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Ephemeral is developing tattoo ink designed to disappear after a year

techcrunch.com

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

#11

Post by jfoutz »

k-mcgrady wrote: post #7

$50-100 for an average sized tattoo. So that's the price before you even pay the artist to do the work. Quite a big premium. I'd say the 'average' sized tattoo (something large on your bicep but not fully covering it or wrapping around it) is probably $300 and most of that cost is labour. Add the price of this expensive ink and you're paying $350-400 - for something that's going to disappear after a year.

So, a handful of fancy dinners? a cheap road trip? people pay a lot for an experience. Having the experience in a long term consequence free way will entice lots of people to try it out, i think.

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

#12

Post by lamby »

merqurio wrote: post #2

If they really have a solution that is safe and they prove it, they will really disrupt the tattoo market. Losing the fear with a solution like this one will make people want more tattoos for sure !

Or: their current (somewhat negative) properties are actually what drive people to get them..

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

#13

Post by geoelectric »

CitizenKane wrote: post #4

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.

Henna tattoos are a thing, though, too. Ephemeral (small-e) tattoos aren't a new thing, only this particular type.

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

#14

Post by geoelectric »

k-mcgrady wrote: post #10
zck wrote: post #8

One interesting use for this would be to get a tattoo you think you want to be permanent, and then when it fades, decide if you liked it enough to get it redone with permanent ink.

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?

OTOH, it's really, really expensive when it turns out the execution of it isn't the same as you imagined. I'd probably handle that via image manipulation, though. It'd be a neat use of augmented reality or possibly virtual reality tech, too.

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

#15

Post by mbillie1 »

k-mcgrady wrote: post #7

$50-100 for an average sized tattoo. So that's the price before you even pay the artist to do the work. Quite a big premium. I'd say the 'average' sized tattoo (something large on your bicep but not fully covering it or wrapping around it) is probably $300 and most of that cost is labour. Add the price of this expensive ink and you're paying $350-400 - for something that's going to disappear after a year.

Not to nitpick but $50-100 buys you typically an extremely small, single-color tattoo in many places. My last tattoo was a simple flag about 2x3" with 3 colors and a geometric design and cost around $120. Not sure what an "average" size tattoo is, but you're already looking at $350-400 for say, a 3x6" full color tattoo of any appreciable complexity.

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

#17

Post by alva »

merqurio wrote: post #2

If they really have a solution that is safe and they prove it, they will really disrupt the tattoo market. Losing the fear with a solution like this one will make people want more tattoos for sure !

If it is proven safe and they manage to get worldwide patents, they are going to be exceptionally rich.

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

#18

Post by mhays »

The only thing stopping me from getting an arm sleeve is knowing it will be there forever, and during future times when I can't have one.

Though if it lasts 12 months, by month 8 will I have a half-faded looking thing that I either have to retouch, or deal with until it fades completely?

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

#19

Post by marincounty »

I knew I was getting old when viewing tattoos.

I used to look at tattoos, and think about the artist's ability, what's the meaning, what body part is the tattoo emphasizing.

I now look at a tattoo, and wonder is that a tattoo, or is the liver compromised, producing less platelets, causing the person to bruise easily?

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

#20

Post by alva »

daveguy wrote: post #3
merqurio wrote: post #2

If they really have a solution that is safe and they prove it, they will really disrupt the tattoo market. Losing the fear with a solution like this one will make people want more tattoos for sure !

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.

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