Scarification

Etymology

The word comes from the Latin scarificare , which means “to incise”.

Scarification of the grounds

The scarification of the ground is primarily used to de-felt, i.e. to lacerate the layer of plants which appears with long on certain lawns and which becomes a barrier at the entry of water and elements nutritive in the ground. This layer comes from the foam proliferation (on the wet grounds, in the shade, too compacted) and from the accumulation of waste of shearings which occurs when one does not collect by grass.

To carry out this alteration work of the ground one uses a Scarificateur.

Medical scarification

Scarification with medical goal old, is practiced since antiquity, it is especially of XVIe at the XVIIIe century that it is a practice spread at the time of the surface bled S.

Nowadays, the purpose of medical scarification is to treat skin diseases or to treat zones being in the vicinity interior of the skin. Scarification is also used in certain cases of Vaccination or to treat virulant cases of Rosacée.

Social scarification

Scarification in Africa

Social scarification has an old origin, one finds it usually practiced in Africa (particularly in West Africa) where it replaced the tattooing which is distinguished badly on the dark skins. Social scarification revêt a particular, ritual significance of passage to the adulthood or membership restricted.

Scarification in Australia and New Guinea

The Indigenous of Australia and certain tribes of New Guinea practice or practiced scarification.

Scarification in Occident

In Occident, this practice attracted the followers of body Modification which names it sometimes cutting (or '' burning ''/'' branding although in this case the practice is not truly a scarification). Scarification voluntarily leaves visible scars, when the esthetic aspect is in the middle of the step, it belongs to the body modifications and are connected with tattooing, but when the pain and the will to destroy set up in goal, it becomes a revealing mutilation of a pathological behavior. This scarification (mainly on the interior part of the front armlevers) is very widespread at certain groups of young people. It is called “car-scarification”.

Methods of scarification

Within the framework of the body modifications, one distinguishes two kinds of scarification: scarifications in relief and scarifications in hollow. The first are obtained by incising simply the skin, the second by removing part of the surface envelope of this one, all these wounds remaining benign ( cutting ). Another method still consists in burning the skin superficially ( burning , or branding ). A treatment is then applied directly to scarification for at the same time limiting the risks of infection and preventing the wounds from normally healing. The reasons remain mysterious.

Dangers and precautions

Scarification consists in voluntarily causing a damage with its skin and is thus not without danger. It must thus be practiced with precaution, in the compliance with rules of strict hygiene.

the infections are possible, not only by the material, but also while the wound is not completely closed again. The material must be of single use to avoid transmitting diseases of one individual to the other (like the AIDS for example). Moreover, the scar requires to be regularly cleaned with one disinfecting.
artistic scarification must be made by an informed professional who has good knowledge in anatomy in order not to notch the skin too deeply, or to burn it or cool too much (according to the method used).
For the method by burn, it is imperatively necessary to carry a mask to be protected from possible diseases which would pass in smoke when the skin burns.

Psychological scarification or Self-mutilation

Scarification allows the expression of a psychological suffering. The people practitioner this self-mutilation generally testify to a greater comfort after being themselves mutilated. That can appear paradoxical but that is explained by the fact why Endorphines are released during scarification, which can bring the person to a certain wellbeing, even with a Addiction with this practice.

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Scarification is also a punishment inflicted with oneself which gets certainly a greater comfort in the immediate future, as well as a certain addiction, but which locks up even more in its suffering. More, with reading " Teenager with flower of peau" of Dr. Xavier Pommereau (Albin Michel, 2006)

See too

External bonds

ReportagePhoto of Jean-Michel Clajot
medical Scarification
Example of vaccination by scarification
Article of the Geographic National on social Scarifications (in English)
To scarify its lawn

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