At A Glance Author casey Contact personal_evolution@hotmail.com When Six months ago Artist emily Studio addictions piercing and tattoo Location salem,oregon The idea of branding is fairly taboo to many people. Scars are thought of by many, to be ugly and remind us of past times or events that we would like to forget. Usually we don't think about utilizing scars as a way of remembering the good times, or marking important points in life. When most people imagine the act of branding, they think about how bad it hurts when you accidentally bump up against a hot stove, or what it feels like to spill boiling water on your bare feet.
These were a few of the pre-conceived notions that flooded my mind, when I made the decision to willingly inflict third degree burns upon myself.
As a piercing apprentice, I'm constantly thinking about my next body modification. The idea of branding came naturally, about two years before actually receiving the scars. I had been flirting with the idea of enhancing some of my tattoo work with the addition of scarification for quite some time, but I didn't feel as though it were appropriate, at least not right then.
After I had become a piercing apprentice, I presented the idea to the owner of the shop,(the person giving me the brand)Emily. As a highly experienced piercer and former nurse, she had a very reliable understanding of where and how to properly brand. It also relieved me to hear of the success of other brands she had done in the past. After a little bit of bugging and a lot of persistence, she decided to give me my first set of scars.
The day came when we were both ready. After briefly meditating, I was prepared. I sat in the piercing chair and instantly the adrenaline began to pump hard in anticipation. I decided on using the whole broad side of my right arm. This may not be the most painful spot, but this was a big design for my first brand. The scars were to consist of some patterns that I created as well as the initials of my mother and sister(SAD and JLT). After cleaning the area that was to be burned, Emily asked if I was ready. "Go for it" I said. As the brand began, I started to relax! The burning was actually not nearly as painful as most of my tattoo's. Shortly after the first pass of the cautery pen, the pain would disappear. This was due to the destruction of the nerves just below the surface of the skin. It felt like the process of receiving a tattoo without the needles.
About half way through the procedure, the cautery pen quit working. Emily explained before we started, about how we would need to use many pens because they don't retain heat very well. Once we got the pen to work again, the inevitable happened. The last of the batteries had died. As it turns out, the pens go through batteries like a fat kid goes through doughnuts. After about fifteen minutes of ripping the shop apart in search of some double a batteries, we were successful.
About two hours, three cautery pens and many complications, my brand was complete. After words, I was told how to clean and take care of it, then sent home for a much needed nap. No pain was felt for the first few days. No pain was felt, because I had yet to irritate the wound. The first four days, I didn't touch it. The next month was hell. To cause the scars to keloid, I had to pick the scabs daily, scrub the open wounds with a clean tooth brush and baking soda, pour hydrogen peroxide on it, and wash it twice a day with anti-bacterial soap. Lets just say picking scabs on third degree burns is no picnic. Just to do that, I had to briefly meditate to get past the pain. Lots of deep breathing was involved during this phase of the healing. The process was extremely painful and not for the weak at heart. The process was a very positive experience and totally worth wile.
Six months later, the only regret I have is placing the letters too close together. They have since started to blend together and will eventually become to blurry to read. After the first month or two, I did not experience any kind of pain or discomfort. About four months after the brand was made, out of nowhere it began to become very tender and itchy. To this day, I still have slight tenderness in the bright pink scars, but that is all of the discomfort that I live with. In the end, it was all worth the agonizing after care and irritation. By lifting up my right sleeve, I can show anyone at any time just how much my family means to me.