Preserving the tattoo of a loved one who has died is becoming an increasingly common request from people in their final days. Save My Ink Forever is a family-run business based in Cleveland, Ohio, that does just that. The company — owned by Michael and Kyle Sherwood — works with funeral homes in the United States, United Kingdom and Canada to preserve the tattoos of people who have died, as a memorial for their loved ones. The father and son — both embalmers and funeral directors — launched the company in 2017. Considering that an estimated 45 million Americans are inked and tattoos are growing in popularity, the Sherwoods saw the connection to a shift towards more customized funerals and memorials. It took them two years to perfect their technique in surgically removing the tattoos before sending them to a lab for preservation prior to mounting and framing them behind UV-protective glass. The entire process takes about three months and costs anywhere from $1,600 for individual tattoos up to $100,000 for a full body suit.
