Branding, scarification, and how skin changes over time?

blackcat777 · Dec 21, 2017

Does anyone have good resources for information on this subject?

I have a character who needs to be marked that he was sold into slavery young (around age 10), and another character who discovers his scars later in life when he's about 25. So I'm curious about different methods of achieving this, and how the appearance of the affected skin would change over time, specifically because the character being scarred moves from childhood to adulthood.

For story purposes, it would be nice if I could find a way to make it credible if the mark were about palm-sized. Branding was the first thing that came to mind.

Thanks!

Maryn · Dec 21, 2017

Luckily I have no direct experience, but one place to seek info and images is a search for "fraternity branding." Apparently some college frats, many of them for black men, use branding as their expression of loyalty and group identification.

The first article I glanced through says, "... every person’s skin reacts to the burn differently. For some, it creates a flat scar that fades more easily over time. In his case, it created a raised scar called a keloid scar that he said took three to four months to heal." (http://www.dailytarheel.com/article...ernities-branding-ritual-is-rooted-in-history) The same article mentions that brands do fade over time, but that deeper burns' outlines are still visible on some men branded in the 1960s. Wow, huh?

Apparently branding done by someone knowledgeable can be deliberately made lifelong or likely to fade to nothing over time, so you may be able to just pick what your story needs.

Branding, scarification, and how skin changes over time?

blackcat777

Maryn

Baaa!