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Tattooing with Cremation Ashes
The loss of a loved one forces each of us to find the best way to grieve, honor, and remember those no longer in our lives. Some of us find comfort carrying photos or mementos to remind us of those we’ve lost. However, for those seeking a more personal and permanent way to memorialize someone special, a commemorative tattoo helps provide a sense of peace and purpose as we navigate through the grief process.
Commemorative Tattoo Ink: What You Need to Know
Recent statistics show that an estimated 45 million people in the U.S. have been inked at least once, with a growing number of individuals opting for memorial tattoos. Tattoos have a longstanding history of helping us celebrate those closest to us after they pass, providing a physical and visual reminder that represents our relationship with that person. However, by using ink specially made with cremation ashes, commemorative (or ritual) tattoos offer an even more meaningful connection to loved ones no longer here.
Instead of standard tattoo ink, a commemorative tattoo uses an ink created from the remains of a loved one which can be injected into an individual’s skin. Customers can use it as they would regular ink during the tattooing process, offering virtually endless ways to recognize and observe a loved one. Dates, lyrics, initials, quotes, and images associated with someone who’s passed are just a few of the many ways people can use their specially formulated ink to remember those gone.
Is the Process Safe?
Unfortunately, many individuals assume that every licensed tattoo parlor is equipped to mix untreated cremated ash with the inks needed for their design. This isn’t the case. Credible artists and shops would never simply combine a loved one’s ashes to their inks, for several reasons:
Insufficient Sterilization
It’s important to remember that a crematoriums’ main focus is not sanitation – it’s cremation. Once the crematorium achieves the regulatory and legislative standards required for handling remains, they will typically transfer the ashes out for placement in a homogenizer – an industrial tool which uses a metal ball in a rotating drum to reduce the size of the larger particles, potentially collecting a wide range of external allergens, and particulates during the collection and storage process.
Most tattoo shops’ only sterilization tool is an autoclave, which uses high pressure, saturated steam at 121 °C (249°F) to sanitize tools and metals. An autoclave’s saturated steam does not provide sterilization for cremated ashes.
Liability
Cremation temperatures can range anywhere from 1400°F – 1800°F. These lower temperatures can leave behind hazardous metal particles that should not be injected into the skin. A reputable shop would never risk a customer’s health or make their business vulnerable to this type of medical liability.
Quality Concerns
Most importantly, skilled and qualified artists prioritize delivering the highest quality artwork at all times and with every customer. Beyond sanitation and medical concerns, indiscriminately sprinkling unrefined, undissolved particles into the ink often results in “ink blowout” – a term used when fine lines run into unwanted areas, creating a blurry image around the original artwork outline.
Work With a Company That Specializes in Commemorative Tattoo Ink
Engrave Ink recognizes the importance of maintaining the very highest standards of quality assurance, safety, and sanitation when creating a custom cremation ink product. Contact us to learn more about our process and high quality products.
