Body art is a very old and important part of human history and is a growing trend in America. The oldest form of body art in existence is Branding. Branding has been used since ancient times as a form of identification, as a rite of passage, as punishment for a crime, part of the membership process of a fraternity or group, or it can be a part of some sado-masochistic rituals.
The cosmetics industry sells millions of dollars of temporary products for both men and women every year, piercing and tattooing are growing in mainstream acceptance, and although Branding is still considered “fringe” by many, its practitioners are growing in number as well (Michael Jordan and Emmitt Smith are among celebrities sporting brands).
Branding is not for everyone. It takes a "different" kind of person to get a branding and they need to know exactly what they're in for. Although this may seem like a relatively easy way to get an endorphin rush it is not to be undertaken lightly. Branding is a third degree burn on the skin and the healing process can become uncomfortable. In three to five days, the scar will begin to itch as it heals. Leave it alone!!! If the scab is disturbed, then the scar will become raised and rough. Keep it clean and in six to eight weeks it will heal into a flat scar. People heal in different colors too. Some may appear redder while others are quite faint, and it can take up to a year to completely finalize the entire healing process. Brandings are not removable, and they can be only slightly reduced via plastic surgery.
Types of branding:
Strike yields more dramatic results, it's more intense body work and is done with hot irons heated to 1,100 degrees and touches the skin for less than a second. The design can be done no more than two inches at a time because the heat on the metal must remain even. The resulting scar will spread to 3 times the width of the original burn, therefore the iron should be thin. The nerves are instantaneously destroyed so there should be no pain involved. With strike, the intricacy of the design is limited because of the width of the irons and the resulting spread of the scar.
Cautery scalpel is different in that the design is drawn onto the skin using a device similar to a heat pen. A thermal transfer, as is done before tattooing, is designed and applied to the skin. Then the heat pen goes over it. This process leaves more of a fine line and is not as deep. Letters and more intricate designs can be done using this method.
