There are many different ways of remembering a loved one, and now, preserving dead relatives' tattoos by turning them into art is one of them.
Save My Ink Forever is a company in the US that transforms a loved one's tattoo into a permanent piece of framed art work, so that it can be treasured forever.
The process, which has been developed by the business, alters the chemical structure of the skin, allowing the tattoos to be preserved. Save My Ink Forever works with a number of private funeral homes in the US, and is also now operating in Canada and the UK.
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"When a loved one passes away, the family can visit our website to find a preferred provider in their area," Save My Ink Forever explained.
"If a funeral home/crematory is not listed, the family can request the funeral home/crematory to provide our services, at which point the funeral/crematory can contact us. We will work with any funeral home/crematory to provide your family with an everlasting memorial."
Once the inking has been recovered, the framed art is usually ready in around three months, with tattoo preservationist and COO Kyle Sherwood also doing his best to enhance and do any necessary touch-ups.
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The website explains: "After the recovery process is completed, the family can expect to receive their loved one's framed tattoo art within 3 months.
"Our framing artist will pair a frame to best suite the style of the tattoo, accompanied with museum quality UV glass. Pricing is based on the size of the tattoo."
Speaking about the process, Sherwood told Vice: “People who want this done, in essence, this is their funeral ceremony. This means more to them than a church service.
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“The families’ gratitude when they receive the piece and they’re like ‘Oh my God, you know, I feel like they’re here, I saw that tattoo every single day and now I have a piece of that person with me.
“Look, people take ashes and turn them into diamonds. In the Victorian era, they cut hair and made hair necklaces. This isn’t any different.”
Over on Save My Ink Forever's Facebook page, people have been leaving heartfelt reviews about the service.
"My husband is a tattoo artist. One of his clients passed away and his wife memorialized his tattoos through Save My Ink... These guys did an amazing job. I’ve had a lot of clients through the years ask about doing this but I’ve never seen it done...
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"From the pieces I’ve seen and after speaking with our clients wife, I know they take pride and allot of care goes into what they do."
You can find more information on the website, here.
If you have experienced a bereavement and would like to speak with someone in confidence contact Cruse Bereavement Care via their national helpline on 0808 808 1677
Topics: US News