Frequently Asked Questions

Is the event open to the public:

No. All guests must be pre-registered. Contact Shawn for more info. We reserve the right to refuse admittance to anyone for any reason with full refund of admittance fees.

Will there be implants/suspension/piercing available?

No. This is a cutting/branding only event.

Is this going to be run like a tattoo convention?

No. It's more like a collaborative art show. With Blood.

How much does it cost to get worked on?

Each artist will be setting their own price. Please check back for more info.

I'm coming from far away- can SCAR WARS cover my plane tickets/hotel?

That's a no.

Pre-registration Frequently Asked Questions:

Please read the following carefully before you proceed to the pre-registration form. Additional questions/comments can be emailed to shawn@scarwars.net.

Once I'm approved and send in my deposit, will it be refunded if I can't attend?

No. Your acceptance/donation is a good faith contract between us. For space allocation purposes, we need to know who's attending. For supply purchases/rentals, we've been using the donations as they come in. THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT: If you donate and cannot attend, there will be no refund. If you're not sure that you can make it and don't want to send in a donation, that's cool- but understand that your spot will be given to the next person on the list.

Do I have to be 18 to attend?

Yes.

Really?

Yes. No exceptions.

I've sent in my registration info- does that mean I'm in?

No. We filled 1/4 of the available "slots" in the first six hours of pre-registration. To keep things fair, we've frozen new approvals until March 2005. Feel free to submit your application now- we'll keep it on file and contact you with a yes or no sometime in March.

Can I bring a guest?

No. Every person who attends represents a person who cannot. If your guest qualifies for entry, have them submit an application.

Can I take pictures?

Sure can. As long as you ask permission and you're shooting for personal use (re: your IAM page or something similar) you can shoot till your heart is content.

Do I have to make an appointment to get worked on, or are walk-ins accepted?

There is a small chance that some of our artists will have available time over the course of the event, but we can't guarantee it.

Glossary

To help get you started, we've jumped over to our friends at BMEZINE.com to get you some definitions for the various types of scarification we're offering at the event- make sure to check out the full BME Encyclopedia!

Branding

Branding is scarification, usually through the application of a heated material (usually metal) to the skin, making a serious burn which eventually becomes a scar. Ideally a healed branding looks like a pattern of thick raised lines, slightly lighter than skin colour (when fully healed). However, the amount of raising or keloiding varies greatly, dependant on a large number of factors. Sometimes they even inset rather than raise.

Cutting

A cutting is a design cut into the skin using a sharp blade, leaving a fine scar. With a sharp scalpel and even cuts, it's not much different in pain than a tattoo - for many people even less.

Skin Removal

Skin removal branding is one of the most intense kinds of scarification -- the design is cut out and the entire piece of skin is torn off. The eventual healed result is usually a slightly recesses scar.