What is “laser” branding?
“Laser” branding is a term coined by Steve Haworth as an easy way to explain his electrocautery unit to the general public. Although medical lasers could certainly be used for scarification, this branding is done using a device similar to an arc welder for skin. The body is grounded, and a spark jumps between a cutting electrode and the skin, vaporising tissue in its path. An electrocautery device offers the ability to exert very precise control over the depth and nature of tissue damage, allowing the experienced artist to build up a texturally diverse scar. What does a healed brand look like? Ideally a healed branding looks like a pattern of thick raised lines, slightly lighter than skin colour. However, the amount of raising or keloiding varies greatly, dependant on a large number of factors. Sometimes these scars even inset rather than raise. Strike branding generally produces fatter, more raised scars, with modern cautery devices being able to produce a more subtle line. How much d
