A viral TikTok video about the possibility of preserving a deceased loved one’s tattoos as works of art is sharing mixed feelings in the comments section.
The video shared by Inked Magazine has been viewed more than 3.4 million times and received thousands of comments discussing the unique idea.
Inked Magazine’s viral TikTok video provides information about preserving tattoos as art
![Inked magazine TikTok](https://d3stcg8iy7fvse.cloudfront.net/2023/09/10144714/IMG-3747.jpg)
In an informative video on TikTok, Inked Magazine shares how your loved one’s tattoos can be preserved by Save My Ink Forever so you can hang them on the wall as a work of art when they expire.
“Your tattoos can outlive you now. An Ohio company, Save My Ink Forever, takes people’s tattoos out after they pass and preserves them in framed works of art,” the video explained. “If they receive a request to keep a tattoo, they will send a package of materials to the funeral home to have the tattoos removed.”
@inkedmagazine Do you want your tattoos to be preserved? 😳 #inkedmag #tattoos ♬ original sound – Inked Magazine
An instructional video guides funeral directors in the process of properly removing the tattoo. Only a certain amount of skin needs to be extracted, so the process is very specific. The costs for the entire process can be quite high.
“The skin is then shipped to Ohio for the team to clean and then sewn onto a canvas and framed with museum-quality UV-blocking gloss,” she continued. “Costs range from about $1,700 for a small tattoo to more than $120,000 to maintain a full suit.”
The video goes on to explain that while the idea may sound “morbid” to some, it provides a “unique memory” of a loved one that can live on forever.
![Inked magazine TikTok](https://d3stcg8iy7fvse.cloudfront.net/2023/09/10144755/IMG-3743.jpg)
Thousands of people jumped into the comments to share their thoughts on this interesting way to keep the memory of a loved one alive.
“This looks like hanging an animal trophy on the wall!” wrote one person. Another added: “Japan has been doing this for years.”
And then there were jokes, and there were plenty of them.
“Buy a whole back piece and you’ll have a sick new carpet,” someone joked. “Who would have thought ‘Silence of the Lambs’ was a ‘How to’ video,” wrote another.
One viewer knew someone who did this and said, “A guy who owned a tattoo parlor in my town had this done on his skin. I believe this was his only request after his death.”
Popular TikToker Tell All Death is tapping into this trend after being called out by many
![Lauren the undertaker](https://d3stcg8iy7fvse.cloudfront.net/2023/09/11052441/Snapinsta.app_376857553_1326313771646748_3199213414635850234_n_1080.jpg)
Popular TikTok creator Lauren the Mortician chimed in with Inked Magazine’s video talking about framing a deceased loved one’s tattoos as works of art. Lauren is often called upon by her millions of followers when they think she has something important to add when they talk about death and dying, and she is always happy to oblige.
“I don’t see this getting off the ground. I don’t really see this going far,” she began her take on the tattoo retention trend. “I think it’s a great idea if someone really, really wants to, but I’ve just seen too many horror documentaries, true crime sh**. It matters, I mean, can you imagine going to someone’s house and saying, oh, there’s my grandma’s tattoo on the wall?
She also brought up the fact that when everyone in the family dies and someone is cleaning out the house and sees the framed work of skin, it could end up in the thrift store. She then offered another idea for anyone who thinks saving skin is a bit much.
“What I did is I took pictures of people’s tattoos and gave them to the family,” she continued. “You can frame that, it costs a few dollars to have it developed.”
She went on to say that to get someone’s tattoo off their body, what is sent to funeral homes is essentially a “cheese grater.”
“That’s how we peel the skin off,” she said. “They also do it this way with body donations, if you are eligible for skin donation.”
@lovee.miss.lauren #stitch with @Inked Magazine Want to frame the tattoos of your loved ones? What will they come up with next? #laurenthemortician #embalmer #educationalpurposes #pawnstars #tattoo ♬ original sound – Lauren the Mortician
Lauren’s followers also had some fun in the comments section. Inked Magazine stepped in and said, “It’s vintage 😅😂.”
‘Okay, listen to a book with all the family secrets…. and it’s leather,” someone joked. Another added: “This is what my children will get as their inheritance.”
One follower wanted to know: “So funeral directors can’t just do that to the autopsy person? 🤔” to which Lauren replied, “Autopsy person won’t do this for a family. A funeral director will have to do that. And maybe they’ll have families sign a waiver. Waiver of Liability.”
Would you like someone’s tattoo so much that you would pay to have it removed and framed? What do you think of this trend: morbid or a great way to preserve someone’s memory in a unique way?