Mortician Life

The Embalming Process  

The first step in the embalming process is surgical, in which bodily fluids are removed and are replaced with formaldehyde-based chemical solutions. The second step is cosmetic, in which the body is prepared for viewing by styling the hair, applying makeup, and setting the facial features.

Preparing The Body For Embalming

Before the surgical embalming or cosmetic processes can begin, the body is washed in a disinfectant solution and the limbs are massaged and manipulated to relieve rigor mortis (stiffening of the joints and muscles). Any facial hair is shaved off, unless the person who died wore facial hair.

Setting The Facial Features

The eyes are closed, often using skin glue and/or plastic flesh-colored oval-shaped “eye caps” that sit on the eye and secure the eyelid in place. The mouth is closed and the lower jaw is secured, either by sewing or wires. If the jaw is sewn shut, suture string is threaded through the lower jaw below the gums, up and through the gums of the top front teeth, into the right or left nostril, through the septum, into the other nostril, and back down into the mouth. Then the two ends of suture string are tied together. If the jaw is wired shut, a tool called a needle injector is often used to insert a piece of wire anchored to a needle into the upper and lower jaws. The wires are tied together to securely close the mouth. Once the jaw has been secured, the mouth can be manipulated into the desired arrangement. 

Arterial Embalming

For arterial embalming, the blood is removed from the body via the veins and replaced with an embalming solution via the arteries. The embalming solution is usually a combination of formaldehyde, glutaraldehyde, methanol, ethanol, phenol, and water, and may also contain dyes in order to simulate a life-like skin-tone.

Cavity Embalming

For cavity embalming, a small incision is made near the bellybutton and a sharp surgical instrument used for drainage, called a trocar, is inserted into the body cavity. Using the trocar, organs in the chest cavity and abdomen are punctured and drained of gas and fluid contents and then replaced with formaldehyde-based chemical mixtures. The incision is closed, and at this point the body is fully embalmed.

What is Embalming exactly

"An embalmer is someone who takes the measures necessary to preserve a human's remains for a period of time. This may be done so that the deceased will be preserved and make a comfortable appearance for a viewing, or sometimes because state laws simply require that embalming, and the resulting preservation, must be done due to the length of time between the death occurring and the final disposition of the remains. There are also situations when even absent an open casket viewing, a family simply feels better that their loved one's remains be embalmed and preserved prior to disposition."

Tools Used In Embalming

Shaving Materials

Needle Injector

Eye Caps

Cotton

Aneurysm Hooks

Forceps of various sizes

Scissors

Scalpel

Drain Tubes

Drain Tube Hose

Massage Cream

Vaseline

Trocar

Trocar Button

Hypovalve Trocar

Ligature

Needles

Cavity Injector

How A Funeral Home Cosmetically Prepares A Body

After the body is embalmed, cosmetics are applied to the body and the hair is styled to create a more life-like appearance.

Makeup

The amount of makeup that is applied and cosmetic work that is done depends on the condition of the body. In most cases, moisturizing lotion is applied to the face, lips, and hands. Makeup will be applied to the face, neck, and hands in order to make the person look as alive as possible and cover up any blemishes, discoloration, or marks of illness. Powder may be applied in order to keep the body dry and absorb any naturally secreted oils. In some cases, fingernails will be painted with polish.

Hair Styling

The hair will be styled for a life-like appearance. If the person who died wore a wig or toupee, that will be used. The hair may be washed and set, or simply brushed, depending on the situation.

Cosmetic Reconstruction

In cases where the body suffered from a degenerative illness or an injurious accident, cosmetic reconstruction may be necessary. The embalmer will use wax, plaster, cotton, and other materials to return the person's face and body to its earlier form.

Clothing The Deceased

Finally, the body will be dressed in clothing that you have selected and placed in the casket.

How To Choose Clothing For The Deceased

If the person who died will be buried or cremated dressed in clothing or with personal items, you want to collect and bring those items to the funeral home so they can prepare the body. You can choose to dress the body in new clothes that you’ve purchased or clothes that the person who died already owned.

When thinking about how to dress the person, consider what he or she would have liked to have been buried in, such as a favorite or special outfit. While many people are buried in formal attire, feel free to dress the person in any outfits they might have loved, such as a favorite pair of jeans, a lucky hat, or a beloved piece of jewelry.

Religious Considerations

If the funeral will be following any religious or cultural customs, the clothing might be dictated by those rules. Speak to your local religious leaders to learn more about your religion's customs, or see our article Religious Funeral Traditions.

Items To Bring For The Deceased

If the person who died will be buried or cremated with personal items, you’ll want to gather those items before the service and bring them with you to the funeral home before the service or to the funeral service itself. There are no rules or regulations on what a person can or cannot be buried with. Common personal possessions that people are buried with include:

• Family photographs
• Favorite jewelry
• Bibles or other favorite books
• Other sentimental items

If the body will be cremated, remember that all metal must be removed from the body prior to cremation. This includes jewelry, piercings, and belt buckles, which you may have to remove from the body before the cremation.

All You Need To Know About Caskets

Also known as a coffin, a casket contains the body if it's going to be buried or entombed, or as a means of burying cremated remains. It also serves as a respectful and attractive way to transport the body before the burial or cremation.

Casket Materials

Casket materials are primarily stylistic. There is no casket material that can preserve a body forever and no material that improves a casket's basic function.

Caskets are commonly available in the following materials (listed from least to most expensive):

Caskets are also available in alternative materials, such as bamboo, willow, woven banana leaf, and pressed cardboard, among other materials.

Casket Features

Casket features are entirely stylistic. There are no casket features that can preserve a body forever and no features that improve a casket's basic function.

 Common features of caskets include:

• Half couch or full couch, which refers to whether the lid comes in two pieces (half couch) or one piece (full couch). In the case of a viewing, visitation, or an open casket funeral, either the upper half of the body (half couch) or the entire body (full couch) will be on display.
• Interior liners, or fabric lining the inside of the casket, which may be marketed as puncture-resistant and leak-proof, and are generally made out of polyester, satin, or velvet
• Commemorative panels, which are embroidered interiors of the casket lid
• Internal lift hardware, which will tilt the inside of the casket up so that in the case of a viewing, visitation, or open casket funeral the body may be viewed at an angle
• “Memory tube,” which is a small glass tube that screws into the casket. In the event that something should happen to the casket (should the casket become dislodged from its space in a mausoleum or crypt, or unearthed from the ground), the identity of the deceased can be easily known without having to exhume the remains.
• Exterior features, such as handles or ornamentation

Many caskets feature a rubber gasket or some kind of sealer, which provides an air-tight seal between the lid and body of the casket. According to the Federal Trade Commission's Funeral Rule, caskets described as "gasketed," "protective" or "sealer" caskets are designed to protect the casket, not the body, and are features that are never required by law. In fact, a casket that is hermetically sealed increases the rate of body decomposition. And if a casket is to be entombed in a mausoleum or crypt, the cemetery will actually break the rubber seal to prevent accelerated decomposition. The Funeral Rule forbids claims that caskets or special casket features can preserve a body forever.

Cost

Caskets are one of the most expensive purchases of a funeral, and can range in price from $700-$20,000, with average caskets costing between $2000 and $5000. If you will be purchasing a casket from a third-party or online retailer, it’s important to remember that the cost of delivery for the casket may be quite high, and typically ranges from $300-$600.

Rental Casket

If you would like to have a traditional casket at a viewing or funeral service but would not like to purchase the casket, you might consider using a rental casket from the funeral home.

Personal Advocacy

Choosing a casket is entirely a matter of personal choice. Before viewing caskets at a funeral home or casket showroom, you may want to ask for a price list so you can get a sense of the types and prices of the caskets offered, or figure out how much money you’d like to spend before you visit the showroom.

When shopping for a casket, it’s important to remember that you’re being sold a product. Research has shown that when a customer is offered three caskets to choose from, he or she will most often select the casket that is priced in the middle, regardless of how high that price may be. Ask to see a complete casket price list before you are shown any of the caskets; many casket showrooms have less expensive caskets for sale but not for view on the showroom floor. The FTC's Funeral Rule ensures your right to see a complete price list before viewing any caskets.

Where To Purchase Caskets

Caskets can be purchased from funeral homes, casket showrooms, and online retailers. Remember that the FTC’s Funeral Rule guarantees that a funeral home may not refuse or charge a fee for using a casket you purchased elsewhere, including a casket you may have built yourself.