I’m not a tattoo person myself, but I get that they’re a big thing and here to stay. And as little as I contemplate tattoos (which would be very little), even I have thought that since they’re so personal and identifiable, you’d think someone would want to save them for posterity. Well, that someone is Save My Ink, also known as NAPSA, National Organization for the Preservation of Skin Art, in Cleveland, Ohio.
Just a couple of points from their FAQ page that answered some of my own questions:
• No, it is not your actual skin. Your tattooed skin needs to be removed from your body, but by the time it is framed and returned, it is no longer skin, and feels like parchment.
• If you didn’t sign up with NAPSA and register yourself for this to be done upon your passing, no one else can do it once you’re gone. So plan ahead!
• Even if the skin was old and wrinkled and the tattoo faded, it somehow gets “brought back to life” artistically speaking, and looks crisp and vibrant again.
• It’s a proprietary process, so it’s really hard to know exactly how it all happens. Kinda miraculous, but probably chemical.
Interesting. I’m not a tattoo person (again), and not a fan of unnecessary messing with bodies, but if someone I loved had a tattoo I loved, I think I’d really want this. But also wonder if there’s reasons someone might not.