I embalm deceased people – it’s a lot more complex than you think

Every time I get asked what I do for work, it’s either met with stunned silence or a barrage of questions.

It’s not often you hear someone telling you ‘I’m an embalmer’.

Embalming is the skillset and science of preserving human remains by staving off decomposition, which is done to ensure the deceased is suitable for viewing.

This is my reality.

The most asked follow-up question is ‘How did you get into that?!’ I usually explain that I’ve always been interested in true crime and got my university degree in forensic science, in mid-2012.

I then shadowed coroners’ officers and attended autopsies to gain a little more experience. This sort of work experience was finite in me choosing which path I wanted to take, career wise.

Later in 2012, I worked in a hospital as a mortuary assistant and while I was signing over a deceased person out to a funeral director, their undertaker randomly said, ‘would you be interested in embalming?’

At that moment, I didn’t know what the job entailed at all, so I snuck off to Google it.

I came to find that embalming was preserving human remains. I was excited about the opportunity and it fed my morbid curiosity; I knew I absolutely had to explore this.

The person I’d be replacing had carpal tunnel syndrome and would be giving up the role. I said that – absolutely – I’d be interested.

On the embalming course, I sat five theory exams that were two and a half hours each. I then had to complete 50 embalms before my practical exam.

I remember observing for the first week and being so eager to get involved and replicate what the head embalmer was doing. After my first post-mortem embalm – that I did without any assistance – I was elated and was so chuffed to bits at what I had achieved.

The before and after look of the deceased was great and it was down to my skill – that made me feel proud. The skill that I’d learnt was giving families peace of mind. It’s an extremely rewarding position to be in.

I eventually passed my course and became qualified by 2016.

I’ll wash and dry their hair, apply make-up, suture the mouth closed and place eye caps on

Before this, I had no idea that you could apply for a trainee position in embalming, with no experience – all you need is a passion for the job. In fact, people I have worked with have come from all sorts of different backgrounds, including retail.

A lot of people don’t really know the full extent of what I actually do.

A typical embalm would consist of raising the carotid artery and introducing a mix of warm water and formaldehyde into the arterial system, to bring plumpness and colour to the skin. This gives a healthier look to the skin’s density and pigmentation, as opposed to dull, grey and gaunt.

I also wash the deceased and maybe shave them if necessary. I’ll wash and dry their hair, apply make-up, suture the mouth closed and place eye caps on (which are plastic shields that helps maintain the integrity of the eyeball structure because that’ll dehydrate first). Then I’ll clean under the fingernails and also dress them.

When it comes to clothes, it tends to be one outfit that is straightforward in putting on – such as a top and trousers or a three-piece suit.

I prepare the deceased for potential viewings in chapels, homes and churches. Some caskets can be closed, but the deceased is still presented as best as possible, in case anyone were to change their mind and wish to see them.

After seven years in the job, I knew it was time to start my own company. I felt I had enough experience under my belt and could face any situation.

It didn’t take me too long after making the decision before it became a reality; a couple of months perhaps.

I’ve been freelance for over two years now and I honestly love my job. I’m so humbled to do what I do.

Being freelance, I tend to get calls from funeral directors and we agree on a date for me to come in and perform my role. I have all of my embalming equipment with me in my car – machines, instruments, fluid, make-up.

I’ll drive to each location and set up, which only takes a couple of minutes.

People give me details of the deceased – such as name, age, date of death, funeral date. This enables me to determine the strength of my fluid content, so the deceased is successfully preserved up to and after the funeral.

I could have a small elderly lady who passed in her sleep or a young man who had been in a road traffic accident

Some families even bring me a photo and ask for their loved one to have the same hair or make-up.

I also get the odd request for keepsakes, such as locks of hair or fingerprints. Logistically, I cut a small portion of hair from the back of the head (so as not to be seen), tie it with string and place it in a pouch.

When I turn up at each premises, I don’t know what I’m walking into. I could have a small elderly lady who passed in her sleep or a young man who had been in a road traffic accident. My job is to make them look as if they were resting, peacefully.

There is also what is called a repatriation, where someone dies in the UK and their body is to be flown to another country to be laid to rest. This means I have to introduce a stronger solution of formaldehyde into the system to enable the body to withstand the journey.

Additionally, different religions have different requirements and I am very sensitive to that. For example, Hindu men are left unshaved, whereas Sikh men will be shaved. Muslim men and women are usually not prepared or embalmed at all. It is what I have come to learn in the job.

I perform post-mortem embalms also, which are carried out if there is a suspicious or unlawful death, suicide, accidental death or if the deceased hadn’t seen their GP within the previous two weeks.

The process of embalming is slightly different, in this case. The body cavity is unsutured and inside is a bag of viscera (organs), which I remove to access the arteries, to inject; with an arterial injector. The suturing behind the head – that goes from behind one ear to the other – is also removed. Then the skull cap is detached, so I can access the brain stem and orbital arteries.

When the embalming is complete, I place everything back and resuture the body. A lot more work is involved in a post-mortem, as the arteries, veins and capillaries aren’t attached.

I’ve had a few standout moments throughout my career. I see people in the news, who I’ve embalmed; which I still find surreal. I’ve also embalmed celebrities (which I’ll never tell!) and this is very strange – growing up watching their films and seeing them in front of me in my job setting.

All this makes me very grateful to be entrusted with a person’s loved one and to give them a positive last memory so they can pay their final respects.

If anyone reading this has suddenly thought this could be for them, I’d say go for it. It’s extremely rewarding and you get to be creative.

It keeps me grounded and mindful of impermanence. 

Do you have a story you’d like to share? Get in touch by emailing [email protected]. 

Share your views in the comments below.

MORE : What it feels like to give birth during the midwife crisis

MORE : I have to lie and tell people I have Parkinson’s because no-one has heard of my condition

MORE : My dad is 56 and can no longer remember who I am

In this exciting new series from Metro.co.uk, What It Feels Like… not only shares one person’s moving story, but also the details and emotions entwined within it, to allow readers a true insight into their life changing experience.