Temporary tattoos: mascara that fades after a year.

Scientists in the United States have launched an ephemeral ink whose molecules break down and disappear from the skin after a year.

If you are part of a population that has not yet had a tattoo on their skin, or you are one of those who considered getting it one day or the other, but never took the plunge because they were afraid of rendering a drawing or lettering tattooed on their Po Over the years, you will undoubtedly be interested in this news: Several young North Americans have invented special inks that are not permanent and disappear completely after a year.

No more expensive, time-consuming and painful procedures, such as laser surgeries, to erase not always convincing tattoos that you no longer like.

Ephemeral (this is the name of this new invention and the "startup" that submitted it to a university competition in New York) puts a temporary side to its invention and gives another undeniable advantage: the tattoo can be changed. you like. This way, you will avoid certain skin catastrophes, such as spelling mistakes, the fact of wearing it written on the skin, the name of a spouse who is no longer a part of your life, or the terrible presence 20 years later of a drawing that was nevertheless so cool in that time.

Small molecules

Co-founder Anthony Lam says his ink works differently than traditional ink, whose molecules are too large for the immune system. Ephemeral ink uses smaller molecules: after a few months, they disintegrate and disappear. “We use smaller molecules and we enclose the dye in special spherical structures that are large enough so that the immune system cannot immediately eliminate them. To remove a tattoo, one of the components breaks down and releases dye molecules that are released by the immune system, ”explains Lam.

Temporary tattoos exist nowadays, but they are not like permanent tattoos and do not last long. Kind of like baby decals. There is also henna - a dye that goes away after several washes.

Compatibility with existing equipment

Another big benefit of this new ink is that it uses the same equipment to apply and remove it as in modern tattoo studios. This special ink has been tested on pigs because these animals are genetically very close to humans.

Ephemeral's founders SeungShin, VandanShah, Joshua Sakhai, Brennal Pierre and Anthony Lam launched their product at the end of 2017 after organizing a fundraising campaign. The price of this magic ink ranges from $ 50 to $ 100 (corresponding to 70-120 euros, with import taxes). There are three versions: permanent tattoos 3 months, 6 months, or one year. But don't rush to the nearest tattoo studio to get a tattoo with this new ink as it can take years to get to Europe. A case to follow ...