Forget tattoos or piercings. The latest trend for body decoration enthusiasts is to have their skin branded in the style of a Texan prize steer.
Red-hot metal brands or cauterising pens, which burn at more than 1,000C, are used to sear a design permanently into the flesh.
In Britain, the hot branding of livestock is outlawed by animal welfare legislation - but there are no rules to stop humans voluntarily having their skin burnt as a fashion statement.
The procedure, which costs about £70, is painful and can be dangerous because of the risk of nerve damage and infection.
Graham Martin, president of the Tattoo and Piercing Industry association, who offers branding at his Holier Than Thou studio in Manchester, said it was becoming popular with professionals and that he had branded teachers, nurses and a policeman. He claimed that the number of people asking him for the procedure has risen from just one a year in 2002 to more than one a week.
“We have had people as young as 16 ask for a branding. We have turned them away because we would not tattoo anyone under the age of 18. But there is no legislation banning this,” he added.
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