It is also likely that the laser will leave scars or patches of lighter skin. The effectiveness of the treatment is also dependent on the type of tattoo and the colour of the skin, with coloured pigment much more difficult to get rid of. “Laser removal is the standard of care,” said Frank, but that doesn’t mean that it’s perfect. Laser removal can take between six and 12 sessions to completely remove the tattoo, and each session can cost upwards of $350, meaning that getting it removed can cost thousands, much more that the tattoo cost to get in the first place.

Removing a tattoo is an extremely difficult, painful and expensive process. The Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology research showed that 24% of 18-50-year-olds had a tattoo and that 17% were thinking of getting a tattoo removed. The internet abounds with pages illustrating the ‘ Worst Tattoos Ever ’, but it’s also true that the tattoo a person thought was the best thing ever at 18 simply doesn’t accurately reflect who they are at 30. However much a person loves tattoos, not all tattoos are created equal. “I’m not sure of exactly what I want, but I’m very into geometric or black-work tattoos.” “I’m 100 percent going to be getting decked out in tattoos with this ink,” he told Allure. Josh Sakhai, another co-founder is enthusiastic about the possibilities. “I hope to see a lot more people with ink.” “Five years down the road, I hope we’ve substantially dented the tattoo industry, its culture and its future,” he said.

Shin spoke to Allure about where he sees the company in the future. But when you remove it, it essentially eats away one of the components and the dye molecules are flushed out.”Īware that many people want tattoos but are afraid of regrets in the long term, the group are optimistic that their new ink solution will make tattoos much more attractive. “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. “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,” he explained. They currently have a range of tattoo options, with durations of three months, six months or a year.Ĭo-founder Anthony Lam spoke to TechCrunch on how the ink works. However, the ink is made in a different way which means it can be broken down by the body, and they have created a special removal solution to remove the ink when desired. The system uses the same tattoo equipment as a normal tattoo, and it is applied in the same way. Your tattoos should too,” the motto reads. Their company is called Ephemeral tattoos, was founded in 2014 and the tagline on their website represents how they feel about body ink. And it is exactly what Seung Shin heard when he revealed his new ink to his tattoo-hating family, who subsequently forced him to get it removed.Īllure wrote that on discovering how difficult and painful it was to get a tattoo removed, Shin partnered with engineering students and a business student at the University of New York to create a non-permanent tattoo. There is no way to count the amount of times a parent has said this to a child after they got their first tattoo.

“You’ll regret that for the rest of your life.”