as "moko." Moko were considered to make the body complete as Māori bodies were considered to be naked without these marks. Moko were unique to each person and served as a sort of signature. Some Māori chiefs even used the pattern of their moko as their signatures on land treaties with Europeans.
• In some cultures, the willingness of a woman to receive scarification shows her maturity and willingness to bear children.
• Scarification is fairly common in West Africa and New Guinea.
• Facial scarring was a popular practice among the Huns.
• Facial scarring resulting from academic fencing is regarded as a badge of honour among the European duelling fraternities, this tradition originating in the 19th century.
• Scarification is also associated with the body modification movement.

Korogo Village, Sepik River, Papua New Guinea. Initiation ceremony, 1975. Franz Luthi

For other uses, see Rite of passage (disambiguation). ... Australian Aborigines are the indigenous peoples of Australia. ... Location of the Sepik River The Sepik River is the longest river in Papua New Guinea (although the Fly River also claims to be the longest). ... For other uses, see Burn. ... Branding persons refers to the use of the same physical techniques as in livestock branding on a consenting or constrained human, a form of body modification (see that article for general considerations) similar to scarification (see that article for technical details). ... The Buxton Memorial Fountain, celebrating the emancipation of slaves in the British Empire in 1834, London. ... This article is about the Māori people of New Zealand. ... Māori Moko in 1908 Tā moko is the permanent body and face marking by Māori, the indigenous people of New Zealand. ... Look up Naked in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...  Western Africa (UN subregion)  Maghreb[1] West Africa or Western Africa is the westernmost region of the African continent. ... The Huns were an early confederation of Central Asian equestrian nomads or semi-nomads. ... Academic fencing or Mensur fencing is the traditional kind of fencing practiced by some student corporations (Studentenverbindungen) in Germany, Austria, Switzerland and recently to a minor extent in Latvia and Flanders as well. ... A Studentenverbindung (the umbrella term that includes the Burschenschaften, Landsmannschaften, Corps, Turnerschaften, Sängerschaften, Catholic Corporations, Wingolf and Ferialverbindungen) is a German student corporation somewhat comparable to fraternities in the US or Canada. ... Alternative meaning: Nineteenth Century (periodical) (18th century — 19th century — 20th century — more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 19th century was that century which lasted from 1801-1900 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar. ... Body modification (or body alteration) is the permanent or semi-permanent deliberate altering of the human body for non-medical reasons, such as spiritual, various social (markings), BDSM edgeplay or aesthetic. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (1496x1016, 105 KB) Summary Franz Luthi took this photo in 1975 and has given me (John Hill) written permission to use it on the Wikipedia free of copyright Licensing Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (1496x1016, 105 KB) Summary Franz Luthi took this photo in 1975 and has given me (John Hill) written permission to use it on the Wikipedia free of copyright Licensing Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under...

Reasons

Man with Scarification Picture by Jean-Michel Clajot / www.view-of-africa.net

• Scarifications are usually more visible on darker skinned people than tattoos.
• Endorphins are released in the process of obtaining the scarification that can put a person into a high or euphoria.
• Unlike tattoos, scarifications are a product of one's own body.
• Religious expression.

Image File history File links Metadata No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links Metadata No higher resolution available. ... Endorphins are endogenous opioid biochemical compounds. ... Euphoria (Greek ) is a medically recognized emotional state related to happiness. ...

Methods

Scarification is not a precise art; there are many variables, such as skin type, depth of the cut, and how the wound is treated while healing, that make the outcome somewhat unpredictable. The body creates the scar, not the artist; it is important to keep in mind that a method that works well on one person may not work so well on another. Also, the scars tend to spread a bit as they heal, so scarifications are usually relatively simple designs -- small details can easily get swallowed up in the healing process.

Branding

Modern strike branding instruments

Ceremony in Benin Picture by Jean-Michel Clajot / www.view-of-africa.net

Pictures of scarification in Africa Image File history File linksMetadata Strike_Branding. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Strike_Branding. ... Image File history File links Metadata No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links Metadata No higher resolution available. ...

1. Strike branding -- This is basically the same process used to brand livestock. A piece of metal is heated and pressed onto the skin for the brand. However, the brand is usually done piece by piece rather than all at once. For example, to get a V-shaped brand, two lines would be burned separately by a straight piece of metal, rather than by a V-shaped piece of metal.
2. Cautery branding -- This is a less common form of branding that uses a tool similar to a cautery-iron to cause the burns.
3. Laser branding -- The technical term for laser branding is "electrocautery branding". The electrocautery unit is more like an arc welder for skin than a medical laser (though it is possible to use a medical laser for scarification). Electric sparks jump from the device to the skin, vaporizing the skin. This is a more precise form of scarification, because it is possible to regulate the depth and nature of the skin damage being done.
4. Cold branding -- This rare method of branding is the same thing as strike branding, except that the metal branding tool is subjected to extreme cold (such as liquid nitrogen) rather than extreme heat. This method will cause the hair on the brand to grow back white and will not cause any keloiding. General Name, Symbol, Number nitrogen, N, 7 Chemical series nonmetals Group, Period, Block 15, 2, p Appearance colorless gas Standard atomic weight 14. ... A keloid scar is a special case of a scar. ...

Cutting

Sepik River, Papua New Guinea. Initiation ceremony, Korogo Village, 1975. Franz Luthi

Cutting of the skin for cosmetic purposes is not to be confused with self-injury, which is also referred to by the euphemism "cutting." However, there may be borderline cases of artistic self-injury and self-scarification for internal, non-cosmetic reasons. ImageMetadata File history File links Download high resolution version (1024x1476, 144 KB) Summary Franz Luthi took this photo in Papua New Guinea in 1975 and has given me (John Hill) permission to use it on the Wikipedia free of copyright Licensing Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify... ImageMetadata File history File links Download high resolution version (1024x1476, 144 KB) Summary Franz Luthi took this photo in Papua New Guinea in 1975 and has given me (John Hill) permission to use it on the Wikipedia free of copyright Licensing Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify... Location of the Sepik River The Sepik River is the longest river in Papua New Guinea (although the Fly River also claims to be the longest). ... Self-harm (SH) is deliberate injury to ones own body. ... Euphemism is the substitution of an agreeable or inoffensive expression for one that may offend or suggest something unpleasant to the listener; or in the case of doublespeak, to make it less troublesome for the speaker. ...

Lines are cut with surgical blades. Extended cutting techniques include:

1. Ink rubbing -- This is where tattoo ink (or another sterile coloring agent) is rubbed into a fresh cut. Most of this ink will remain in the skin as the cut heals, and will have the same basic effect as a tattoo. As with tattoos, it is important not to pick the scabs as this will pull out the ink. The general public often interprets ink-rubbings as poorly done tattoos.
2. Skin removal/skinning -- Cutting in single lines produces relatively thin scars, and skin removal is a way to get a larger area of scar tissue. The outlines of the area of skin to be removed will be cut, and then the skin to be removed will be peeled away. Scars from this method often have an inconsistent texture.
3. Packing -- This method is uncommon in the West, but has traditionally been used in Africa. A cut is made diagonally and an inert material such as clay or ash is packed into the wound; massive keloids are formed during healing as the wound pushes out the substance that had been inserted into the wound. Cigar ash is commonly used in the United States for more raised and purple scars; people may also use ashes of deceased loved ones.

A keloid is a special type of scar which results in an overgrowth of tissue at the site of a healed skin injury. ...

Abrasion

Scars can be formed by removing layers of skin through abrasion. This can be achieved using a tattooing device (with no ink), or any object that can remove skin through friction (such as sandpaper). It is somewhat common for people who wish to experiment with performing their own scarifications to scrape away skin into a desired pattern with a needle or pin. This method of self-scarification is not recommended as it is unsafe.

Chemical scarification uses corrosive chemicals to remove skin and induce scarring. The effects of this method are typically very similar to other, simpler forms of scarification; as a result there has been little research undertaken on this method.

Healing

The common opinion on healing a scarification wound is that it should be treated with irritation.

• Irritation -- Generally, the longer it takes a wound to heal, the more pronounced (the darker or more raised) the scar will be. Therefore, in order to have very pronounced scars, the goal is to keep the wound open and healing for the longest time possible. This is done by picking or scrubbing away scabs and irritating the wound with chemical or natural irritants such as toothpaste or citrus juice. Some practitioners recommend the use of tincture of iodine which has been proven to cause more visible scaring (this is why it's no longer used for treating minor wounds). With this method, a wound may take months to heal; however the scar may be inconsistent.
• Keloids -- Keloids are raised scars. Keloiding can be a result of genetics, skin color (darker skin types are more prone to keloiding), or irritation. Keloids are often desired for the visual, 3-D effect they provide and for the way they feel to the touch.
• If an enclosed space --such as a circle -- is cut or branded, it is possible that the skin inside of the closed space will die off and scar due to a lack of blood flow to the area.
• Touch-ups -- If a scarification does not heal in the desired fashion, secondary scarifications may be done to help achieve the desired effect, such as even scarring, or detail.

An alternative view is described by the acronym LITHA, meaning Leave It The Hell Alone. In body modification this is often considered the best way to reduce the risk of infection and the pain of healing.^{[citation needed]} This page is a candidate to be moved to Wiktionary. ... A keloid scar is a special case of a scar. ...

Dangers/cautions

Scarification is intentionally causing harm or trauma to the skin; thus it is not safe.

• Infection is a concern. Not only do the materials for inducing the wounds need to be sanitary, but the wound needs to be kept clean, using anti-bacterial solutions or soaps often, and having good hygiene in general. It is not uncommon, especially if the wound is being irritated, for a local infection to develop around the wound.
• The scarification artist needs to have a working knowledge of the anatomy of human skin, in order to prevent tools cutting too deep, burning too hot (or cold), or burning for too long.
• Scarification isn't nearly as popular as tattooing, so it is harder to find artists experienced in scarification.
• Precautions are made for brandings, such as wearing masks, because it is possible for diseases to be passed from the skin into the fumes produced when the skin is burning.

An infection is the detrimental colonization of a host organism by a foreign species. ... Human heart and lungs, from an older edition of Grays Anatomy. ... This article is about the tattoo, a design in ink or some other pigment, usually decorative or symbolic, placed permanently under the skin. ...

See also

• Body modification
• Tattooing
• Body art
• Self-injury

Body modification (or body alteration) is the permanent or semi-permanent deliberate altering of the human body for non-medical reasons, such as spiritual, various social (markings), BDSM edgeplay or aesthetic. ... This article is about the tattoo, a design in ink or some other pigment, usually decorative or symbolic, placed permanently under the skin. ... Complex Kadakali makeup is a form of body art Body art is art made on, with, or consisting of, the human body. ... Self-harm (SH) is deliberate injury to ones own body. ...

External links

• Pictures of scarification in Africa - Features by Jean-Michel Clajot, Belgian photographer
• Extensive Scarification Article - Features different scarification techniques and advice
• The Medical Museum: University of Iowa Health Care: Body Alterations
• Scarification FAQ from Body Modification E-Zine
• Scarification entry in BME Encyclopedia
• Ancient Marks - Audio interview with photographer/author Chris Rainer about his book Ancient Marks, from The World radio program, December 28, 2005 (Windows Media Audio Format)