New “Magic Ink” Tattoo Ink Can Appear and Disappear on Light Command

A new tattoo ink called “Magic Ink”, currently available only in red, can be made to disappear and reappear using light, the company Hyperskin announced.

The ink works through photo‑chromic dyes that change colour when exposed to ultraviolet (UV) light and revert when illuminated with white light. According to Miriam O’Duill, Associate Professor of Organic Chemistry at Nottingham University, the process is similar to transition glasses that darken in bright sunlight.

When a small UV torch is shone on the tattoo for two to three minutes, the ink becomes visible; a white‑light torch switches it back to an invisible state. The dyes are encapsulated in a polymer called polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), a material approved for medical use such as bone cement and dentures, which O’Duill says prevents any interaction with the body.

The red version is already on the market at US$100 for a 2 ml vial (about €90), roughly 100 times the price of conventional tattoo ink. Researchers have also created yellow, blue and magenta variants, but these have not yet received approval. The blue ink is reported to degrade after 10 to 100 on‑off cycles, leaving a permanent purple colour.

Source: Newstalk. Photo: cottonbro studio / Pexels.