Complication of solar branding: Report of a case and the review of the literature

Abstract

Branding is a type of scarification, a body modification that permanently transforms the skin by causing a visible scar. For centuries, it has been used on the skin of animals and slaves as well as criminals to convey ownership and also as a proof of guilt. More recently (in the 20th and 21st centuries), branding has become a symbol of personal identity, rites of passage, spiritual beliefs, and body decoration in some particular microcultures. Different means have been classically used to perform the desired branding designs including electrocautery, laser, chemicals, freezing, or a heated metal stencil. Solar branding is a new concept that involves using a focusing lens and a light source, usually the sunlight, to induce thermal injury. It is an emerging technique to perform body modifications and tattooing. As with other types of branding, solar branding also has its complications which may require surgical excision and grafting. We present a case of an acute skin infection following solar branding body modification, which to our knowledge is the first case reported in the literature.