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Photograph by: Maggie Boudagian

       According to my article, "Symbolic or Not- So- Symbolic Wounds: The Behavioral Ecology of Human Scarification", L.R. Ludvico and J.A. Lurland, came to the conclusion that once a human being obtains any sort of scar on their body, they get separated from one group and places them into a more "well-defined and marked group." When interviewing my subject, Anna Tarakchyan, I came to disagree with the article. Anna acquired her scar when she was a small child and began jumping from one couch to the other. While jumping, she tripped and hit her head on a glass table right on top of her eyebrow (see picture). When asked if it made an impact on her life, she said no. Once the scar appeared on her face, Anna, did not get separated from her group and placed into another. Nor did anyone treat her differently because of it.

        The attractiveness in scars is absurd. There are many explanations that could help us understand the connection between scars and attractiveness. Natural and sexual selection come into part with two of the many explanations. The article "Marks of Mystery", by Elizabeth Austin, is an article which provides deeply analyzed information about the attractiveness we feel towards scars. People are usually capivated by the presence of scars and are curious to find out how and why the person got it. For example, "Scars seem to be fascinating,"says Nichola Rumsey, Ph.D., co- editor of Visibly Different:  Coping with Disfigurement (Butterworth-Heinemann Medical, 1997)." (Austin, 1), is saying that people find scars to be interesting.They are curious to know more about the scar. According to my interview subject, Sarkis Pampalyan, scars are interesting because you are curious to know how it happened. Sarkis got a scar under his right eye when he was a little kid. He was jumping from bed to bed when his foot slipped and he fell on his face, hitting the corner of the bed. He agrees that scars do not make a person less attractive. Sexual selection comes into play with this quote, "the more disease-ridden a community, the more likely its members--especially its women--will use scarring to show off their healthy immune systems and attract mates." (Devandra Singh, 2). Singh explains how women who have scars will use the scars to attract mates. Women use scars as a sign of strength. The scars show that they are healthy enough to have children, since scars are signs of cuts that could have potentially caused disease, which the woman survived. Natural selection is connected to scars as well. For example, if someone has a scar from a painful experience, then the person will use the scar as a reminder to not do the same actions again. 

Photograph by: Mary Zargaryan

       This relates to Darwin's natural selection because the scars that they get are also used for cultural causes. They get the scars because it's a tradition for them and they all get the same design on the same place on there bodies. It's also considered attractive for them and their culture. My interview subject, Peter Keshishian, got his scar from riding his bike and falling down and having a cut on his arm. Peter having a scar on his arm doesn't mean it's unattractive. The scar doesn't isolate him from any groups and his scar doesn't make him less attractive in any way. According to Singh and Bronstad, “One possible explanation for the sex differences in facial scarification is that females, unlike males, decorate their faces maximally regardless of the degree of polygyny or severity of pathogens.”(p.409). This quote from my article means that women unlike men like to decorate their faces, for traditional purposes,to make them more attractive.

Photograph by: Anthony Keshishian 

      This doesn't related to Darwin selection because it's saying how to get rid of scars. They're trying to get rid of the scars because people don't like where it's placed around their body. They will try to go to Dr. E Victor Ross because he has new existing technology to get rid of the scar for people. Dr. E Victor ross will get rid of the scar for people and make them go to therapies to treat the scar to heal and it will take about three to four weeks. My interview subject, Abraham, got his scar by playing soccer and someone scratched his hand. He also says that scars do matter to him about the size and where they got their scar in the first place. He wanted to help the people that got their scar to try to get rid of it. He also says that the only thing that makes us attractive is by smile.

Photograph by: Ricky Silva

Created By:

Mary Zargaryan

Anthony Keshishian

Maggie Boudagian

Ricky Silva

Works Consulted

Devandra Singh, and P. Matthew Bronstad. "Sex Differences in the

Anatomical Locations of Human Body Scarification and Tattooing as a Function of Pathogen Prevalence." Evolution and Human Behavior vol.18, issue 6, 1997. pp. 403-16. Science Direct. Elsevier, May25, 1999. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1090513897000895. Accessed Sept. 7, 2016.

Keshishian, Peter. Personal Interview. Sept. 4, 2016.

Ludvico, L. R., and J. A. Kurland. "Symbolic or Not-So-Symbolic Wounds:

The Behavioral Ecology Of Human Scarification." Ethology and Sociobiology (1995): 1-18. www.researchgate.nethttps://www.researchgate.net/publication/223147108_Symbolic_or_not-so-symbolic_wounds_The_behavioral_ecology_of_human_scarification. Accessed Sept. 7,

      2016. 

Pampalyan, Sarkis M. Personal Interview. Sept. 1, 2016.

Perez, Abraham. Personal Interview. Sept. 4, 2016. 

Tarakchyan, Anna. Personal Interview. Sept. 3, 2016. 

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