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Ephemeral is developing tattoo ink designed to disappear after a year

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31–40 of 145 posts

Re: Ephemeral is developing tattoo ink designed to disappear after a year

#31

I'm torn. On one hand, this invention will keep a lot of people from making the very common mistake of getting ink they don't like and can't remove. On the other hand, a beautiful part of this art form is that it is basically permanent. To my mind, a tattoo loses a lot of its value of it's only temporary.

Yeah, I had the same reaction. I've got quite a bit of ink and the permanence is a huge part of what makes it meaningful to me. They aren't just pretty pictures; they tell a story.

Re: Ephemeral is developing tattoo ink designed to disappear after a year

#33
post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Your doubling the cost of a tattoo though and they're already pretty expensive. Wouldn't it make more sense to just be certain you want one before you get it and save hundreds of dollars?

> Wouldn't it make more sense to just be certain you want one before you get it and save hundreds of dollars? Sure. But how can you be certain? I have no idea what it's like to have a tattoo, or whether I'd regret it. Would I be too self-conscious about having it? Or would I enjoy seeing it in the dark? I've had one specific one in mind for most of my life, but I don't know if I want it. If I were able to get a fadin…

> Sure. But how can you be certain?

You're not. That's the whole point.

You get a tattoo and then you live with it. It's a part of your body. It's just there. It's not something you really think about on a day to day basis. At least I don't.

I have 3 tattoos and sometimes forget they're even there until something reminds me.

The only reason I don't have more is that they're expensive and that you have to stop working out for a week or two when they're fresh.

Re: Ephemeral is developing tattoo ink designed to disappear after a year

#36
post #27

You would probably still want to be selective about which tattoos you get and where they are placed. Each session can create scar tissue which could be noticeable even if the ink fades completely, and it can be harder to tattoo over scar tissue as well. Scarring isn't guaranteed, and to a large extent depends on the artist knowing what they're doing, but still something to consider.

Yup. The prevalence of scars is also fairly unknown because, well, the tattoos are covering them up.

Re: Ephemeral is developing tattoo ink designed to disappear after a year

#37
Long long ago I was a tattoo artist. With very careful needle adjustments, color choices, and a steady hand, this is already possible with conventional inks. Simple example: white ink is titanium oxide, basically sunscreen, and breaks down rapidly with exposure to UV.

But you are still gonna have scarring and roughening. If you're gonna get ink, be prepared to have it for life.

Also, testing on pigs? Like, live pigs? I'd pay money to see that. :)

Re: Ephemeral is developing tattoo ink designed to disappear after a year

#38
post #37

Long long ago I was a tattoo artist. With very careful needle adjustments, color choices, and a steady hand, this is already possible with conventional inks. Simple example: white ink is titanium oxide, basically sunscreen, and breaks down rapidly with exposure to UV. But you are still gonna have scarring and roughening. If you're gonna get ink, be prepared to have it for life. Also, testing on pigs? Like, live pigs?…

A Belgian artist did this too: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DUcX0owdIhY

Re: Ephemeral is developing tattoo ink designed to disappear after a year

#39
post #20
post #3

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Safety is definitely the number 1 concern. I'm not sure how long trials will need to run before they can confirm there is no increased cancer risk. Also a concern. If it's gone in a year, what does it look like in 6 months? Are you going to look like you have a nasty blob-bruise for 6 months as the definition fades and the ink migrates?

> Also a concern. If it's gone in a year, what does it look like in 6 months? Once the nature of the decay is worked out I could see an awesome opportunity for tattooists to artistically incorporate it for evolving designs.

[deleted]

Re: Ephemeral is developing tattoo ink designed to disappear after a year

#40
post #33
post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Wouldn't it make more sense to just be certain you want one before you get it and save hundreds of dollars? Sure. But how can you be certain? I have no idea what it's like to have a tattoo, or whether I'd regret it. Would I be too self-conscious about having it? Or would I enjoy seeing it in the dark? I've had one specific one in mind for most of my life, but I don't know if I want it. If I were able to get a fadin…

> Sure. But how can you be certain? You're not. That's the whole point. You get a tattoo and then you live with it. It's a part of your body. It's just there. It's not something you really think about on a day to day basis. At least I don't. I have 3 tattoos and sometimes forget they're even there until something reminds me. The only reason I don't have more is that they're expensive and that you have to stop working…

You're confusing the way things are now with the way things must be, for some reason. Just because things are one way right now doesn't mean they won't be another way in the future. Especially if new technology comes along that disrupts the field.
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