Ashes in tattoo ink?

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Sunday August 3rd, 2008 @ 8:45 PM

Filed under: Tattoos

I recently lost my beloved dog who I’d had since I was 7. I am considering a memorial paw print tattoo and have been trying to come to a conclusion about whether including her cremation ashes in the tattoo ink is a good idea or not.

In my reasearch, I’ve read a lot saying that it’s considered to be safe. However, it also seems that it is difficult to find an artist willing to mix a small amount of ash into tattoo ink. If it’s a relatively safe practice, why the hesitation? Also, I’ve heard of people baking ashes for an additional few hours at a high temperature in their oven just before the tattoo- is this a good precaution to take?

Thanks in advance!

I’ve worked with a few artists who have done this for people; a handful of times total. In all the cases I can remember, the ashes were those of relatives or friends…no animals. I doubt there is really any appreciable difference between the two.

I can’t speak with any scientific authority, but I don’t see where it should cause a problem. If the ashes are a result of a proper creamation, there will be no harmful pathogens present in the ashes. None of the artists I’ve worked with ever reported hearing about any problems from their clients.

At the same time, while it is probably safe, you also have to respect the artists’ decision to not use something in the tattooing process that they are unsure of or are at all uncomfortable with. Most tattoo artists with respect for their craft and their clients have a sense of responsibility when it comes to the healing and longevity of the tattoo. Many artists may also want to avoid doing it from a legal point of view. If something does go wrong as a result of using the ashes, many people will start looking for someone to blame, instead of taking personal responsibility for the choice they made.

So while it may not seem like a big deal to you, you aren’t the only person involved in the process.

I also have a feeling you’ll be able to find someone willing to include the ashes if you continue your search.

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18 Responses to “Ashes in tattoo ink?”

I am a biologist not a doctor, but properly cremated ashes should be no less biocompatible than regular tattoo ink. If you are concerned about the current sterility of the ashes, you can try and have them “oven bake” sterilized as opposed to (wet) autoclaving. If you know anyone who works in a hospital, lab, or large medical centre this shouldn’t be too hard, and will ensure no biohazardous traces remain in the ashes.

redeye on August 3rd, 2008 at 9:25 pm

this is really interesting…

fuck_life on August 3rd, 2008 at 10:24 pm

Thanks for this question. I have been pondering getting a tribute portrait of my ferret and having some of his ashes mixed in. I was under the impression that most artists won’t have a problem doing it, but this question reminded me that my search might be a bit tougher than I originally thought (although I am willing to take responsibility for any consequences of doing this).

Aggie on August 4th, 2008 at 12:15 am

From my own knowledge of chemistry and heat treatments…

Crematorium ashes (which are actually just the calcined bones ground up) should be 100% sterile. Not even anthrax spores or BSE prions can survive cremation. Unless the ashes have been exposed to infection after they have cooled, I can’t see that baking in a domestic oven would make much of a difference.

My next thought was that the ashes might be a bit alkaline, but from other comments, apparently not.

So the only other potential bugbear I can think of are pervasive semi-volatiles like mercury. If your dog had any mercury amalgam fillings, or any other artificial implants, they can vaporise or form nasty combustion products (dioxins etc) and while most of it will go up the flue, some will end up impregnated into the ash. It might also pick up something from a previous cremation. The only way to be sure is to get it tested.

Elmando on August 4th, 2008 at 9:46 am

I have two friends who have been thinking about this for a while, and just yesterday another friend mentioned she’d been looking into it! I had no idea this was such a “common” thing for people to want to do. That said, none of my friends have yet found tattoo artists who is willing to do it, and they live on opposite sides of the country. So good luck with your searches everyone! I’m sure if you keep looking you will find good artists who are willing to do this! And thanks for the info about sterilization and testing. None of my friends have even thought about getting their ashes tested or whether or not they might have become contaminated since the creamtion.

Also, the interesting-ness of this post has reminded me that at some point a while back when Ask BME first started admin said they were working on transferring the old questions and answers from QOD. I know it takes a while, but I was wondering if that still in the works? A lot of the questions on the new Aks BME were answrered many times over the years that QOD was active and it was always helpful to be able to search and read related Q&A strains and find additional information. For example, the question posted a couple questions below on tattooing over skin discoloration, answered by Warren, I remember there was a LOT of good information in old QOD not included in Warren’s answer from when I asked the question. The responses mixed with the older information about the process and results eventually convinced me to not do it. I don’t remember it all or I would post it myself. :).

Thanks and sorry for the long post!

praxis on August 4th, 2008 at 3:19 pm

WELL??? did you do it????
i just heard about this today and cannot wait to ask my favorite shop if they will do this AWESOME procedure!!

3bigdogmom on August 10th, 2008 at 8:57 pm

from paw prints to portraits,I’ve seen both done,more than once and never seen a problem. might i suggest using a glazed mortar&pestle,the blackest sumi ink and no more than a small ink cap of your friend! (for legal reasons i can’t recommend this/but you know!) MOST TATTOOED FOLK HAVE A TRUSTED FREIND TO DO THEIR INK- but don’t just trust anybody that will tattoo you..make sure they have skills(nothing worse than a *^&$%#up memorial). our pet will too soon be a tattoo i fear.
peace

P.M.&Addie on August 13th, 2008 at 1:43 pm

i will find out soon as i have a consult next week and i will post back. i cannot wait! i REALLY am praying they will do it for me……

3bigdogmom on September 1st, 2008 at 8:20 pm

I havn’t done it yet, but I’m still hoping to eventually. I’ve recently moved to a new state to start college, so money is a major issue at the moment and I havn’t had a change to scout out local artists yet.

3bigdogmom, I’m interested to hear what you find out- my email is anna.sv.az@gmail.com. Let me know how it turns out!

Anna on September 10th, 2008 at 1:04 am

Okay so I DID IT! My Tattoo artist was happy to do for me, she is so cool!!. Anyway, it feels so special. Together forever for sure! I cannot stop staring at it. It healed no differently than my other one. If you can I say YES!! DO IT!:))
ITS INCREDIBLE!

3bigdogmom on September 26th, 2008 at 8:06 pm

YEAH!

3bigdogmom on September 26th, 2008 at 8:08 pm

My Tattoo artist was happy to do for me, she is so cool!!. Anyway, it feels so special. Together forever for sure! I cannot stop staring at it. It healed no differently than my other one. If you can I say YES!! DO IT!:))
ITS INCREDIBLE!

3bigdogmom on September 26th, 2008 at 8:09 pm

you want to look for an artist or shop that does ‘tribal’ tattoos as that is what this is classified as in the tattoo world. and they only use a tiny bit of ash.
WELL WORTH THE HUNT! it feels very comforting to have the love of my life with me always…..miss ya sweet baby joe

3bigdogmom on September 26th, 2008 at 8:30 pm

congrats, i’m glad everything worked out so well let us know how the tatt turns out in a few months after healing!

your artist may have preferred “tribal” designs because of the ease of using relatively large amounts of ash in solid black areas… but there’s no reason the same thing couldn’t be done as a grayscale portrait, paw prints, biomech, thick outlines in colour new school tatts, etc, as your tastes demand.

that said, solid black work is pragmatic, retaining as much of the ashes as possible, probably the best choice for you personally - i’d love a link to the final product! (i’m sure you’ve submitted it to BME, haven’t you? :D) best wishes, i hope the special ink turns out great - i’m glad you found someone happy to help so easily

redeye on September 27th, 2008 at 7:26 pm

well…i used the term ‘tribal’ to help the others find a shop willing to do it. My memorial tat is an exact copy of his giant paw print in his brindle colors and his name all of which contains his ashes. I also got a red heart also containing his ashes. i cant wait to share pics but i have not yet posted any yet, as they have just completed the healing stage, which was completely uneventful and normal. I should be able to get something up on BME this week or next. Thanks..
cheers
:)))

3bigdogmom on September 28th, 2008 at 3:33 pm

well it’s done,our best friend fought the good fight, guess it was time. we’ve gotten our tattoos(banners & portraits),healed great,having a lot of tattooers as friends helped. mixed reactions from the crowd, from “wish I’d” to “gross how could you” #*@%’em all! at least we know she’s always w/us!
PREP;ask them to please separate some ashes before sealing box,
pour some cremains thru a NEW gold coffee filter,then powderize(is that a word?)using a NEW or STERALIZED (can you imagine cumin or curry under your skin?) mortar & pestle,please store in sterile container till ready to use. whether its your pet,mom,friend or mate you know you want it,go get it,do you care what the civies think? stay gold@:}=

P.M.&Addie on October 10th, 2008 at 5:15 pm

Oh P.M & Addie, I am so sorry for your loss. I learned REAL quick who to tell and who NOT to tell about the ashes. I actually had a good sized ‘chunk’ put in on purpose so that i could feel him in there. i LOVE it. I am glad you did it, together forever:)…hey if you have any ashes left over there is a website that sells jewlery that holds the ashes. i have a beautiful heart shaped pendant with a paw print on the front and it holds a bit of ash and fur. ashestoashes.com. AWESOME memorials. again i am sorry for your loss.

3bigdogmom on October 16th, 2008 at 1:01 pm

thanks 3big,addie will be the last,,i’d rather have made a hand modifcation(like meybe a rolling finger)than to lose our best gal,i feel better knowing that the o.l. & i have her w/us. thanks again back later maybe,Peace P & M

P.M.&Addie on October 24th, 2008 at 1:55 pm

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I am a biologist not a doctor, but properly cremated ashes should be no less biocompatible than regular tattoo ink. If you are concerned about the current sterility of the ashes, you can try and have them “oven bake” sterilized as opposed to (wet) autoclaving. If you know anyone who works in a hospital, lab, or large medical centre this shouldn’t be too hard, and will ensure no biohazardous traces remain in the ashes.
redeye on August 3rd, 2008 at 9:25 pm
this is really interesting…
fuck_life on August 3rd, 2008 at 10:24 pm
Thanks for this question. I have been pondering getting a tribute portrait of my ferret and having some of his ashes mixed in. I was under the impression that most artists won’t have a problem doing it, but this question reminded me that my search might be a bit tougher than I originally thought (although I am willing to take responsibility for any consequences of doing this).
Aggie on August 4th, 2008 at 12:15 am
From my own knowledge of chemistry and heat treatments…

Crematorium ashes (which are actually just the calcined bones ground up) should be 100% sterile. Not even anthrax spores or BSE prions can survive cremation. Unless the ashes have been exposed to infection after they have cooled, I can’t see that baking in a domestic oven would make much of a difference.

My next thought was that the ashes might be a bit alkaline, but from other comments, apparently not.

So the only other potential bugbear I can think of are pervasive semi-volatiles like mercury. If your dog had any mercury amalgam fillings, or any other artificial implants, they can vaporise or form nasty combustion products (dioxins etc) and while most of it will go up the flue, some will end up impregnated into the ash. It might also pick up something from a previous cremation. The only way to be sure is to get it tested.
Elmando on August 4th, 2008 at 9:46 am
I have two friends who have been thinking about this for a while, and just yesterday another friend mentioned she’d been looking into it! I had no idea this was such a “common” thing for people to want to do. That said, none of my friends have yet found tattoo artists who is willing to do it, and they live on opposite sides of the country. So good luck with your searches everyone! I’m sure if you keep looking you will find good artists who are willing to do this! And thanks for the info about sterilization and testing. None of my friends have even thought about getting their ashes tested or whether or not they might have become contaminated since the creamtion.

Also, the interesting-ness of this post has reminded me that at some point a while back when Ask BME first started admin said they were working on transferring the old questions and answers from QOD. I know it takes a while, but I was wondering if that still in the works? A lot of the questions on the new Aks BME were answrered many times over the years that QOD was active and it was always helpful to be able to search and read related Q&A strains and find additional information. For example, the question posted a couple questions below on tattooing over skin discoloration, answered by Warren, I remember there was a LOT of good information in old QOD not included in Warren’s answer from when I asked the question. The responses mixed with the older information about the process and results eventually convinced me to not do it. I don’t remember it all or I would post it myself. :).

Thanks and sorry for the long post!
praxis on August 4th, 2008 at 3:19 pm
WELL??? did you do it????
i just heard about this today and cannot wait to ask my favorite shop if they will do this AWESOME procedure!!
3bigdogmom on August 10th, 2008 at 8:57 pm
from paw prints to portraits,I’ve seen both done,more than once and never seen a problem. might i suggest using a glazed mortar&pestle,the blackest sumi ink and no more than a small ink cap of your friend! (for legal reasons i can’t recommend this/but you know!) MOST TATTOOED FOLK HAVE A TRUSTED FREIND TO DO THEIR INK- but don’t just trust anybody that will tattoo you..make sure they have skills(nothing worse than a *^&$%#up memorial). our pet will too soon be a tattoo i fear.
peace
P.M.&Addie on August 13th, 2008 at 1:43 pm
i will find out soon as i have a consult next week and i will post back. i cannot wait! i REALLY am praying they will do it for me……
3bigdogmom on September 1st, 2008 at 8:20 pm
I havn’t done it yet, but I’m still hoping to eventually. I’ve recently moved to a new state to start college, so money is a major issue at the moment and I havn’t had a change to scout out local artists yet.

3bigdogmom, I’m interested to hear what you find out- my email is anna.sv.az@gmail.com. Let me know how it turns out!
Anna on September 10th, 2008 at 1:04 am
Okay so I DID IT! My Tattoo artist was happy to do for me, she is so cool!!. Anyway, it feels so special. Together forever for sure! I cannot stop staring at it. It healed no differently than my other one. If you can I say YES!! DO IT!:))
ITS INCREDIBLE!
3bigdogmom on September 26th, 2008 at 8:06 pm
YEAH!
3bigdogmom on September 26th, 2008 at 8:08 pm
My Tattoo artist was happy to do for me, she is so cool!!. Anyway, it feels so special. Together forever for sure! I cannot stop staring at it. It healed no differently than my other one. If you can I say YES!! DO IT!:))
ITS INCREDIBLE!
3bigdogmom on September 26th, 2008 at 8:09 pm
you want to look for an artist or shop that does ‘tribal’ tattoos as that is what this is classified as in the tattoo world. and they only use a tiny bit of ash.
WELL WORTH THE HUNT! it feels very comforting to have the love of my life with me always…..miss ya sweet baby joe
3bigdogmom on September 26th, 2008 at 8:30 pm
congrats, i’m glad everything worked out so well let us know how the tatt turns out in a few months after healing!

your artist may have preferred “tribal” designs because of the ease of using relatively large amounts of ash in solid black areas… but there’s no reason the same thing couldn’t be done as a grayscale portrait, paw prints, biomech, thick outlines in colour new school tatts, etc, as your tastes demand.

that said, solid black work is pragmatic, retaining as much of the ashes as possible, probably the best choice for you personally - i’d love a link to the final product! (i’m sure you’ve submitted it to BME, haven’t you? :D) best wishes, i hope the special ink turns out great - i’m glad you found someone happy to help so easily
redeye on September 27th, 2008 at 7:26 pm
well…i used the term ‘tribal’ to help the others find a shop willing to do it. My memorial tat is an exact copy of his giant paw print in his brindle colors and his name all of which contains his ashes. I also got a red heart also containing his ashes. i cant wait to share pics but i have not yet posted any yet, as they have just completed the healing stage, which was completely uneventful and normal. I should be able to get something up on BME this week or next. Thanks..
cheers
:)))
3bigdogmom on September 28th, 2008 at 3:33 pm
well it’s done,our best friend fought the good fight, guess it was time. we’ve gotten our tattoos(banners & portraits),healed great,having a lot of tattooers as friends helped. mixed reactions from the crowd, from “wish I’d” to “gross how could you” #*@%’em all! at least we know she’s always w/us!
PREP;ask them to please separate some ashes before sealing box,
pour some cremains thru a NEW gold coffee filter,then powderize(is that a word?)using a NEW or STERALIZED (can you imagine cumin or curry under your skin?) mortar & pestle,please store in sterile container till ready to use. whether its your pet,mom,friend or mate you know you want it,go get it,do you care what the civies think? stay gold@:}=
P.M.&Addie on October 10th, 2008 at 5:15 pm
Oh P.M & Addie, I am so sorry for your loss. I learned REAL quick who to tell and who NOT to tell about the ashes. I actually had a good sized ‘chunk’ put in on purpose so that i could feel him in there. i LOVE it. I am glad you did it, together forever:)…hey if you have any ashes left over there is a website that sells jewlery that holds the ashes. i have a beautiful heart shaped pendant with a paw print on the front and it holds a bit of ash and fur. ashestoashes.com. AWESOME memorials. again i am sorry for your loss.
3bigdogmom on October 16th, 2008 at 1:01 pm
thanks 3big,addie will be the last,,i’d rather have made a hand modifcation(like meybe a rolling finger)than to lose our best gal,i feel better knowing that the o.l. & i have her w/us. thanks again back later maybe,Peace P & M
P.M.&Addie on October 24th, 2008 at 1:55 pm

Ashes in tattoo ink?

«« Tattooing over scars pubic question »»

Sunday August 3rd, 2008 @ 8:45 PM

Filed under: Tattoos

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