Using strong acids or bases for chemical scarification also has the drawback of scarring so quickly: on the order of a few seconds when their concentrations are sufficient to cause enough burns to scar. The advantage of this is that it may seem desirable (pain of shorter duration), but it also means that if the chemical is not removed in a timely fashion, it can easily burn far more deeply than anticipated.

To make matters worse, the chemical must be neutralized to be safely removed from the area. Even in a test tube, this could be a difficult thing to accomplish precisely without human aid. When un-neutralized strongly acidic or basic solutions are washed away with water, the result will most likely be chemical burning across large parts of the body since the water will simply spread the chemical. In addition to being caustic, many acids and bases are toxic.

An alternative would be to use some kind of oxidizing agent. Although they still require some water to initiate the reaction, most oxidizing agents don’t need to be completely dissolved to do their job. Those hydrophobic organisms are therefore relatively easy to control since they can mostly remain dry. They are also far more resistant to burns than acids and bases, as they work more slowly, so they can be removed properly with large quantities of water while causing less harm than acids and bases. The use of chlorine-based oxidizers, such as those used to disinfect swimming pools, is never recommended because of their toxicity. Among the best choices is AgNO3, which is a non-toxic oxidizer routinely used in newborns’ care as a disinfectant.

Considerations During Chemical Scarification

Although chemical scarification has been successful, it is not a modification that should be undertaken lightly. A strong understanding of physiology that is related to body modification will not suffice, as will a solid knowledge of chemistry. Moreover, it is not nearly as precise as other forms of scarification since the pattern must be simple enough to be blocked out in some form on the body.