Can I Turn Human Ashes Into Tattoo Pigment?

This section will examine a small but growing demand by tattoo enthusiasts to have the cremated remains, of those that they have loved to be made into tattoo pigment.

When I was first asked this question my first reaction was automatically why? The answer I received was that they wished to be able to carry them (literally) around with them for the rest of their lives.

I bluntly stated that the idea seemed somewhat ghoulish, having the ashes of a dead person injected into your skin seemed to be one of the more bizarre necrophillic fantasies that I had ever heard.

I was then told that the person did not see it in this light at all and they wanted to pay their respects, by having that remains of the person immortalised as part of the ink used to remember them by. This did soften my opinion somewhat to at least consider researching the matter for them.

This was based on the concept that what they were doing was based on love and respect, rather than a ghoulish and/or revenge based concept.

Whilst I was at first reluctant to research this the scholar and morbid part of my mind was curious ‘Can this be done?’

Followed quickly by ‘Ok how is it done?’

Can It Be Done?

The answer to the first question was yes it can be done, and there were several examples of studios in the USA who have practiced this.

(Due to the moral and legal issues that surround this subject I will not publicise the studios that, have alleged to have, carried out this procedure).

This then brought me to the second question of how this can be done?

The next section of this article is not going to be a step by step account of how to turn your loved one’s ashes into tattoo ink. I simply do not support unlicensed tattooing. This is just my personal opinion and if you feel that this is unfair, please feel free to research yourself on the details.

How Can It Be Done?

To begin with tattoo pigments can be made from synthetics or in cases of black pigments, from natural substances. One of these substances is carbon, often known as ‘bone black’.

Carbon has been used for hundreds of years in the use of primitive tattoo techniques where charcoal and burned bones were rubbed into cuts in the skin.

The results of using only a carbon based pigment as tattoo ink is something that normally results in a poor looking tattoo. This is because it is easily rejected by the body and can be forced out of the skin, leaving only scarring behind.

This is why modern tattoo manufacturers, rarely use carbon, or bone black. They prefer instead to use other ingredients. (Please refer to my blog and ‘What Is Tattoo Ink’ for further details).

When a body is cremated the remains are burned at temperatures between 760 to 1150 °C (1400 to 2100 °F), this reduces the soft tissue to ashes. The remaining bones are then placed in a cremulator and reduced to fragments. These are then placed with the ashes.

This leaves you with a compound of carbon, calcium phosphate and some traces of other base minerals.

The ashes are then processed (I am not going to disclose this process, sorry) added to modern tattoo pigment and are injected into the skin.

So Is It Safe?

As with all tattooing there remains the risk of infection from blood borne pathogens, as well as post tattoo infection from cross-contamination.

What further consideration is needed is the heightened risk of cross-contamination from a foreign body that has human DNA in it.

In general it is accepted that cremation (when done properly) destroys the pathogens and infections held within the body after death. It is known that HIV and Hepatitis cannot survive the temperatures of the crematorium.

However this does not mean that the ashes are 100% sterile and unless hermetically sealed it is possible to have them infected with exposure to other bodily fluids or airborne germs.

There are two main process that can allow for the remains to be further sterilised, however due to the restraints of not allowing unlicensed tattooing, I am unable to state in detail except one involves the further use of heat and the other involves a chemical exposure process.

The main issue concerning safety is actually that of pigment rejection. If the ashes have not been processed, finely enough this can cause for large pieces of foreign body to become trapped in the skin (bone fragments). These are often rejected and can leave scarring behind.

The secondary issue is that of infection after the tattoo. Should any of the ashes or bone fragments make their way into your blood stream this can cause a lot of damage.

As with all tattooing serious considerations and aftercare are required to ensure a clean and healthy tattoo.

Following these procedures means that it is possible to tattoo with ashes with minimal risks.

Is It Legal?

Please note I am not a lawyer or law expert this is just basic information and no validity can be placed on it in the use of a legal action or argument. If in doubt check with a legal professional locally!

This is something for which you would have to check on an area, by area basis. Many places in the United States do not have any tattooing legislation at all. Others have legislation but none, concerning the use of tattoo pigment ingredients.

The UK and Europe tend to (but not always enforced) have stricter tattoo regulations.

However there is no FDA or similar restriction on the contents of tattoo pigments although it is generally frowned upon to use human remains as part of the pigment.

The only legislation that might apply is that of disposing and handling of a hazardous biological material (USA). However this is an argument that can easily be swayed by the fact that the ashes are usually considered non-hazardous.

That said strict laws are in place in the UK in the dispersal and scattering of ashes as they contain fragments of bone and other such materials for which a permit is required. Failure to do so with a permit can result in prison.

There is also concerns in the Uk over laws pertaining to the misuse of human remains which means that many artists in the UK would most likely refuse to tattoo (openly) with your loved one’s remains.

This is because there is no clear-cut legislation about the use of human ashes in tattoo pigments or case law from which a decision can be derived.

If the demand becomes great enough perhaps the stances will change and clearer guidance will become available.

Would I Ever Get An Ashes Tattoo?

No.

Hell No.

Not even if it was made from the remains of my worst enemy.