Your Next Tattoo Could Be Done With ‘Erasable’ Ink

So you’re stuck with a tattoo of your ex-boyfriend’s name inside an adorable red heart, and you’re trying to decide if you have the guts to suck it up and get it removed with a laser. From what we hear, laser tattoo removal is feels like either being repeatedly snapped with a rubber band or being splattered with hot bacon grease, so our guess is that you’ll end up hanging on to that regrettable tattoo a little longer. In the future though, you may not have to make this difficult decision—your next piece could actually be done with “erasable” tattoo ink.

According to a recent article published online by Glamour magazine, chemical and biomolecular students at New York University have developed a type of tattoo ink that can actually be “erased” from your body, either immediately or years later, which is a genius idea, given all the people out there currently rocking 90s-style barbed wire tattoos, inspirational quotes with spelling mistakes, and prominent pieces featuring their exes’ names. The “erasable ink” has been named Ephemeral, and the process apparently involves using a topical solution to remove the ink, whether you want to erase the tattoo entirely, or just remove bits and pieces for a minor tattoo edit or update.

This is huge news for people who are dying to get a tattoo but aren’t quite sold on the “forever” part. They would be able to get tattooed with this special Ephemeral ink, wear the tattoo for as long as they wanted, and then get it removed or redone using the follow-up topical solution. The ink is still under development, and there isn’t much information out there about what it’s made of, how much it will cost or where it will be available, but the minds working on the project are apparently making serious headway in making Ephemeral tattoo ink available to the general public.

Now that a removable “permanent” tattoo ink seems like it will become a reality before too long, you can go ahead and start dreaming about that summertime tattoo you’ve always wanted but could never commit to. Maybe a cute little palm tree tattoo on your wrist, or a cluster of delicate roses inked on your ribcage. Oh, or a tiny crescent moon tattoo behind your ear. The possibilities are endless!