Removable Tattoo Ink
December 27th, 2006
noteworthy
Are those prison tattoos hindering your ability to land a decent job? Were you stupid enough to get a lover’s name tattooed on your body? Well, idiot…er, buddy, there’s still hope for you.
New York-based Freedom-2 LLC has developed a new tattoo ink that is permanent but removable.
“I think it will open a floodgate for people who want tattoos,” says Dr. Bruce Saal, a Los Gatos, Calif., dermatologist who specializes in laser tattoo removal and has invested in the company. “People will say, ‘I want to do something a little wild. Now that I know it’s not a lifelong commitment, I’ll do it.’ ”
Freedom-2’s ink is removable because it is encapsulated in tiny beads made of polymethylmethacrylate, a synthetic material commonly used in surgical glue and artificial joints. The fact that the ink is encased in the tiny spheres doesn’t affect the application of the tattoo or its appearance, says Martin Schmieg, chief executive of Freedom-2.
Our inks look and feel and give a result equal to the current tattoos,” he says.Because of the way the beads are constructed, they fall apart when laser energy is applied, Schmieg said. Unpublished tests on humans and animals show that only one laser treatment is typically needed to fully remove a Freedom-2 tattoo and that most Q-switched lasers that doctors use for tattoo removal can be used for the job. A one-time laser treatment should cost less than $1,000, Schmieg predicts.
The new ink will be slightly more expensive than conventional ink but will likely add only about $50 to the cost of most tattoos, Schmieg says, because most of the cost related to tattooing is for the artist’s time and talent.
via: bookofjoe
