Q&A: Embalmed vs. Unembalmed Tissue. What's the difference?

Coming to a dissection lab is not your everyday experience. And it can be a big investment of time and money. Not surprisingly, we get a lot of questions about what it's like. 

Here's one of the more common concerns/questions:

QUESTION: I am worried about the formaldehyde smell. How do others handle it?
ANSWER: There is no chemical smell in our labs. Let's talk about different types of tissue preservation. 

FIXED vs. UNFIXED: Why It Matters

Most dissection labs use tissue that's been chemically "fixed" or "preserved" with formaldehyde and other chemicals. This has major advantages for semester-long courses — the tissue is more stable and easier to dissect.

But chemical fixing also:

• ❌ Stiffens the tissue (nothing like your living clients)
• ❌ Leaches out the natural colors
• ❌ Creates chemical odors 🧪 that aren't healthy to breathe
• ❌ Makes thin membranes thick and tough

Why We Choose UNFIXED

In our lab workshops, we use tissue that is not embalmed. That means no chemicals. The tissue in our lab is only being preserved through refrigeration, a process called fresh-frozen. What this means for your experience:

• ✅ Softer textures that feel more realistic
• ✅ Rich, natural colors
• ✅ No harsh chemical fumes to breathe
• ✅ Thin membranes stay translucent
• ✅ Muscles maintain a more natural suppleness

We love working with unpreserved tissue because of the softer textures, the rich colors, and the lack of chemical odors. Unpreserved tissue is a more realistic (but not exact!) reflection of our own bodies and the bodies of our patients and clients. This can provide a powerful experience for hands-on therapists.

All our lab experiences are designed by hands-on therapists for hands-on therapists. Check out what that looks like here. 

If you want to read more about the different types of chemical embalming (that we don't use!), check out this review:

Kaliappan A, Motwani R, Gupta T, Chandrupatla M. Innovative Cadaver Preservation Techniques: a Systematic Review. Maedica (Bucur). 2023 Mar;18(1):127-135. doi: 10.26574/maedica.2023.18.1.127. PMID: 37266469; PMCID: PMC10231151.