Today we’ll look into perhaps the most painful of all body modifications, human branding. Branding is a process that involves burning the skin in a manner that will result in a permanent scar or mark, usually in a pattern or the shape of a specific symbol.
Branding works through the process of controlled injury and should never be considered “Safe”. Although if applied by a professional with experience in branding the risk could be considered acceptable.
Types Of Branding
Strike Branding – The process of heating a small piece of metal to the appropriate temperature and striking it against the skin. This can be done with a single or multiple strikes. Strike branding is the most common form of branding in use today.
Electrocautery – This form of branding uses a device which passes electrical current through an electrode which in turn becomes intensely hot. This type of branding can be used to create significantly more intricate patterns then strike branding.
Electrosurgery or Hyfrecator Branding – This form of branding uses a device which passes electrical current directly through the patients skin to, in effect, burn the skin. Several devices and setups are available for this type of branding and is very similar to Electrocautery.
Cautery Pen – This is a medical instrument used to control blood loss. Although previously popular among scarification artist they have fallen out of favor lately as they are just not reliable enough for body modification.
Healing Time And Care
Brands are a quite significant injury to the body and will take a long time to heal. It can take as long as 6 to 12 months to completely heal a brand. Healing time and final appearance of the scar will vary greatly from person to person depending on your body’s natural keloid development.
It is generally accepted that the best way to heal a brand is to just leave it alone. Applying a general antiseptic ointment and keeping the area clean. Be aware that a brand is a third degree burn and can easily get an infection if not taken care of properly.
Some Things You Should Know
Branding does not produce perfect lines like tattooing. Scars will migrate and can heal inconsistently leaving some areas more pronounced then others. Any lines formed during the branding process can be expected to heal to three times the initial wound width.
Brands can be tattooed over but not until the scar has healed completely, this is usually at least 12 months from the initial brand.
If a brand does not heal the way you want it to you can always get it re-branded once all the tissue has healed completely. Just like tattooing over a scar you are going to want to wait at least a year.
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Tags: Branding
21 responses so far ↓
1 Jeff // Mar 25, 2009 at 2:32 pm
Branding is far from the most painful. The amount of pain relies on the temperature of the surface of the object doing the burning. The video above states that the metal is heated above 1000 degrees. a Third degree burn can be made by something as cool as 300 degrees. I, personally, made a circle brand on my bicep with a glass vaporizer whip that was heated to 320 degrees farenheit. I put the ring of class to my bicep and held it there, not applying too much pressure, for about 5 seconds. I felt virtually zero pain. The burn was so severe that it was painless, but the piece of glass was not hot enough to penetrate even further and burn the inner tissue which causes excrutiating pain. My scar came out perfectly circular and symmetrical, with no infections, zero pain, and little regret. It’s like an inverse-zero scale, too cold – terrible pain and displeasing scare, too hot terrible – pain and possible mutilation of scar and tissue infection.
2 Toby // Apr 14, 2009 at 4:38 pm
I just had my 2nd session, getting a tattoo branded OFF of my FACE. It was a star the diameter of a quarter and 2 horizontal stripes 1 inch from the star below my eye, to my hairline. I sat 2 hours for the first session, and 1 hour yesterday, for the followup session. I have 62 #$@#$ tattoos, lemme tell ya, the article is truth…..branding hurts….alot.
3 Dax // Aug 6, 2009 at 7:18 pm
Just like the other comments stated it does hurt, and it “hurts” even more if you do it yourself. Since you have to commit and do it, and then hold it there for at least 3-5 seconds. Also I believe it should be done by no one else but yourself. Just be smart about it, and make it your choice to do it!
4 Duckey // Oct 3, 2009 at 8:56 pm
I got my first brand 2 days ago. It was interesting to say the least. I go to a welding school, and there’s a machine shop class next door, I had a kid make a clover out of a piece of 1/4 inch stainless steel, the clover itself is solid, flat, and about 2 inches in diameter. I welded a 1/4 inch x 7 inch rod to the back of it. (just for the record, i’ve always been known as a f@#*ing nutter). As soon as I was done welding it, (for those who don’t know, when you weld metal it gets RED hot) I grabbed it and stuck it right to my arm. And YES, it hurt. I held it for about 3 seconds or so. Pretty quickly afterwards it stopped hurting so much and felt like a hit, like I had a slight bruise. Then when I started poking at it, lol, I realized it was totally numb and stiff like old wet then dried leather, lol. I’ve just been putting anti bacterial spray on it and I must say it looks pretty good. Is there a way to put a picture up or send one. It was actually so pleasant an experience, that i’m getting more!!!! I’m gonna start making more brands and branding on myself. If anyone could give me tips or anything like that please contact me on myspace at myspace.com/snickerkiller, Or leave a response here. The only advice I suppose I can give is try not to do it in a welding shop environment, hahaha.
Love, Respect, and remember they’re permanent.
5 Duckey // Oct 3, 2009 at 9:08 pm
P.S. I have tats on my ribs, legs, arms, chest, back, back of head, inside of lip, not to mention peircings in “weird” places, and branding hurt like a B*#ch!!!
6 Cristal // Oct 23, 2009 at 8:35 am
I’m 16 and planning on getting branded on my chest. Is there anything I should know in particular about burning that area?
7 Toby // Oct 24, 2009 at 3:17 pm
Read the other posts. It’s gonna hurt, darlin’, and be there forever.
8 Tiffany // Nov 12, 2009 at 11:49 am
Stupid question, is there any possible way I could get branded on the bottom of my foot without damaging nerves?
9 Katelyn // Nov 12, 2009 at 3:15 pm
Could anyone tell me about getting branded on the back of the thighs to the ankle? I want to get a straight line there.
10 duckey // Nov 17, 2009 at 3:29 pm
well Tiff….
what to say, what third degree burns do is kill the nerve. period.
thats why they don’t give burn victims anesthesia when they’re cleaning them and peeling of all that burnt skin. they can’t feel it. soooooo, no. i don’t think you can do it wifout damaging your nerves, hope that helpled. hell who know’s, i could be wrong. (don’t think so though) lol
11 duckey // Nov 17, 2009 at 3:40 pm
katelyn,
all i can tell you is that it’ll hurt like sh*t for a minute. not as bad as a tattoo though in the sense that tattoos hurt for longer than a brand does. brands are only 3 to 5 seconds. tattoos can be hours, lol. and brands, they take a goooood while to heal. my first brand, (oct. 1st.) is doing some of it’s final peeling and healing. it’s starting to look like a brand now, and not like a 3rd degree scabbed up burn in the shape of a clover, lol, but from what my research tells me, it usually takes anywhere between 4 to 8 months to heal, some people up to a year depending on they’re skin. i’m actually lucky in that sense, i seem to heal pretty darn fast, (thank goodness), good luck, and if your anything like me…
you’ll want more, i already started making the brands for my next couple of’em. peace.
12 RedRider // Dec 17, 2009 at 12:00 am
I just got a cross branded on my arm and it hurt like hell for about five mins then I couldn’t feel it I made mine out of a coat hanger and bailing wire then my buddy held me down and after it sat in a fire for bout five mins anothe buddy stuck the cross on me don’t look too bad
13 alyssa // Dec 17, 2009 at 4:30 pm
ive been wanting a brand for a long time now, im trying figure out how long to heat the steel. im not completely sure what shape i want yet so any suggestions would b cool too.
14 duckey // Dec 22, 2009 at 12:49 pm
dear alyssa, the only advice i can give you is try n make it something personal, brands are permanent, tattoos can be covered up or removed, brands can’t. and to red rider, the guy who left a comment before you, be careful, i wouldn’t do my brands with anything less than stainless steel, or surgical stainless steel, being a machinist/ welder you learn a little about metal. metals are made up of alot of different stuff, they could be cheap alloys or galvanized, stuff you really don’t want getting in your body. a friend, mario, ended up in the hospital and couldn’t use his left arm for a good while cos he used some crappy steel and ended up getting an infection that almost led to him losing a chunk of his hand. the infection wasn’t from it not getting taken care of, but from the metal that he used. you can’t just grab a peice of metal and brand yuorself. so please be safe/smart. now this is just me, but, doing them yourself is pretty gratifying. remember that it’s at least 3 seconds with a fair amount of pressure, if not upto 5 seconds. since i got my first in oct, i’ve made my own and brand myself, and research is essential, don’t just let somebody tell you what’s what. know for yourself, remember alyssa, it’s all about research, and if your gonna do it yourself, commitment, if not i recommend going to a shop instead of letting a couple of your possibly not so bright friends do it for you, and to red rider, i’m glad you didn’t get an infection, from the sound of it, but next time be a little safer and use proper steel, and if your gonna do it yourself, (red rider) do it yourself, don’t have your friends hold you down and brand you, like i said commitment, if you really want it you won’t move or flinch when you do it yourself, commitment. just like surfing, if you can’t paddle out past the big break, you shouldn’t be in the water surfing the big waves, good luck alyssa, my next one is gonna be the chevy bow tie at the top of my sternum. if anybody steals my idea, well you just suck, and i’m trying to make a brand like the rotterdam terror corps skull, that is gonna be tricky. peace n happy branding
15 eric // Jan 3, 2010 at 2:13 am
I am about to have a. Son…i want his initials branded on my chest over my heart…im looking for irons and artists in the louisville ky area…if anybody can. Get me or knos how to get me the irons n.s. for noah scott plz let me kno asap at soccercougar10@gmail.com…plz if u can get them for me i will pay and need them. By the end of february plz i dont have alotta money but this is more important to me then everything but my son so plz help me in any way possible
16 Michael // Jan 5, 2010 at 1:23 am
I got my first branding done about 2 weeks ago using my zippo and some sewing pins lol. I’m thinking about getting a tattoo done when I get the money. wich would you guys say hurts more?
17 jack // Jan 5, 2010 at 5:09 pm
Hey, So my uncles ranch had cattle, they had this cattle branding iron on the wall , it has never been used, its black steel, maybe even iron, its a four sided diamond with a “J” inside (diamond J ranch) anyway its been hanging in my garage now for years, and im determined to get it on my right outer bicept, should i like put some alcohol on my skin before i do it or what?? Should i heat it in a fire or with a torch?how hard should i push it? for how long? let me know.
18 Cecilia // Jan 11, 2010 at 6:10 pm
I just got my first brand on wend. and i was wondering how long it takes scab over? and if anyone has any suggestions on how to take care of it that would be great to! Thanks
19 Cecilia // Jan 11, 2010 at 6:13 pm
One more quick question how long should i wait to brand by the brand i just got wend? he missed one strike so i wanna fix it but i don’t want to compromise the healing of the rest of it… any advice?
20 duckey // Jan 20, 2010 at 5:11 pm
dear ceci,
it took mine about a week or so for it to scab up, after that i left it alone for a while n then picked at the scab over n over, thats just me though, i picked at it to make sure (not that i had to) it scarred reeal good, i just used a spray on it afterwards, a triple antibiotic, anesthetic burn spray, and it worked pretty good for me,. as for your other question, i would wait till it’s pretty much healed up to reburn or tattoo on or around it, i have to reburn a liiiittle tiny bit of mine as well, haha, but oh well, good luck ceci
21 EdgeoO // Jan 24, 2010 at 4:46 am
So a few years ago now at a friends going away party I got branded with a fork on both arms. The first brand was on my right arm and the metal wasn’t super hot so I demanded a second one saying “that wont be there forever”. I was right, it’s mostly faded now, you can see the base of the fork and the most outer two prongs faintly, kinda looks like a fireball. The second brand was incredibly hot though, the fork was burning bright red and I now a a bigfork rectangle shape brand on the other arm. I’ve never regretted it before but now I’m deciding I’d like to get a full star branded into it / around it to make it a big pattern so a couple questions.
Given the already large size of my old brand, would it be safe to burn a larger star into my arm? The rectangle shape screws the center of a star, so it would have to be quite large it seems. Is branding over an old scar safe? It seems to have fully healed awhile ago and now is just a raised white patch (with a couple new freckles grown ontop of it, I’m ginger).
Does someone with experience think I should try to design a star around the old scar tissue, maybe like striking? I’m kinda lost and curious but I don’t want it to look really dumb. Inputs be appreciated, thank you
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