Scarification

Scarification is a permanent body modification that uses scar tissue produced by the body to form designs, pictures, or words in the skin. Scars are most often formed by cutting or branding the skin. Scarification is sometimes called cicatrization (from the French equivalent).

Healing

The two main schools of thought on how a wound should be treated are LITHA and irritation.

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• LITHA -- Leave It The Hell Alone. This ought to reduce the risk of infection and the pain of healing.
• Irritation -- Generally, the longer it takes a wound to heal, the more pronounced (the darker or more raised) the scar will be. So, 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 the scars and irritating the wound with chemical or natural irritants such as toothpaste or citrus juice. With this method, it can take a wound months to heal, and the scar may be inconsistent. This method is not for wimps.
• Keloids -- Keloids, (also a verb: to keloid) 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 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 because of a lack of blood.
• Touch-ups -- If a scarification does not heal in the desired fashion, secondary scarifications can be done to help achieve the desired effect, such as even scarring, or detail.