A grieving wife from West Virginia is going viral for a tribute, she had her late husband’s actual tattooed skin preserved and framed to keep a piece of him forever.
TikTok user Angelica, known as @realangelicavibes, revealed in a slideshow that she preserved her husband’s skin before cremation, capturing some of his most meaningful tattoos — including a Pittsburgh Steelers helmet and a skull design. “Even though we’ve had his ashes, it didn’t give us the true feeling of him,” she explained in one video. How does 250 lbs, muscles, and tattoos accumulate to a box… it doesn’t. Having a piece of him that I can see, feel, and love is what we needed more than anything,” she explained.
The preservation process, which took about 90 days, was performed by Save My Ink Forever, a company known for helping families preserve the tattooed skin of loved ones, TOO FAB reported.
“This Isn’t a Replica — It’s Him”: Angelica Shares Her Emotional Journey
Angelica’s husband had over 70 tattoos, making it difficult to choose just one. So she asked their son to help decide which piece would be preserved forever.
“Our son chose this one. Out of 70+, he said, ‘This is the one Dad would want.’ This isn’t a replica. You can see his hair, his wrinkles, the ink I kissed goodnight.”
The framed piece includes her husband’s real skin, and the intricate tattoo work that defined his personality. Angelica shared that her husband was a massive Steelers fan, and preserving that tattoo was deeply meaningful to both her and their son.
The video has since racked up thousands of views and sparked intense reactions across social media, with some praising her for honoring his memory in such a deeply personal and raw way, while others were stunned by the idea of preserving human skin.
The Tattoo Preservation Process: “Save My Ink Forever” Makes It Possible
Angelica shared that after the funeral, the mortician was initially hesitant, unsure how the process would work. But with guidance from Save My Ink Forever, they followed strict steps to safely extract and preserve the tattooed tissue.
“You outline it, and then the tissue is removed. Save My Ink Forever sent the funeral home a preservation bag, and they send it back once it’s prepared.”
The preservation process takes approximately 90 days and involves sanitizing and treating the skin so it can be professionally framed and displayed.
Angelica says it was worth every step of the way to have something tangible and visible to remember him by — beyond ashes in a box.