How To Perform a Skin Removal Procedure

This page is supplementary material for Proc > Skin Removal for Scarification. While that page is a checklist of things to do in the moment, this page explains some of the minutae of This is not a page to consult while you're performing the procedure.

Process Flow

Day of, wear clean cotton clothes. This is better for antimicrobial reasons.

Mindset

Don't rush sections just because you want to be done. Slow is fast. If you get frustrated, take a moment to breathe and center. Always be looking for opportunities to improve, or new things you can try.

To some degree, you can't be too precious and careful. This is a very violent thing you are doing to the skin. It won't be perfect. You have to really dig in there and grab pieces of skin, sometimes!

Pee Breaks

If the procedure goes on very long, the subject might need to use the bathroom. You have two options. Option 1 is using a hospital urinal. Option 2 is bandaging and then unbandaging. Our current procedure is as follows:

  1. apply saline soaked gauze to site
  2. wrap with gauze, secure with paper tape
  3. have assistant carefully undress afterwards w/o touching site

Subject Maintenance

Regularly actively check in with the subject and acquire affirmative consent that it's/they're doing alright and would like to continue. Check in for things that could aid comfort - temperature, music, additional cushioning, hydration, etc. If subject gets nauseous, try fresh, cool air + ginger (or zofran, if you have any).

Known Opportunities for Improvement

Pee break procedure is not ideal. Fluids from wound/saline-soaked gauze can conduct contaminants from gauze wrap. Need a fully sterile process. What can we use here?