Image Source: Save My Ink
Passing on your tattooed skin to loved ones after you’ve passed away is now
a possibility thanks to NAPSA – the National Association for the Preservation
of Skin Art.
Just imagine, months after the death of someone close to you, you get a
knock at the door and open up a box with their skin in a frame. The idea is
either beautiful or horrid depending on who you ask.
Image Source: Save My Ink
Tattoos are expensive (with most shops charging a bare minimum of $60 per
tattoo) and unique works of art so it makes sense that tattoo enthusiasts would
want a way to preserve them. "You would never burn a Picasso or any
piece of art you invested in and had a passion for. Your tattoo is also
art with a unique story, just on a different canvas." Charles Hammhas,
the founder of NAPSA said in a press release.
NAPSA knows that this type of thing is not for everyone. On NAPSA’s
website, they believe that by joining you are declaring that:
- "You have a story and a legacy that you want to live on.
- You have provided for all the complexities before it’s too late.
- You are a progressive, out-of-the-box, free-thinker.
- You have certification of your intent to preserve your tattoo art.
- You belong to the most unique strain of tattoo enthusiasts.
- You are not just a conversationalist, but a person of action."
How would one become a NAPSA member? To join, there is a one-time
initiation fee of $115 plus a yearly membership fee of $60 and that guarantees
the preservation of a tattoo the size of a chest-piece (typically a tattoo that
spans from armpit to armpit and from beneath the collarbone to above the
areolas). Should you want more than one tattoo preserved, you would only
pay $100 per additional tat.
What does this get you? Upon the unfortunate event of a member’s
death, a beneficiary they’ve selected would receive $1,000 – $2,000 (depending
on the age at which the member joined) to go towards tattoo preservation.
Members also receive a certificate with special artwork and access to the NAPSA
website which includes free tattoo designs, tattoo artist profiles, and aids tattoo artists amongst other things.
Image Source: Save My Ink
How does tattoo preservation work? First the member fills out forms
online regarding preservation, they then share this plan with their friends,
family, beneficiary (or beneficiaries).
Once the member has passed, their Final Wish Beneficiary needs to contact
NAPSA within 18 hours.
After they have been notified, NAPSA will send detailed information
explaining the process of recovery and preservation. Overnight, NAPSA
sends out a kit with instructions and equipment to recover, temporarily
preserve, and safely ship back. This kit is typically sent to the Funeral
Home.
After NAPSA receives the returned tattoo kit, they send the Final Wish
Beneficiary their Final Wish Fulfillment Benefit. Three to six months
later, the beneficiary or beneficiaries will receive the preserved tattoo/s in
a beautiful frame.
Image Source: Save My Ink
"But I mean…how does it work?" Oh, you mean the actual methods
used in order to preserve the skin? According to a press release,
"The skin is put through a chemical and enzymatic process to permanently
alter the chemical structure of the tissue and stop it from decaying."
So far 21 tattoos have been preserved through Save My Ink/NAPSA since
Charles Hammhas, the man behind NAPSA, launched the service in early September.
Image Source: Daily Mail
Though some may find this practice a bit morbid and unsettling, the
practice of tattoo preservation has been going on for centuries. One of
the first examples of preserved tattoos are the ones (61 tattoos in all!) found
on Otzi the iceman, and date back to 3300 B.C.
Image Source: Ancient-Origins.net
Tattoos are cherished symbols and stories in the eyes of the wearer and that
is why NAPSA developed this service. "So that your story, your
spirit, and your legacy can live on, for generations to come…
Declare who you are, before others define who you were."
Sources: Save My Ink, Daily Mail, Forbes, Huffington Post, Ancient-Origins.net.
