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Scarification
Scarification
“The third major distinction of human skin is that it is a surface for dec-
oration. Our skin is not just a passive covering that betrays our age or phys-
iological state. It is a potentially ever-changing personal tapestry that tells
the world about who we are or who we want to be. And, unlike the invol-
untary advertising afforded by our own skin color, the decorations we place
on our skin are deliberate and willful forms of advertisement—skin be-
comes a social placard, serving as both our “advertising billboard and the
packaging.”5 No other creature exerts such extensive control over what its
skin looks like. Humans expose it, cover it, paint it, tattoo it, scar it, and pierce
it, telling a unique story about ourselves to those around us. In a world of
increasingly globalized fashion, adornment of the skin is one of the last
frontiers of individuality and personal adventure.” - Nina Jablonski; Skin: A Natural History
Ornamental face masks of the Chokwe ethnic group in Angola, that depict scarifications
Achieved through cuts of the skin, burns, branding, chemical imprinting, and other techniques
Usually the explicit desire of an individual and their social community to achieve a permanent change in appearance
Artificially delay healing process to promote more prominent scarring
Burkina Faso, Nigeria, and Congo are considered important cultural centers of ritual scarification
Practiced in non-sterile environments, which greatly increases risks of infection
Ms. Martina Kaboré, 39, housewife, from Ouemkanga, Burkina Faso. “When I was 10 years, I asked for them. I wanted to be like my brothers and sisters, and to show that I am courageous. I was very eager. I liked them. I did not feel pain, because I really wanted them. Times have changed, but it’s okay. When people see me and point at me I stand tall and I am proud. I had them done on my first son, he was 18. I would do to have them done on my second child, but my husband disagrees.”
Scarification developed as an alternative to tattooing for groups of people with too much melanin in their skin for ancient tattooing techniques to be effective
Both art forms are known to have existed for at least 5,000 years, and believed to have existed for many more
The risks of tattooing, scarification, and body piercing are all comparable in risk factors when performed with similar levels of technology
The roles tattooing and scarification has played in societies that practice them throughout history is believed to be similar, though we cannot know for sure exactly why either practice developed
Mr. Mien Guemi, painter, from Ouro Bono, Burkina Faso. "I was a kid, but I still remember the wounds on me. When you didn't have them, your friends would laugh at you, and put you aside. During wars, Mossie and Ko tribes would recognize each other, and therefore avoid killing one another. It was a way of recognition. When you would look for work, no one would ask you where you're coming from... It is already done, and I like them. I cannot change. No need for an ID card, I already wear my identity on my face. This is the reason why people did it: to recognize one another. But now, this is over. We can no more be recognized."
Ritual scarification is dying out in the world today
The practice is banned in Burkina Faso
Although current practices are unsafe, the technology exists to perform it safely and could be provided to those who wish to continue practicing it, if we so chose
Though the decline of scarification is certainly a good thing from a public health perspective, it's extinction would mark the loss of a piece of our shared cultural heritage as human beings
Reasons given for scarification in survey of 143 adult Nigerians, only 15 would still accept the marks if offered today. 26 had reported their scars were becoming hypertrophic or keloidal.
Citations:
Krutak L. The cultural heritage of tattooing: a brief history. Curr Probl Dermatol. 2015;48:1-5. doi: 10.1159/000369174. Epub 2015 Mar 26. PMID: 25833618.
Garve R, Garve M, Türp JC, Fobil JN, Meyer CG. Scarification in sub-Saharan Africa: social skin, remedy and medical import. Trop Med Int Health. 2017 Jun;22(6):708-715. doi: 10.1111/tmi.12878. Epub 2017 May 9. PMID: 28380287.
Photos and quotes from freelance photographer Joana Choumali's project “Hââbré: The last Generation”. You can find more of his work here: https://joanachoumali.com/
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