New Tattoo Ink Disappears after a Year

Are you certain that you'll have no ragrets about this decision? Tattooing is permanent unless you want to undergo expensive laser treatments.

Just to be safe, it may be worth getting yourself inked in a new type of disappearing ink. A company called Ephemeral has developed ink that breaks down after a year. Developer Anthony Lam explained to TechCrunch how it works:

“Tattoo inks today are permanent because of the fact that the dye molecules are too big for your body’s immune system to take away,” explains co-founder Anthony Lam. “By using smaller molecules, we’ve encapsulated them inside this spherical structure that’s big enough that your immune system doesn’t take it away. But when you remove it, it essentially eats away one of the components and the dye molecules are flushed out.”

The company is currently testing the ink on pigs to make sure that it works. It hopes to price the ink at $50-100 for an average sized tattoo.

-via Ace of Spades HQ


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chance of infection is pretty darn slim if you take care of it, unless you work at a sewage treatment plant or something. the pain though? if it's done right, it's gonna hurt.
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Does it break down after a year, or over the course of a year? Because that's a pretty big difference. I'm not sure I'd want to get a tattoo that gradually fades over time. Plus, what if it comes out awesome and you really want to keep it? Seems like it would be better to develop an ink that's still permanent but is more easily broken down by laser treatments (which is hinted at on their website, but it's not entirely clear). That's why they pay me the big bucks, I'm an idea man.
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I hope this works, especially for those who have the ugly tats all over their arms. Still never saw a woman with one that made her look prettier. Maybe that's hat they wanted? Yes, I have one, my nic here on my upper left arm where all my short sleeve shirts hide it. Not one of my better moments.
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