Death makes you beautiful”: this is how a famous film acted.
Certainly, it was not referring to the funeral practice of tanatoestetica but this manages to make better the image of our deceased.
Often the dead bodies of our loved ones undergo changes. The reasons can be an illness, accidents or the transition does not take place in a peaceful way.
The aims of the tanatoesteta are to return to the relatives a clean, well-dressed and reassembled body or, in the event of an accident, to “rebuilt” it.
The tanatoesteta is an expert.
He has a strictly codified uniform to guarantee maximum hygiene: the gown is similar to the surgeon ones with closed wrists and neck, protected by a plastic apron. Gloves and masks are used.
He uses specific products, as the skin or hair becomes drier, so the common beauty tricks cannot be used.
All the work must be regulated by specific actions. After having dressed and prepared all the equipment, he has to evaluate the general state of the body on which he will have to intervene.
Death leaves strong traces in the body that can change according to the situations. First of all, the “rigor mortis” ùthe rigidity that takes place a few hours after death.
He pushes away the rigidity of the body through precise techniques like disinfecting and cleansing it, washing the hair or shaving the face.
Then he fills the natural orifices up to prevent the escape of biological liquids.
At this point, he starts with the cosmetics of the face so he can vanish the damage of death.
The aim is to “create” the image of a person who is sleeping or, at least, calm.
The same care is given to the hands. Finally, he can dress the body up with the indications received from the family.
The law does not place particular restrictions on this issue. The important thing is that death is declared with a regular certificate registered by the “Ufficiale di Stato Civile”. In the case of death from a potentially contagious disease, there will be a series of restrictions.
The figure of the tanatoesteta is little known, especially here in Italy. Thanks to some avant-garde companies that are organizing real tanatoaesthetic training courses, the profession is more known.
The training concern on the three fundamental phases: disinfection, conservation and restoration.
The goal of the training is to give to the participants the necessary skills for the treatment of the body so the appearance throughout the time of the farewell is preserved.
Thanks to the tanatoestetica, our loved ones will greet us with a more serene appearance, leaving us with a feeling of momentary relief.
