SEPANG, Dec 30 — While many opt for office jobs, corporate roles, or careers that require professional attire, one former bank employee chose to pivot to a less conventional path: becoming a mortuary cosmetologist.
Though not as glamorous as bridal makeup artistry, and focused solely on lifeless bodies, Aileen Ong takes pride in her career as a mortician and funeral director, a profession she has embraced for the past 12 years.
Reflecting on how she developed an interest in this unique field, the 41-year-old shared that it all started when she witnessed the poorly handled preparation of her late brother’s body after a fatal accident-an experience that left a lasting impression on her.
“When my brother passed away, I was 13 years old, but I vividly remember how poorly his body was handled, the prayers were conducted improperly, and the makeup, though he was only 19, made him look like an elderly man,” she recounted when met by Bernama at a local coffin supply company.
Deeply affected by this experience, she made the life-changing decision to leave her banking career after seven years and enrolled in a short course to become a makeup artist and mortician.
After completing several courses abroad, including Mortuary Restorative Art in Japan, an Embalming Course in the Philippines, and workshops in Singapore and Taiwan, Aileen dedicated two years to mastering her skills before confidently stepping into the field.
Reflecting on her journey since entering the industry in 2012, the mother of one explained that the profession is far more demanding than it appears. Beyond applying makeup, it involves intricate tasks such as embalming, repairing stitches, and concealing wounds on the deceased’s body, all of which require meticulous attention to detail.
She said the primary mission of a mortuary cosmetologist is to preserve the dignity of the deceased, ensuring their appearance does not invite negative remarks due to discoloration or other visible imperfections. The goal is to make the body appear as though the individual is peacefully sleeping.
“Before preparing the body, I inspect it in the presence of the family to identify any wounds. Bodies brought to the mortuary often involve severe cases. If the body has undergone an autopsy and the stitching is poorly done, I will re-stitch it to make it less noticeable. For any wounds, I use wax Vaseline to conceal them,” added Aileen, who hails from Muar, Johor.
“If I don’t apply makeup, the face will darken, turning black, blue, or purple. Typically, decomposition begins within two hours. Without makeup, the family might feel deeply saddened, and it could even lead to gossip among relatives. Our role is to preserve the dignity of the deceased and shield them from any criticism,” she explained.
Her services are priced between RM580 and RM6,000.
Aileen, who receives bookings from across the country, shared that applying makeup to a body in good condition typically takes around 15 minutes, though the technique differs slightly from that used on a living person.
“Normally, for living people, we use water-based products or toner before applying makeup, but for a lifeless body, we need to use oils like baby oil and olive oil as moisturisers.
“When a person has died, the body can no longer produce oil. So, the skin becomes very dry and easily damaged. Therefore, we need to use oil,” she said, noting that the entire process of preparing a corpse can take between two to nine hours, depending on the condition of the body.
Sharing one of the most challenging incidents in her career, Aileen, who handles the bodies of Hindu, Christian, and Buddhist individuals, said that searching for missing body parts was among her most unforgettable experiences.
“In cases of fatal accidents, when I promise the deceased’s family to ‘restore,’ it means I have to reattach the severed body parts. In such cases, we need to coordinate with the police, and if they haven’t found the missing parts yet, we have to go to the scene of the incident and search,” she said, noting that she handles at least 60 bodies a month. — Bernama
