One Man’s Journey

Fetish Safety - Branding

I have made, and applied, Hot Iron brands for several fetishists in the past.

I am not an expert. Some of my brands have been beautifully successful, some have gone horribly wrong.

Here are a few things I have learned through trial and error. (NOTE: All of the brandings that I have performed were SSC compliant, and even the ones that I feel went badly, are still proudly worn by the submissives who commissioned them.)

• Human Branding may be considered ILLEGAL in your area, even if it is performed in an SSC atmosphere. In My current area, the application of heat or light to permanently alter the look of another individual, is considered a Medical Procedure and requires a medical license.
• Human Branding is NOT A TATTOO. Once applied, a Brand is life long as most can not be covered even with multiple, expensive cosmetic surgeries.
• Human Branding is an emotional experience for everyone involved. The ties made or broken through the use of brands are nearly as permanent as the mark it’s self. I still consider all of the brandees, that I have had the pleasure to mark, as close friends.
• Human Branding is a delicate procedure and is NOT akin to bovine or equine branding. Human Skin is not Leather and will sustain much more damage in similar circumstances.
• After Care is Mandatory in Human Branding. ‘nuff said.
• Aide Care is Mandatory in Human Branding. Wound care items should be made ready, prior to beginning any branding.
• Hotter is NOT Better. Although the thin materials of human brands will loose heat quickly during transfer from heat source to skin, Heating the brand to “White Hot” is way too much.
• Longer is NOT Better. Human Skin is thin and dissipates heat quickly as it should, however holding the brand to skin longer simply transfers more heat to the area and damages the delicate tissues below.
• BINDING the BRANDEE is Mandatory. Of all the brands I have done, only one male sub showed enough self control to hold still during the process. Improperly or insecurely bound brandees will always JUMP at the touch, in some cases those gyrations cause a “Double Tap” where they lift up into the brand a second time, as you try to move the iron away safely.

LEGAL ISSUES:

In Florida, USA. the branding of human flesh by anyone, other than a medical doctor, is considered the unlicensed performance of a medical procedure and carries stiff fines and penalties.

Everyone is urged to locate the applicable laws of their area before attempting this DANGEROUS and potentially Illegal practice.

Since learning this myself, I do not perform human branding in Florida, and refer individuals who ask, to known Fetish Friendly Tattoo Artists in this area. It’s cheaper and easier to find a Tattoo artist who understands the kajira keff, than to find a fetish Friendly Doctor who is willing to risk being persecuted for “Causing Harm” in what some would see as a violation of their oath.

We can not condone the violation of local laws in the performance of this procedure, but feel that it is sufficient to believe that people who may legally perform human branding, should have free access to the best information on the subject as possible.

BRANDING IS NOT A TATTOO

Many Talented Tattoo and Bod Mod Artists will never consider the application of a Brand. Their jobs are medically Dangerous enough with visible markings, to have to worry about unseen or masked damage that may occur well below the dermal layers of skin, and may not reveal themselves for days or weeks after.

Burn Scaring is already the number one reason for Doctors performing cosmetic surgery and even on small burn areas, Doctors may opt for leaving a bit of scar rather than cosmetically altering the skin and subordinate tissue. Again, The risks are just too great.

Before opting for a Brand, MAKE SURE that this deeply traumatizing act, is what you wish performed. Before you start, understand that there may be no reversing your decision, even medically.

More and more Tattoo Artists and Bod Mod Artists are perfecting their art, and can create beautiful pieces of artwork.

Although the ritual of human branding is deeply personal, the act is fairly quick and can be completed in a single sitting. Conversely, a really good Tattoo may be less emotionally endearing during the creation, but may also require repeated trips to the artist for multiple applications of art and color. The artwork and detail can be much more appealing to the eye and the repeated trips would indicate a long term commitment that otherwise is unrepresented in a brand.

BRANDING LEAVES EMOTIONAL SCARS

I was not prepared for my first branding experience.

My slave begged me for her brand repeatedly, a mark that she could wear (and does wear) forever.

I found the request to be empowering and a marked shift in our dynamic. It was at once, pleasing and intoxicating.

As I prepared the home made tools and mark, a stiff wire design made from copper, I created a beautiful fairy to represent the commitment the girl was offering to Me.

We prepared the medical supplies and I secured her to receive the mark.

As the brand heated and was preparing… I thought… “WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?”

Here I was preparing to hurt, burn and scar someone who loved me deeply…. Was I ready for the fallout?… was I ready to accept this girl completely?…

I had other issues which took me nearly an hour to reconcile… Nearly an hour where this girl was tied up, blindfolded, and waiting for me…

I pulled a chair over and and sat, we spoke… we discussed all of the aspects of this act… what it meant… I walked over several times and picked up the hand made iron, only to set it down again as issues came back again.

Almost an hour after the first heating of the brand, the iron was touched to her skin. In that moment she was marked.

Afterwards we sat together and had the longest aftercare session we had ever had together. Our Bond was strengthened that day because we communicated before, during, and after.

Although our lives have grown apart, she is a member of this site but, she is now with a new Master, and family and children. She is still someone very deep in my heart, and I am still her “Arrogant Asshole, Sir”.

HUMAN BRANDING - NOT A HORSE

A horse is a beautiful creature, lines smooth, musculature supple. A slave can be a beautiful creature as well, for the same reasons.

However, they are not the same when it comes to brands.

Horse Hide is covered with a fine but heavy hair, up to 20 times as thick and coarse as human hair. Where as the slave skin is naked to the air.

The skin of a horse it’s self can be up to an inch thick, not counting layers, if any, of fat between the skin and the muscle. A slaves skin at it’s thickest, on the soles of the feet, is generally no more than one half to one quarter of an inch thick and lies, except in cases of extreme obesity, directly on the muscles.

When a brand is placed upon the skin of a horse, there is a moment when it first touches Hair, which burns and produces a charred, insulating mat. Steady even pressure pushes the heat of the iron through this mat into the top three layers of equine durma to cook and scar the tissue, leaving, after 15 to 30 seconds of application, a permanent mark.

Human branding takes less than 3 seconds, at lower heat, to perform the same task.

Optimum heat for branding equine stock; 1200°F or a dull red glow on a 1×1/8 inch thick ribbon of iron applied edge on.

Optimum heat for branding human stock; 700°F or a dull red glow on a 1/18×1/18 inch thick wire of copper applied in a pre-folded design.

AFTER CARE

With the exception of Medical Care, nothing is more important to the brandee, than After Care.

After Care it’s self, it’s nuances, and the bonding principals associated with it’s application, will be the subject of other discussions and threads in this group.

Suffice it to say that there is ONLY one person that the brandee needs, as soon as heat is removed from the brand, and that is the Dominant in the relationship. The brandee has just submitted in a permanent fashion, and they need to know that the Dominant accepts that submission and that such acceptance is likewise permanent.

Other members of the group, family, or poly household may wish to also participate, and they should, but first there must be, the one.

This is just as true for a Gorean Master and kajira, as it is for a Domme with her poly-house boy, Bear and cub, Mommy and Baby, or whatever your dynamic happens to be. This amazing trauma, it’s wholly permanent effects, and the deep and penetrating meanings, all require this initial bonding of Top and bottom.

MEDICAL CARE

Through experimentation there are quite a few DO’s and DON’Ts with medical treatment of a branding scar.

The first is to remember that a brand is intended to SCAR. Most, if not all, burn treatments that you purchase over the counter or which are applied in medical facilities are designed to minimize or eliminate scaring. This is counter productive to the purpose of the brand.

The scar, like the tattoo, or the collar, are designed to be worn as a display of devotion and commitment. to minimize or diminish that display in any way likewise diminishes the meaning of it.

Against everything you may understand or believe in wound care, there is a simple method of preserving the scar, while maintaining a clean and infection free wound.

Apply a Facial Mud Mask to the area as immediate first aide, (Stay Far Away from Mentholated or Medicated masks as they will inflict severe pain).

Mud Masks contain moisture which will soothe the heat from the burn while at the same time allow fresh air into the area which slows the growth of anaerobic bacteria. Over the counter Mud Masks are required by law to be sterile and will not introduce any new infection agents.

A new mud mask should be applied every day for up to 5 days, with a disinfecting cleaning of the wound between applications. When the beginning of a scar appears, the mud mask should be discontinued and a clean dry sterile pad should be applied.

AT ALL TIMES be aware that an infection can take place. At the first sign of infection, (pink discoloration of skin not near enough to be directly effected by the heat of the brand) all other treatments should be discontinued and clean sterile pads applied with medication for topical infection. Black Salve or ‘Drawing Salve’ is available at most druggists along with more expensive medical ointments.

[From Fetish Safety - Branding - All the Wrong Places… and then some… - FetLife]

This entry was posted on Thursday, July 10th, 2008 at 3:31 pm and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.