By Ishuarwin & Yashaswini
When was the last time you applied makeup on someone else?
And for bonus points: Were they living or deceased?
If you are stunned, you are not alone. Many of us are used to applying makeup for aesthetic purposes, be it on ourselves or on others. We come across various funeral processions, where the deceased are looking their best, but the process behind what you see often goes unnoticed.
Nicole Chong, a 27-year-old embalmer who beautifies the deceased for their final send-off.
(PHOTO: Yashaswini)
One of the youngest embalmers and morticians in Singapore, Nicole Chong, has shared her aspirations to take the bold step into the embalming industry. From her struggles in the beginning to achieving remarkable heights, her story is one to not miss.
Being an embalmer and a mortician is a job most would not take up. Here’s a story of a bold woman who overcomes her struggles, stereotypes are thrown at her to provide a fulfilling and heartwarming final send-off for the deceased.
Embalming; an Extraordinary Career Choice
Embalming is the process of preserving human remains and slowing down decomposition. Embalming delays changes that occur to a body after death. This process makes the deceased ready for public or private viewing during their funeral procession.
Services provided for the deceased include washing their bodies, changing of clothes, and applying makeup.
Families of the deceased can request specific services such as manicures, pedicures, and hairstyling.
For those who do not have any specific requirements, a standard procedure of light, natural makeup is meticulously applied on the deceased.
Stage makeup is used as it allows the deceased to have the makeup on for the next few days of their funeral procession.
Chemicals used for the various types of deceased bodies- no two bodies are the same.
(PHOTO: Yashaswini)
On The Clock
This was unlike any 9-5 job - her irregular working hours meant that she would get calls in between meals, or in the midst of a movie.
Plans made with her two children, both aged approximately 18 and 36 months respectively, were often put to a halt: “Recently, the tickets I bought to Haw Par Villa - which I intended to visit with my daughter, went to waste. I was called back to work, and while she threw tantrums, I promised her that I would make it up to her in time to come.”
Not a day goes by where Nicole does not miss her children, and vice-versa. The silver-lining to her is having the honour of helping someone in their final send-off.
Additionally, her occupation is essential in ensuring her daughters are always dressed, and that there is food on the table. Her 36-month-old daughter has understood the importance of having to work hard in order to achieve more.
Supernatural Confessions (Or Lack Thereof)
Working with the living is scary enough, but one can only imagine the scary experiences which stem from paranoia when interacting with the deceased.
While Nicole enjoys gory experiences and loves her job, such supernatural experiences have not fazed her to such a large extent for the past 6 years.
In fact, she used to find it peaceful to work on the bodies in the wee hours of the night. “It was scary to a certain extent - there was a body which was to be sent overseas, and his whole body was wrapped up in a white cloth. My paranoia got the better of me and I feared he would suddenly awake, and kept looking at the CCTV footage.” In another instance, when Nicole attempted to unclench the fist of a body, the person’s fists kept clenching again: “This happened a couple of times, and I threw her hand and ran to hide behind a casket. The body was still, and I realised I was overreacting again.”
As much as these experiences may be scary to most, she deems them to be funny experiences, which she brushes off casually.
Varying coffins on display for the family of the deceased to choose from as their loved ones final resting space. (PHOTO: Yashaswini)
People Come & Go
Nicole had to unexpectedly pay a price for her choice of occupation - she had lost a dear friend, who had distanced herself from Nicole at the request of her mother.
While it was initially hard to grasp, the remaining two best friends came to the conclusion that it was not worth fretting over: “We shouldn’t be friends with someone who is unable to accept our occupation. If you are my best friend, you should understand my job.
She instead focused on those who stood by her side - her husband who supported her since the beginning, her parents who slowly came to terms and accepted her occupation, as well her best friend who constantly kept her motivated throughout her journey.
Challenges of the job
The “office”, where the embalming happens. The room is engulfed with the smell of disinfectant. (PHOTO: Ishuarwin)
Often, the most difficult routes lead to the most beautiful destinations. For Nicole, the challenges were endless but she never once thought of giving up.
Unlike others, her challenges came in different forms of deceased bodies with different requirements.
The deceased bodies differ in terms of how they have passed on, their age, and health conditions. An approximate time of an hour is required to embalm a deceased who have passed on due to old age.
However, deceased who require extra details will take a longer time and skillsets. When a deceased has jaundice, their complexion turns yellowish. This requires a careful blend of colors in the makeup used to make their complexion look natural.
Making the deceased look presentable also includes covering up scars, wounds, and stitches. These are covered scrupulously with wax.
Nicole even had to embalm a deceased who had 7-8 stitches, where she meticulously covered the wounds and gave her a natural look without having the layers of wax look peculiar.
Seems tough enough? Well, there’s more!
Does the mere thought of different creepy crawlers make you shudder? In some instances, the deceased’s bodies come with maggots and most diabetic patients have ants on their bodies.
The young embalmer who never feared her job said:, “Maggots affect me. I feel disgusted. I am okay with seeing blood but not maggots.”
However, she has to put away her emotions and focus on cleaning the deceased’s bodies for their final send-off.
Fighting Through The Bad To Earn The Good
While Nicole wishes she could make everyone happy, some clients remain unhappy despite a hard days’ work.
Families have expressed their concerns upon reviewing the services done. Some even question the efforts put in to beautify the deceased.
Initially, these negative feedbacks made Nicole doubt if she had done her best.
Over the years of experience garnered, Nicole realised that not all requests and expectations can be easily met. It is just not possible at times to make the deceased look exactly like what they did in the portrait photographs.
When the deceased is lying down, their muscles are relaxed and their skin is pulled back making their face look sunken. Upon draining all the blood from the deceased, they do not look as radiant as before as well.
This makes their appearance differ from the portrait photographs provided of them where they are sitting upright.
The embalmers understand that it is hard on the families: “It is understandable that families merely want their loved ones to look their best. It can get overwhelming for the families at times, so we strive to give them what they want at the end of the day.” They bring their makeup kits along to touch up on areas of concern until the clients are satisfied.
Nicole also shared that the families often contact them after the send-off to apologize for their comments that derived from being in an unstable situation.
Various sterilized and disinfected metallic tools were set up in preparation for embalming the deceased. (PHOTO: Ishuarwin)
To Give Is To Receive
Despite being in a job that many fear Nicole says, “I feel fulfilled upon finishing my job every day”.
The responsibility in her hands is no child’s play. She aims to stay in this field despite every challenge. The deceased do deserve the best.
Once, a family shared that their mother looked very different when she passed on.
However, upon the embalming services done, they shared with joy that they were touched to see their mother look just like how she did before, filled with radiance.
When comparing the before and after of the deceased, Nicole feels a sense of joy. This joy is heightened when the families of the deceased feel content with the work done.
Tough Times Don’t Last, Tough People Do
Despite facing various obstacles throughout the course of her occupation, Nicole finds herself having no regrets.
She said: “ To anyone who aspires to be an embalmer, it is not easy but it is going to be worthwhile.”
-The End-
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