Out Of Class "Field Trip"

This weekend I attended a "cutting" with my girlfriend. The process is similar to that of getting a tattoo, but a scalpel is used rather than a tattoo gun. My girlfriend got a crop circle design that she had drawn herself etched into her leg. Part of this process involved some skin removal, in addition to the "etching" portion.

Here is an example of what the end products of scarification look like:



Once the incisions have been made, and any undesired skin has been removed, the healing process takes about 6-8 weeks. The work is at high risk for infection, so it must be washed twice daily with a gentle soap for the first couple of weeks. Once the piece starts to scab, it needs to be scrubbed with sea-salt to irritate it. This will make the scar raise and get a dark red, as opposed to a light white. It was quite the thing to watch!