There is a chance the brand may not turn out. Pritchett, a senior in the School of Technology, is disappointed that he is a good healer. His quick healing left little evidence of a brand. The men of Phi Beta Sigma said the actual branding was not painful. However the healing process was a real stinger.
Most people think branding hurts more than it did.
Sarah Sayger, a clinical director at the Purdue Student Health Center, said those being branded are so psyched up that they may psychologically override the pain. These burns burn the nerve endings. The branded members said they used various means to clean their brands from Neosporin to soap and water. The scarring tissue is much more severe and puts people at risk than, say, tattooing or piercing. Within the last five years, the health center has only treated two individuals for infected brands.