Can you brand over a tattoo

In modern times, branding was adapted by body modification enthusiasts who are looking to take a step further with their body mods.

Some only want to give branding a go, seeing as getting tattoos and piercings are already pretty mainstream. There are also a number of gangs and fraternities all over the world who take part in branding to mark a member within their brotherhood.

Still, the legalities concerning branding with consent is currently considered a legal grey area. Designs for branding can only be limited depending on the artist. It's not very advisable to choose complicated and detailed design to be used for branding if you're aware that the artist isn't very experienced in the area.

But if that's not the case, you can create a variety of designs the same way you can in scarification. There are a number of ways to perform branding. One of the most common ways is strike branding.

This involves heating a small strip of stainless steel and pressing them to the skin repeatedly until the whole design has been covered. Branding irons like the ones they used back then are rare these days.

Others like Marc Pinto, a body modification artist based in Australia, use a medical equipment called a Thermal Cautery Unit. A TCU is more convenient to use, as it's set to a constant temperature, giving a third-degree cauterized burn. The device also makes creating curves and a variety of easier. There are a few other methods of branding such as cold branding and solar branding, which is very intriguing, but seeing as body branding isn't very common, the alternative methods are even rarer.

During the branding process, you may feel faint, have difficulty breathing, or even pass out. While some seek the euphoric release of dopamine during the process, it can be overwhelming, especially during long sessions. If you decide to get a brand, there may be good reasons for putting it off, including the following:. Any time you break the skin, you run the risk of a getting an infection.

Healing your branding scars requires special care. All branding techniques involve burning the skin. So your skin will require the same amount of care , if not more, than it does after an accidental burn. After branding, your brander should apply therapeutic salve and cover the brand with plastic wrap. Until the brand is healed, you should wash the affected area with mild soap as needed.

During the first few days after branding, you should wash and bandage your wounds twice a day. Bandaging should protect the healing skin but also allow it to breathe. Gently apply a therapeutic salve, such as antibiotic cream or petroleum jelly, and then cover the wound with gauze. Do this at least once a day until the wound is completely healed. While the wound is healing, watch out for symptoms of infection , including:. Have the procedure done in a safe, professional setting.

If done improperly, it could lead to a serious infection, a disfiguring scar, or both. Getting a tattoo or piercing is a big decision. Discover the health risks associated with tattoos and piercings, tips for having a safe procedure, and…. If the hair grows back it will be white. Freeze branding takes longer to do than fire branding and may take days to become visible, while fire branding shows results immediately. This branding method is extremely rare and not often used among body modification enthusiasts, but ranchers consider it as an extremely effective method for branding their livestock, because it does only minor damage to the hide and leaves distinctive branding marks of white hair.

Branding fumes contain dangerous biological substances from the skin of the person being branded. While some of these airborne viruses and bacteria are dangerous to humans, the heat of the branding destroys most of these germs that can affect humans. Still, branders use HEPA air filters, ventilation systems, and respiratory masks while branding to prevent the transfer of airborne viruses and bacteria.

There are two schools of thought regarding the aftercare of brandings-LITA or "leave it alone," or irritation.

Leaving the branding alone will allow the body to heal consistently; however, if a person is not genetically disposed to keloiding, the raised area of the scar will be minimal.

Irritating a healing branding wound increases the height of the resulting scar; however, it also produces unpredictable healing and scarring. Picking or rubbing the healing area with steel wool or a toothbrush, or using exfoliating agents can successfully irritate the healing branding. The healing process for brandings usually lasts at least a year. Separate from the pain of the branding procedure, during the healing process the branded area will be extremely sensitive and sore.

If the branding is on a body part that flexes, it may cause the wound to tear open during movement. Healing brandings undergo a few phases, which vary in length and extremes from person to person. A branding will first scab over, which can last from a few weeks to just over a month. At this phase, the appearance of the branding is a bright red raised scar, which slowly becomes lighter than the normal skin tone. This phase lasts about twelve months, and the scar tissue may rise slightly more during this time.

The appearance of a healed strike branding ideally is a design of thick raised lines, lighter than the skin's natural tone. The height of the branding varies significantly on a large number of variables, such as the method of branding, body part and area branded, and skin texture. Strike brandings produce thicker, raised scars, whereas cautery brandings produce thinner lines.

Brandings typically heal three or four times the width of the branding tool used to make it. Cosmetic surgery claims the ability to remove a branding by using lasers or other advanced techniques; however, it is expensive and not always successful. Currently it is not possible to completely remove a branding without leaving some type of scar. See also Punk; Scarification ; Tattoos.

Tsaile, Ariz. Camphausen, Rufus C.