Learn the truth behind the world’s most mysterious profession…if you dare.

“There is a good chance I have broken your loved one’s bones.

Embalming is not a gentle process.

Four pallbearers in dark suits carry a light-colored wooden coffin adorned with a white floral arrangement down the street

Today, if the rigor is extremely tough, I won’t even bother.”

“I will tell families that embalming is merely draining the blood and replacing it with embalming fluid.

It’s quite a bit more graphic than that.

A doctor checks the heartbeat of a patient lying on a table while another person in a suit and glasses watches

I am glad I don’t see ghosts because I imagine they would be extremely angry with me.”

Corinna L.O., Quora

2.

The truth is no one wants to know what happened.

An elderly person is lying in a casket at a funeral service with floral arrangements on top of the casket

For instance, we once had two bodies delivered for prep to our facility.

Frank S., Quora

Why do people look so different after being embalmed?

“When people pass, that’s the first thing that makes them look different.

A medical examiner uncovers a body on an autopsy table, with a toe tag visible

For instance, their cheeks slide back while lying down.

“Once we embalm, everything firms up to preserve the skin.

Darla W., Quora

Morticians, have you ever worked on someone you knew?

Floral arrangement with white roses and lilies on a wooden coffin in a funeral setting

I found it comforting since I’m a damned good embalmer and restorative artist.

And, yes, there were many private things said and tears shed.”

Thomas C., Quora

5.

Flooded cemetery with partially submerged headstones and a floating casket are visible in the image

Being a professional often involves keeping one’s personal feelings under control to get the job done.

My duty is to see that the transition moves smoothly, appropriately, and lovingly.”

Lawrence D., Quora

What do they do to the body if its a closed casket funeral?

A close-up of an open mouth with red lipstick, showing white teeth and the tongue

Do they still dress the deceased up and such?

“How the body is dressed during a closed-casket service largely depends on what the family wants to do.

It also protects anyone handling the body from any possible bio-hazard risks.

An older man in a suit looks contemplatively at the headstones in a cemetery

Any clothing the family wishes to bury their loved one in would be placed over the suit.

Circumstances can change this, but in general, its up to the family.”

Theyll do so whether or not the body is viewed."

Older man in a suit standing beside various caskets, looking somber. The image relates to parents and final arrangements

Avonlea M., Quora

7.

“Personally, I always wanted the person dressed just in case.

Just in case.”

Person in medical attire stands next to a patient on a hospital bed in a room with medical equipment

The overthrow would be on top of the pouch so the family would see nothing but upholstery.

I thought that was more respectful than seeing a black plastic bag."

Timothy L.T., Quora

Why is there a vial in a casket?

Dan C., Quora

Do funeral directors/embalmers remove gold from the deceased’s teeth?

“It would be absolutely illegal to remove dental gold without authorization.

In my 30+ years, I have never been asked to remove any dental gold fillings or teeth.

R. Eric S., Quora

10.

“I’m not going to take the time to mess with that.

Honestly, dead people are gross.

They look gross, smell bad, feel weird.

I’ve never heard coworkers talk about it, either.”

Tim B., Quora

Do morticians get upset when they embalm children?

“Upset may be the wrong word.

But most of us do find it emotionally difficult.

I found toddlers and preschool-age children the most difficult.

You may think this odd, but embalming was not the hardest part for me.

That is somewhat technical.

I could usually go into that ‘technician’ mode and just do what had to be done.

What I found hard was dressing the body of a young child.

R. Eric S., Quora

12.

One of the hardest was a little girl of 5 who had been abducted and tortured.

Cigarette burns on her body.

Thank God they caught the SOB who did it.

She was like a little doll in her casket.

I think the whole staff was just crying when we put her out for visitation.

That was a hard one.

And the age of the child doesn’t matter.

I think I grieved for my 32-year-old as much as the parents of a baby who died of SIDS.

It’s still your kid, and you never get over it.”

Can you have an open casket funeral if the body is not embalmed?

This is not due to state law but individual funeral home policies.

An embalmed body on display is advertising for the funeral home.

It was a very tough case for me as I knew this young lady quite well.

I did my best to make her look presentable, and the family was quite pleased with the results.

Franklin C., Quora

15.

There was the priest, organist, and me in the front pew.

I had pre-arranged this funeral with the nursing home social worker and legal conservator.

“The lady (decedent) was a WWI medical corps veteran and outlived everyone.

She had no family, and even the social worker and attorney had retired or moved away.

No one was there except the three people running the funeral.

I found the playing of the national anthem to be particularly moving that day.”