Scarification is a process of permanently altering the texture of skin by cutting through sheets of skin to create a scar on purpose. A mixture of techniques can be employed, including cutting, scratching, and burning.

There is a deep history to this tradition dating back to West African history where incisions are made—either by cutting or branding—to communicate cultural expressions through permanent scars. According to tradition, scarification signified a person’s identity, including a person’s position within their community, an adult’s passage into adulthood, or a connection to a tribe. In other words, the idea came from the desire to save the human body from painful tattoos rather than wanting to harm it.

In scarification, the skin is opened up so that skin tissue can grow along the drawn lines. Its lighter color is because it is damaged skin that tends to grow back lighter so that it will contrast with darker skin tones. Also, it was common to irritate healing scars even further by rubbing them to leave a more distinct scar.

We will learn everything about scarification as a body modification and what should be taken care of when we do it. Thousands of people use this method every year, so you should learn everything you need to about it before you attempt it. If you would like to discuss this process in more depth, we strongly suggest that you make an appointment with your doctor.

Reasons of Scarification

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Anthropologists have debated long and hard about what constitutes a boundary. Introducing rites of passage into his description of tattooing, scarification, and painting in 1909, Van Gennep described these transformations as rituals of passage. Levi-Strauss described the body in 1963 as an imprinted surface that is waiting for the culture to imprint. Turner (1980) first introduced the term “social skin” in his analysis of how Kayapo culture was constructed and expressed through the individual body. An important theme in anthropology that has been present since its inception is that of boundaries between the individual and society, between societies, and between representation and experience.