Making decision to make a permanent tattoo on body takes
commitment and courage, because some people regret their decision when the ink
has entered the skin.
Of course, there are methods for removing tattoo from body,
such as through laser surgery. However, the cost and the pain are bigger than
making the tattoo itself, and sometimes cause damage to the skin. However,
interestingly there is a new solution that has been made by a startup company founded
by a team of New York University students. The solution is given in the form of
unique ink called Ephemeral. It is applied like a standard tattoo ink; it can
last up to one year, and then can disappear from the skin.
Introduced at Disrupt NY 2016 event this week, basically
Ephemeral is similar to the temporary tattoo with a longer life, but its
application is still done with the tattoo gun. After the illustration has been
made on the skin via a needle by tattoo artist, the image will last for approximately
one year, and then it will fade without damaging the skin.
"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.”
There are two ways to remove the Ephemeral tattoo. First,
wait until it disappears naturally. Or use the second method: the NYU team has
prepared a special removal solution if you don't want to wait until a year. The
implementation is much like tattooing procedure (with the tattoo gun), but the
ink is replaced by removal substances. The solution can be used to clean the
entire tattoo or a specific part to be modified.
Currently, Ephemeral is still in the testing phase, the
developer has tested it in the cell, and the ink is tested on the skin of pig -
because human and pig have genetic similarity. CEO Seung Shin hopes to be able
to present the Ephemeral ink in the autumn of next year.
The developer hasn't determined the prices that will be
offered for the tattoo ink and the removal solution. Shin estimates the prices
offered will range between US $ 50 to US $ 100 for the average sized tattoo.