Getting a loved one’s name engraved on your body in the form of a tattoo has always been the kiss of death for any relationship. New developments in tattoo ink have brought us the first permanent removable ink. Fear of commitment never looked so good. There’s no longer any need to worry for those who have wanted the personal expression of a tattoo but were intimidated by the “forever-ness” of it. This new ink technology is like a pre-nup for your skin.

According to a 2006 study by the Journal of the American Society of Dermatology, 36 percent of Americans between the ages of 18 and 29 already have tattoos. The permanency of a traditional tattoo is part of the appeal – it’s something you will have forever. Of course, the permanency is also a huge drawback if your relationship changes or that tribal armband just isn’t quite as hip as it was ten years ago when they were all the rage. Current laser removal procedures are costly and, perhaps more importantly, painful – some liken it to having your skin scraped with razor blades.

In order to remove a traditional tattoo, you would have to subject yourself to anywhere from seven to fifteen laser treatments – each one a painful burning ordeal. The laser penetrates the skin and begins to break up the ink in the tattoo. Eventually over the course of many treatments, the ink is reduced to small fragments that can slip into the blood stream and be deposited into the lymph nodes.

With the new removable ink, the tattoo can be as permanent as one created with traditional ink, but if you’d like to have it zapped away, the laser removal procedure is faster – just one visit. The secret is in how the ink is made. The ink itself is stored as microscopic polymer beads. These beads maintain their shape in the skin and look like a regular tattoo. But under the light of the laser, the polymer dissolves and the ink dissipates quickly and efficiently. Rather than staying in the body, the smaller beads of ink are ideally suited to be expelled completely from the body over time after the laser dissolves the polymer shell.

Some tattoo artists and removal experts are skeptical. The overall objection posed to the new product is that it is markedly more expensive than traditional ink, so why would someone want to pay almost double for a tattoo that they went in thinking would not necessarily be a permanent fixture on their body. It’s a good question, but enough people have changed their minds over the years to keep tattoo removal services in demand for decades to come.

Fans of the new ink also point out that it can be safer than traditional ink since the polymer beads seal in all the toxins of the ink without allowing them to contaminate or infect the rest of your body.

Ultimately what is right for you will come down to your choice based on price and whether or not you really want that butterfly on your back forever. If you have even the smallest doubt, you may want to consider the removable ink option. It will be more money to be sure, but it also comes with the peace of mind that comes from knowing you always have options down the road.

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