WARNING! Scarification is an extremely dangerous procedure, and should only be attempted by a trained professional!

We've featured facial scarification in Bizarre before, but had never seen it for ourselves. So when we got the chance to oversee the procedure and sit inches away from the scalpel, we took a big gulp and pulled up a pew next to long time body mod fan Angel Brady and body modder Iestyn 'The Absolute' Flye.

Iestyn has been modding in the UK for more than two years. Starting out as a body piercer, then progressing to more invasive mods, he’s now working at the legendary Divine Canvas studio in London’s King’s Cross, run by tattooist Xed Le Head.

In that time, Iestyn has solidified his reputation as one of the few modders who can do the full gambit of procedures for folk who like to cut, chop, brand, stretch, split or implant things into parts of their anatomy.

Here, Iestyn tells Bizarre about how it feels to cut into facial flesh, while Angel kindly allows us to watch as she goes under the blade, and talks us through the most radical chapter yet in her intense modification story.

IESTYN FLYE

"Facial scarification is one of my favourite mods to perform, so I was excited when Angel asked me to do her first one. Scarification is practiced by tribes, such as the Maasai in Africa. The Massai use it instead of tattoos, because ink doesn’t show up well on their skin. Certain facial scarification on men denotes their status within the tribe, children have scars to show which tribe they belong to, and women have it as a symbol of fertility.

“But although scarification has been slow to catch on in the West, more and more people know and understand what I do, and I’ve had more requests for facial work than ever before. Myself and the others at Divine Canvas already knew Angel, and she’s heavily modded, so I felt comfortable that she could take the scarification, both mentally and physically. This was the next step for her. I started by sketching out a pattern, which I then drew directly onto her face. We did a half-face design that incorporated scarring on the nose, and the sketch looked good.

“To cut Angel’s design, I made shallower incisions than I do for designs made up from straight lines. I pushed the scalpel about a millimetre and a half into her face, then ran it along the layer of connective tissue in the dermis to remove strips of skin. The process is intuitive and I mostly work by what feels right. I also used a biopsy punch, a round-shaped knife that I can adjust to make different-sized holes in the skin, to add interesting circles to the design.

“There are many blood vessels close to the skin on the head, so Angel’s face bled a lot when I cut it. I can often smell that familiar, coppery smell of blood during procedures like this, and my customers feel a burning sensation. Angel seemed to take it in her stride, and both she and I were really pleased with the result.

“I was inspired to get into scarification after seeing Lukas Zpira’s work. It was the first time I’d seen scarification. Lukas produces abstract, graceful results, which inspired me to see the modification as an art form. There aren’t any body modification training schools for apprentice practitioners, so for the first six months I was learning the skills, I used consenting customers as my guinea pigs.

“The most extreme scarification session I’ve done was on a guy in Germany. It lasted nine hours and I cut a sayagata pattern – a design of interlocking swastikas – into half of his arm and part of his chest. I needed hardcore amounts of concentration for that.

Of course, I have a responsibility to all of my clients, but I don’t think about it too much. I find that’s the best way to work.

“I’ve started to experiment with larger scars and I’d like to do more geometric patterns and abstract designs. I’m also experimenting with techniques, such as using the biopsy punch to create fine dots, just like you can in tattooing, but with a knife rather than a needle.

“I’m happy to be a part of the process of changing someone’s perception of themselves, and helping them to find their own nirvana.

ANGEL BRADY

The brave body modder takes us on her journey

I’ve had many body modifications. Around 18 months ago I had my tongue split, and I’ve also had my ear lobes removed and the tops of my ears pointed into a pixie shape, although they’ve since pinged out so I need to get them re-done. I first saw someone with facial scarification when I was having my tongue done, and wanted to know more about it.

“So far, I’ve split my body into two themes: my angel side and my demon side. All of the tattoos that I have represent that concept and I wanted my facial scarification to be on my demon side – the side that’s been around the longest. The more mods I get, the calmer my demon side becomes. I’ve found that modifications heal my soul.

“When I approached Iestyn about doing something on my face, he suggested a tattoo on my chin, but I was worried that that in 10 years time it’d look like I had a blue beard, so scarification seemed like a better option.

The design Iestyn came up with was nearly there, but when he drew it on to my face, the part near the hairline that joined the design together didn’t work, so we removed it, and were both much happier. I’m vain and I didn’t want a design that looked too harsh, because good-looking modifications are all about balance.

“During the process, I was aware of everything that was going on. I have a high pain threshold, but I could feel the skin being cut and pulled, and I knew when my skin was being put into the tweezers or clamps that Iestyn used to work on individual areas of my face. I enjoyed it! When I first saw the end result, I thought “Wow!” It was fantastic; exactly what I wanted.

“I didn’t feel the full effect of what I’d had done until the next morning. My face hurt, and I needed to soak off the bandages in order to carefully pull them away from the wounds. Next, I dried the wounds with a hairdryer to stop them from bleeding. For four days, I allowed scabs to develop on the cuts, but after that I had to endure the most painful part of the whole experience – I softened the scabs by running water over them in the shower, then scooped out each line and dot with cotton buds until the wounds looked like tunnels.

“Luckily, I haven’t experienced any complications during the healing process. It’s been eight weeks since the scarification was done and, while my face is a little itchy, I’ve stopped removing the scabs and the scars are gradually changing colour, from red to pink. Eventually they’ll go white. I even went back to see Iestyn to have a bit more skin taken away from my chin! This modification is so full-on that I don’t think I can be too fussy about the way it looks.

“Since having my scarification done, I’ve been asked if I’ve been attacked, or involved in a car accident, which makes me laugh. I told one nosey girl I’d been attacked by a bear and she believed me! Some people have even walked straight into me with their mouth’s open, staring, but I don’t mind it when folk gawp or ask questions, as long as they’re polite.

“I would tell anyone who’s considering this procedure, ‘Think about it very, very carefully’. It’s not as easy as getting a tattoo or a piercing. Do your research, and find a reputable body modification practitioner as there’s no going back. It’s definitely not for the faint-hearted.