shut and in the proper expression. the mouth may be closed via suturing with a needle and ligature, using an adhesive, or by setting a wire into the maxilla and mandible with a needle injector, a specialized device most commonly used in north america and unique to mortuary practice. care is taken to make the expression look as relaxed and natural as possible, and ideally, a recent photograph of the deceased in good health is used as a reference. the process of closing the mouth and eyes, shaving, etc. is collectively known as setting the features. features may also be set after the completion of the arterial embalming process, which allows the embalmer to clean and remove any purge that occurs during the embalming process. tank containing embalming fluid the actual embalming process usually involves four parts: arterial embalming, which involves the injection of embalming chemicals into the blood vessels, usually via the right common carotid artery. blood and interstitial fluids are displaced by this injection and, along with excess arterial solution, are expelled from the right jugular vein and collectively referred to as drainage. the embalming solution is injected with a centrifugal pump, and the embalmer massages the body to break up circulatory clots so as to ensure the proper distribution of the embalming fluid. this process of raising vessels with injection and drainage from a solitary location is known as a single-point injection. in cases of poor circulation of the arterial solution, additional injection points (commonly the axillary, brachial, or femoral arteries, with the ulnar, radial, and tibial vessels if necessary) are used. the corresponding veins are commonly also raised and utilized for drainage. cases where more than one vessel is raised are referred to as multiple-point injection, with a reference to the number of vessels raised (i.e. a six-point injection or six-pointer). as a general rule, the more points needing to be raised, the greater the difficulty of the case. in some cases draining from a different site from injection (i.e. injecting arterial fluid into the right common carotid artery and draining from the right femoral vein) is referred to as a split (or sometimes cut) injection. in certain cases the embalmer may deem it necessary to perform a restricted cervical injection, which involves injecting the head of the deceased separately from the rest of body. this is done in cases where distention (swelling) has a greater chance of occurring. in many cases, an embalmer may select to perform what is known as a pre-injection. a pre-injection is a solution of chemicals that do not contain any preservative chemicals, but rather chemicals that encourage vasodilation, help disperse blood clots, and act as chelating agents. the focus of this "pre-injection" is to allow for a more complete drainage and better distribution of the arterial embalming solution. cavity treatment/embalming refers to the removal of internal fluids inside body cavities via the use of an aspirator and trocar. the embalmer makes a small incision just above the navel (two inches superior and two inches to the right) and pushes the trocar into the abdominal and chest cavities. this first punctures the hollow organs and aspirates their contents. the embalmer then fills the cavities with concentrated chemicals (known as cavity chemicals) that contain formaldehyde, which are delivered to the chest cavity via the trocar inserted through the diaphragm. the incision is either sutured closed (commonly using the purse-string or 'n' suture methods) or a "trocar button" is secured into place. hypodermic embalming is a supplemental method which refers to the injection of embalming chemicals into tissue with a hypodermic needle and syringe, which is generally used as needed on a case-by-case basis to treat areas where arterial fluid has not been successfully distributed during the main arterial injection. surface embalming, another supplemental method, utilizes embalming chemicals to preserve and restore areas directly on the skin's surface and other superficial areas as well as areas of damage such as from accident, decomposition, cancerous growths, or skin donation. the duration of an embalming can vary greatly, but a common approximate time of between two and four hours to complete an embalming is typical. however, an embalming case that presents excessive complications could require substantially longer. the treatment of someone who has undergone an autopsy, cases of extreme trauma, or the restoration of a long-bone donor are a few such examples, and embalmings which require multiple days to complete are known. embalming is meant to temporarily preserve the body of a deceased person. regardless of whether embalming is performed, the type of burial or entombment, and the materials used – such as wood or metal coffins and vaults – the body of the deceased will, under most circumstances, eventually decompose. modern embalming is done to delay decomposition so that funeral services may take place or for the purpose of shipping the remains to a distant place for disposition. grooming restoration tools, museum of funeral customs after the body is rewashed and dried, a moisturizing cream is applied to the face, hands and arms. ideally the deceased will usually sit for as long as possible for observation by the embalmer. after being dressed for visitation or funeral services, cosmetics are commonly, but not universally, applied to make the body appear more lifelike and to create a "memory picture" for the deceased's friends and relatives. for babies who have died, the embalmer may apply a light cosmetic massage cream after embalming to provide a natural appearance; massage cream is also used on the face to prevent it from dehydrating, and the infant's mouth is often kept slightly open for a more natural expression. if possible, the funeral director uses a light, translucent cosmetic; sometimes, heavier, opaque cosmetics are used to hide bruises, cuts, or discolored areas. makeup is applied to the lips to mimic their natural color. sometimes a very pale or light pink lipstick is applied on males, while brighter colored lipstick is applied to females. hair gel or baby oil is applied to style short hair; while hairspray is applied to style long hair. powders (especially baby powder) are applied to the body to eliminate odors, and it is also applied to the face to achieve a matte and fresh effect to prevent oiliness of the corpse. mortuary cosmeticizing is not done for the same reason as make-up for living people; rather, it is designed to add depth and dimension to a person's features that lack of blood circulation has removed. warm areas – where blood vessels in living people are superficial, such as the cheeks, chin, and knuckles – have subtle reds added to recreate this effect, while browns are added to the palpebrae (eyelids) to add depth, especially important as viewing in a coffin creates an unusual perspective rarely seen in everyday life. during the viewing, pink-colored lighting is sometimes used near the body to lend a warmer tone to the deceased's complexion. a photograph of the deceased in good health is often sought to guide the embalmer's hand in restoring the body to a more lifelike appearance. blemishes and discolorations (such as bruises, in which the discoloration is not in the circulatory system, and cannot be removed by arterial injection) occasioned by the last illness, the settling of blood, or the embalming process itself are also dealt with at this time (although some embalmers utilize hypodermic bleaching agents, such as phenol-based cauterants, during injection to lighten discoloration and allow easier cosmeticizing). it is also common for the embalmer to perform minor restoration of the deceased's appearance with tissue building chemicals and a hypodermic syringe. tissue building chemicals (tissue builders) become solid with the introduction of liquids such as water or interstitial fluids. commonly the area where the sphenoid and temporal bones meet; this can also be referred to the temples. in the event of trauma or natural depressions on the face or hands, tissue builder can also be utilised to return those regions of the face to the expectations of the family. clothing as with all funeral practises local custom, culture, religion and family request are the key determiners of clothing for the deceased. in the western world, men are usually buried in business attire, such as a suit or coat and tie, and women in semi-formal dresses or pant suits. in recent years, a change has occurred, and many individuals are now buried in less formal clothing, such as what they would have worn on a daily basis, or other favorite attire. the clothing used can also reflect the deceased person's profession or vocation: priests and ministers are often dressed in their liturgical vestments, and military and law enforcement personnel often wear their uniform. underwear, singlets, bras, briefs, and hosiery are all used if the family so desires, and the deceased is dressed in them as they would be in life. in certain instances a funeral director will request a specific style of clothing, such as a collared shirt or blouse, to cover traumatic marks or autopsy incisions. in other cases clothing may be cut down the back and placed on the deceased from the front to ensure a proper fit. in many areas of asia and europe, the custom of dressing the body in a specially designed shroud or burial cloth, rather than in clothing used by the living, is preferred. after the deceased has been dressed, they are generally placed in their coffin or casket. in american english, the word coffin is used to refer to an anthropoid (stretched hexagonal) form, whereas casket refers specifically to a rectangular coffin. it is common for photographs, notes, cards, and favourite personal items to be placed in the coffin with the deceased. bulky and expensive items, such as electric guitars, are occasionally interred with a body. in some ways this mirrors the ancient practice of placing grave goods with a person for their use or enjoyment in the afterlife. in traditional chinese culture, paper substitutes of the goods are buried or cremated with the deceased instead, as well as paper money specifically purchased for the occasion. chemicals embalming chemicals are a variety of preservatives, sanitizers, disinfectant agents, and additives used in modern embalming to temporarily delay decomposition and restore a natural appearance for viewing a body after death. a mixture of these chemicals is known as embalming fluid, and is used to preserve deceased individuals, sometimes only until the funeral, other times indefinitely. typical embalming fluid contains a mixture of formaldehyde, glutaraldehyde, methanol, humectants and wetting agents, and other solvents that can be used. the formaldehyde content generally ranges from 5–35%, and the methanol content may range from 9–56%. environmentalists sometimes have concerns about embalming because of the harmful chemicals involved and their potential interactions with the environment. recently, more eco-friendly embalming methods have become available, including formaldehyde-free mixtures of chemicals. specialist embalming badly decomposing bodies, trauma cases, frozen, or drowned bodies, and those to be transported over long distances also require special treatment beyond that for the "normal" case. the restoration of bodies and features damaged by accident or disease is commonly called restorative art or demisurgery, and all qualified embalmers have some degree of training and practice in it. for such cases, the benefit of embalming is startlingly apparent. in contrast, many people have unrealistic expectations of what a dead body should look like, due to the near-universal portrayal of dead bodies by live actors in movies and television shows. ironically, the work of a skilled embalmer often results in the deceased appearing natural enough that the embalmer appears to have done nothing at all. normally, a better result can be achieved when a photograph and the decedent's regular make-up (if worn) are available to help make the deceased appear more as they did when alive. embalming autopsy cases differs from standard embalming because the nature of the post mortem examination irrevocably disrupts the circulatory system, due to the removal of the organs and viscera. in these cases, a six-point injection is made through the two iliac or femoral arteries, subclavian or axillary vessels, and common carotids, with the viscera treated separately with cavity fluid or a special embalming powder in a viscera bag. long-term preservation requires different techniques, such as using stronger preservatives and multiple injection sites to ensure thorough saturation of body tissues. for anatomy