Do you have a really bad tattoo that you regret every time you see it? You're not alone. Maybe your tattoo artist was inexperienced. Maybe your concept was lame. Either way, you are now branded by a mistake that you wish would just go away. But what if your bad tattoo could just disappear like magic? One startup company is hoping to prevent bad tattoos from becoming permanent. Tattoos that use Ephemeral ink will begin to fade after only a year, eliminating tattoo remorse.
Accordng to TechCrunch: "Ephemeral is a two-part system, involving an ink designed to break down after a year, along with a separate removal solution.
“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 product is still being tested, first on cells and now on pigs, given the close genetic similarities between ourselves and our porcine cousins. Ephemeral CEO Seung Shin says the company hopes to have something out around Fall of next year. In the meantime, the company is set to open its seed round on June 1st."