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Branding ( The Kiss Of Fire)Special Care for Branding The healing of a branding goes through two stages: a initial healing period during which the skin is open and scabbing (2 - 6 weeks), and a longer period during which the scar tissue forms and stabilizes (2 - 12 months). The aftercare will therefore go through two forms as well. In the initial healing stage, your top priority should be to keep the area clean. Brands are third degree burns. This means that skin has actually been destroyed. Your body's ability to protect itself from infection has been compromised, so you must pick up the slack externally. For this reason, it is particularly important that you not touch the area with dirty hands. Unless you are cleaning it, leave it alone! Do not pick at the scabs, scratch it, or otherwise get it grubby. Keep everyone else (including lovers and pets) away from it until the surface has sealed over. To Clean Twice a day, clean the brand with either liquid antibacterial/antiseptic soap, or a mild antiseptic like EarCare. -- If using the soap, choose a brand that is not irritating to your skin, and with as few extra chemicals (colors, fragrances, lotions) as possible. Good ones to try include: Dial Liquid®, Lever 2000®, unscented Castille soap (dilute with water), or Provon®. First wash your hands thoroughly. Then lather the branded area with the chosen soap, taking care to gently remove any loose dried discharge. Rinse and pat dry with a clean towel or paper towel. -- If using the liquid antiseptic, try one containing benzylkonium chloride, such as EarCare, Sensitive Ears® or Bactine®. Again, wash your hands first. Then saturate the area with the antiseptic. No need to rinse. You may want to blot the area with a paper towel wet with antiseptic to help remove any loose discharge. DO NOT USE rubbing alcohol, peroxide, or any kind of ointments on the brand! These may not only be irritating, but they may interfere with your healing. Also, emu oil should not be used on scarification or branding as emu oil hastens the healing process and inhibits scabbing. In the first day or two, you may want to put aloe vera gel (either bottled, or directly from the plant) on the brand to soothe it. However, using this past the second day or so may speed healing to the point that the brand does not raise as well. Often it is the first and second degree burns on the surrounding skin (caused by radiating heat), which is most painful. Feel free to put aloe on this skin as long as needed. (Keeping the aloe gel in the fridge makes it especially soothing!). Your brand will probably be excreting clear or yellowish fluid during the first few weeks, especially the first day or two. You may want to keep it lightly wrapped with sterile cotton gauze during this time, depending on the body part. If you do not, make sure the clothes covering it are clean, loose and preferably of natural fibers. Tight or synthetic clothing may rub and be irritating, and dirty clothes can harbor bacteria, which may cause infections. This includes using clean bedding during healing, and keeping pets out of your bed. After the surface skin has sealed over, the danger of infection is largely passed. You will still want to clean the brand in the shower, but you can treat it pretty much like normal skin. Now, you are mainly waiting for your body to build up new skin cells and scar tissue, to form the pattern you desire. It is at this stage that you can begin irritating your brand to cause more dramatic scarring. Do not try picking or scratching at the brand before the skin has sealed over! You may end up ripping the edges and making them uneven, or even giving yourself an infection. To intensify your scarring, you might try -- Scrubbing the area gently with a loofah sponge in the shower, or -- Lightly scratching the area with your fingernails during the day. With either of these methods, take care not to scratch the new skin open. -- Also, nickel is a strong chemical irritant to the skin. On a fresh wound it can cause blood poisoning costume jewelry (pendants or armbands) over the area, or taping nickel pieces to the skin while sleeping at night. If you can find a way to make this work, it can be very effective in encouraging scarring. If it makes you itch, it's working. (Obviously, if the reaction becomes severe or worrisome, discontinue and consult a physician if necessary.) It may be several months, or even a year, before your brand finishes scarring. Even then, the results will depend largely on your particular skin. Some people scar dramatically with very little effort, some people notice a color change and not much else. Some body parts scar more visibly than others. Ideal spots include upper arms, chest, sternum, and shoulder blades, butt cheeks. Legs generally don't mark as well. Anywhere with softer skin or more fat below the skin is more likely to spread and leave "smeary" scars. The more muscle tone, the firmer the skin, and the more distinct your marks may be. Branding over shallow nerves, tendons or blood vessels are trickier and may be inappropriate for many people. In short, there are no specific guarantees with branding. It is an organic modification, rather than an exact one like piercing. What you get may vary with location, skin type, body fat, care, etc. The emphasis should be more on the experience of the brand, rather than solely on the end results.
Scarification is the deliberate cutting or marking of the skin, usually with a blade or scalpel, in order to produce designs of colored and/or textured scar tissue. It should be done under clean conditions, using a sterile scalpel and cutting to a proper depth. Once the marks have been made, there are several different ways that you can take care of your new cutting. It all depends on what kind of scar you want, and your skin type. Average Healing Time: 1 - 2 months depending on the type of cutting. General Aftercare Wash your new cutting twice a day with a mild liquid antibacterial soap, such as Dial®, Lever 2000®, Provon®, or Soft Soap®. Wash your hands thoroughly before touching your cutting. Do not pick or scratch at scabs. Simply keep the cutting clean and allow it to heal naturally. Do not use any ointments (such as Neosporin®) on the cutting. For Inked Cuttings An inked cutting will heal flat and not raise very much, similar to a tattoo. It is important that you do not pick, scratch, or irritate your inked cutting, or some ink fallout may occur. For Heavy Raising If you desire a heavy raised look for your cutting, you can take a new soft bristled toothbrush and, while cleaning your cutting, brush the cutting. The more and longer you irritate the cutting, the more it will have a tendency to raise. Using hydrogen peroxide along with the toothbrush can also increase rising. DO NOT begin irritating the cutting until after the initial healing period, once fresh new skin has appeared. What to Avoid -- Body fluid contact. This could be a shortcut to a nasty infection. This includes keeping others' mouths and all bodily fluids off a healing cutting, even if you are monogamous. -- Unwashed hands. Touching, picking, or scratching your cutting with hands you haven't just washed. Again, an easy way to put germs in your wound. If you think you are having any problems with your cutting, feel free to give us a call or stop by for a check-up. Remember, we are not doctors. Our advice is based upon our experience in our field. Should you have a serious concern, please see your physician. DISCLAIMER: By using this information you understand and agree that Blue Star Tattoos Inc., its employees, agents, or assigns, will never offer medical advice or diagnosis, and that any information provided by printed, verbal or other means is purely anecdotal, and that any such information is never intended as substitution for professional medical advice or diagnosis. You are advised to seek professional medical attention should such become necessary in your opinion and at your sole discretion. The products described are not meant to treat or diagnose a disease. The following statements have not been evaluated by Health Department or the FDA; they are based entirely on hands-on experience and observation at Blue Star Tattoos Inc. and the opinions and observations of numerous other reputable professional piercers. Be aware that many doctors have not received specific training regarding piercing. |
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