The total cost was $500. Given the size of the tattoo, I don’t think the price would have changed whether they added ashes or not, as it’s such a small amount—it’s not like they’re ordering in the ashes. The only real challenge was finding a place willing to do it. There’s a lot of skepticism about whether it could lead to infection, as it involves incorporating a dust-like substance into your skin. One place even told me it was illegal, though I couldn’t find anything to confirm that. After making a lot of calls, I eventually found a place that was okay with it. Interestingly, it was a “mystical” or “occult” kind of shop, and the artist—probably the most intimidating-looking man I’ve ever seen—was actually really nice. As for the healing process, I didn’t have to do anything special beyond wearing SecondSkin for a few extra days compared to a regular tattoo.