Etched in the Skin: Grief on a Living Canvas - Memorial Tattoos as Expressions of Grief

This study was conducted to investigate how memorial tattoos impact upon the grieving process of individuals who wear them. Semi-structured interviews were conducted on a 1:1 basis with six diverse individuals and analysed using interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA).

The findings suggest that memorial tattoos play a beneficial role within the grieving process and that they serve as a positive therapeutic tool. We found that memorial tattoos have five fundamental features: 1) Permanence, 2) A tool for managing grief, 3) Communicative tool, 4) Continuing bonds, 5) Transformation of self. As a result of our findings we recommend that a more flexible approach to the management of grief should be offered to bereaved individuals. We further propose that this study serves as a catalyst for the positive role memorial tattoos play in the grieving process and recommend further qualitative research to broaden our understandings of this area.