Our ink is biodegradable. Ink particles (both permanent and Ephemeral) are hydrophobic, which causes them to aggregate into particles too large to be immediately removed — traditional permanent ink stays in this aggregate form while Ephemeral ink gradually breaks down into smaller particles, water and carbon dioxide over three years.

Made-to-fade ink that looks just like a conventional tattoo — the perfect balance between a temporary tattoo and a permanent tattoo.

YES, all Ephemeral tattoos will ultimately fade away.

Given the physical and chemical nature and degradation rates of components in our ink, an Ephemeral tattoo can't be permanent. Ephemeral ink gradually breaks into smaller particles, water, and carbon dioxide over three years. Our medical-grade polymers are the same as those used in sutures, which naturally break down and are removed by our bodies.

Ephemeral tattoos will break down and be naturally removed by any living human being with water in their body ← you qualify!

Everyone’s fade will look a little different.

The first thing you’ll notice when your Ephemeral starts to fade is a change in ink saturation, which typically means a shift from dark black to light gray.

Our ink breaks down and is removed from the body naturally—no two bodies are the same—but if you want your tattoo to fade quicker, make these considerations when designing/placing your Ephemeral:

Placements along the upper torso, ribs, sternum, inner arms, and inner biceps tend to fade more quickly. Designs using fine lines and little to no shading fade more quickly.

Our ink breaks down and is removed from the body naturally—no two bodies are the same—but if you want your tattoo to fade slower, make these considerations when designing/placing your Ephemeral.

Placements further removed from the core of the body tend to fade more slowly — areas like wrists, thighs, and ankles often take longer to fade than a tattoo on the rib cage or the neck

Designs using thicker lines, deeper details, and lots of rich shading fade more slowly

How your design affects your fade is simple; as you add more ink to the tattoo, you generally add time to the fade. If you want a design with a short fade, consider something simple with fine linework and less detail. If you want a design with a longer fade, opt for heavy detail, shading, and heavy linework!

Tattooing requires enormous skill, where the artist has about 1 to 2 mm of skin depth to work with. Transferring the ink as evenly as possible across this thin layer of skin is crucial to ensuring that your tattoo design fades with the same integrity across the entire design. There are a number of steps that can be taken to ensure that your fade is as desirable as your initial tattoo design.

• Step 1: Design the tattoo with the fade in mind – remember bolder lines fade slower than thinner lines, too dense stippling can overlap, transferring more ink to the skin than is needed to achieve the same effect.

• Step 2: Follow aftercare steps carefully – difficulty and inconsistent healing can cause gaps in the design, which would later show up even more pronounced as the tattoo starts to fade.

• Step 3: Avoid aftercare products or activities that can irritate your delicate skin, even– itching and scratching can compromise your tattoo design. Avoid pools and the ocean for at least one month or as long as your tattoo takes to repair – whichever is longer. Moisturize and use protective measures such as sunscreen or clothing that blocks the sun or reduces friction.

• Step 4: Body parts such as the ribs are known to be difficult areas to transfer ink. Tattoos that traverse different body parts might result in inconsistent fading across the tattoo. A few examples are a tattoo that wraps around the arm, a tattoo that stretches from forearm to wrist, and one that stretches from ribs to back.

• Step 5: Work with your artist; be as still as possible when getting your tattoo.

Yes. Any client that paid for a tattoo that lasts longer than three years from any Ephemeral studio before September 30, 2023, is eligible for the Regret Nothing Guarantee.

Laser removal methods were specifically developed and designed for the removal of permanent tattoo inks. Ephemeral was designed to be broken down and removed by the body over time. Ephemeral does not currently have any approved, safe or effective method of accelerating your fade, including Laser that we are comfortable recommending.