swimcatsmom

BBC NEWS | UK | England | Hereford/Worcs | Father uses son's ashes in tattoo

I guess people have their own ways of dealing with grief. But this seems very unhealthy.

dragonmom

I don't like tatoos, but since the couple own a tatoo place, I'm guessing they would ink some kind of memorial to their child anyway.
Unhealthy in what way? I'm guessing that the ashes are more than sterile given the temps needed....like they say in the article "it's carbon".
Is walking around with some of your child's ashes in your skin unhealthy psychologically? Maybe yes for some people, maybe no for others.

pugmadkate

Why unhealthy?

I just cannot judge someone whose child died. If it helps them to get up every morning and face another day without that child, then I'm all for it.

intparent

I'm with you, pugmadkate.

Icarus

+1
And I doubt there are many adverse health risks associated with ashes

hellojan

Keith Richards admits to having put his father's ashes in a pipe with some marijuana. We all grieve differently.

romanigypsyeyes

Plenty of tattoos are done with ashes. Many, many homemade tattoos are done with ashes (speaking from experience here). It's not any more unhealthy than ink is.

My blessings go out to this family. However they are coping with this devastation is ok in my book.

swimcatsmom

Roman - it is interesting that many tattoos are done with ashes. I had no idea it was a common thing so thought it might be a dangerous and unhealthy thing physically to do that. I was imagining the body having all sorts of strange reactions (like scarring) to the introduction of ashes under the skin. After my initial post I did some research (googling) and learned that this is not nearly as unusual as I imagined and is not considered unsafe at all.

kelsmom

I think it's kind of a cool idea. My brother died this summer - the thought of my 80 year old dad with a tattoo is pretty darn funny, and the thought of him having it done using my brother's ashes is hilarious. He had a cow when my brother got a tattoo years ago! My niece has her dad's ashes ... I wonder if she would consider a dadtoo? I know I might seem crass, but I really think it's a neat idea. What a great way to keep him close to the heart. Beats sitting in a box (although the box does have a great laser engraving of my brother in a jester hat ...).

jonri

I'm about as straight-laced as they come, and I found the story touching. I can't imagine getting a tatoo...but this man owns a tatoo parlor, so I assume he feels differently about them. We all process grief differently. My dad always wore his mom's wedding ring as a "pinkie" ring. He loved her a lot, and it meant something to him to wear her wedding ring every day. For the dad featured in this article, I think it's the same basic concept.