Without revealing too much about my college experience, it was as cliché as the movies and I bear an anchor tattoo on my hip (etched on in a less-than luxe establishment in Staten Island, no less) as evidence. As a Jewish girl taught that permanent ink is one of the worst things since bacon or mayonnaise teamed with lunch meat, I planned to keep the design hidden from my mother. However, that dream was quickly dispelled when I proudly shared a low-quality image of the nautical ink to my Instagram feed.
Now it’s 2021, and it’s been nearly a decade since I forked over $75 to get said hip tattoo. I don’t regret it (it’s a part of me now!), but what might have been a better choice as an impressionable college freshman is Ephemeral Tattoo, a made-to-fade tattoo studio based in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. It’s new to the scene, having opened its doors to the public this past March. Even so, it’s nearly impossible to get an appointment because the experience has gone viral on social media, drawing in curious eyes who want to get inked without the lifetime commitment.
Ephemeral Tattoo has been in the works since 2014, founded by five New York University grads who wanted to revolutionize the tattoo industry. “Ephemeral’s C-suite and team grew up in households where tattoos were taboo,” cofounder Josh Sakhai tells GRAZIA. “So this company extends from a desire to bridge the gap between conventional ink and temporary tattoos.” They’ve done just that, working with dermatologists and chemical engineering experts to develop real tattoos made to fade from the skin entirely in around a year. To ensure its safety and efficacy, the ink has been the subject of a full-clinical testing study with NYC-based Rao Dermatology.
Understanding Ephemeral’s Disappearing Ink
Unlike traditional tattoos, Ephemeral’s proprietary ink is made of a medical-grade, biodegradable solution that breaks down naturally as the particles become small enough that the body removes them. Like dissolvable stitches, the body absorbs the pigment entirely, but the exact timeline is different for everyone. On average, it fully disappears in about a year (9-15 months), but it starts fading after around six months; and disappears gradually, not instantly. For this reason, the studio only suggests tattoos up to six inches in size, as the fading may look unsightly for, say, a statement sleeve.
Made-to-fade ink is a game-changer for those who want the tattoo experience without the risk of detesting their permanent design years down the road. It’s also a great way to test-run the design you’ve had on your mind for years to ensure you want to commit for life, so that you can take laser removal off the table. “The idea for Ephemeral was born when one team member had to go through the painful ordeal of getting his permanent tattoos removed,” Sakhai explains. “This sparked an epiphany: What if tattoo ink was made to fade? The full tattoo experience, minus the permanence?”
Impermanent tattoos also lessen the pressure on dermatologists like Dr. Dhaval Bhanusali, MD FAAD, who consulted with the Ephemeral Tattoo team during its development stages. “Part of the reason I stopped [doing tattoo removals] was that the treatments were a bit unpredictable, how many treatments, how good of a resolution, etc. It was never consistent, and it was not only frustrating for patients but also physicians,” he says. “The best way to change that was to go back to the basics to change how we tattoo rather than how we remove them.” Case in point: Ephemeral, which, by the way, means “existing only briefly.”
My Experience Getting an ephemeral tattoo
To get a complete understanding of the Ephemeral tattoo process, I made an appointment and made my way to Williamsburg to get tatted on a Monday morning in April. By request, I sent the team an idea of what I wanted a few days prior: a delicate flower on my wrist, inspired by none other than a bottle of MyKerei Shampoo in my shower, which features a similar floral illustration. Upon arrival, my immediate thoughts of the studio were that it’s an interiors-lover’s haven. Designed by All Day Breakfast, the space evokes a sense of tranquility with a mixture of vintage, new and custom pieces from Brooklyn Fabrication. As Sakhai tells us, it’s an “evolutionary take on the traditional tattoo shop,” one “created with client experience in mind, providing a warm atmosphere, amenities, and privacy.”
After a brief but insightful presentation about Ephemeral’s semi-permanent ink, I was led to a private space, separated from the main area. It was there that I met my technician, who showed me the three designs she created based on my request. After choosing one, I laid down on the table, and she got to work. As told by the studio’s staffers, the process hurts just as much as a real tattoo (a friend once compared the pain to scratching a sunburn, and that’s wildly accurate). My design was completed in just over 25 minutes. I was encouraged to treat my new ink to a photoshoot before I was bandaged up with a hydrocolloid patch and treated to a goodie bag complete with aftercare products like Aveeno Anti-Itch Cream, Green Goo Natural Skin Care Salve, and Dr. Bronner’s Unscented Pure-Castile Liquid Soap.
As I write this, it’s been just about six weeks since I got my tattoo, which means it’s fully healed. I have yet to experience any fading, likely because I dutifully followed Ephemeral Tattoo’s strict aftercare process, applying Green Goo frequently, as well as protecting it day to day with SPF 30. It’s important to keep in mind that fading looks different for everyone. “The way Ephemeral fades depends on your skin type, where it is applied, and if it was correctly cared for,” Sakhai explains. “It’s not advisable to do anything you wouldn’t do after getting a traditional tattoo —don’t wear tight clothing over your tattoo, don’t remove your bandage too soon, and don’t pick at any skin peeling you may experience.”
Looking back at the process now that my wrist tattoo is fully healed, my only complaint is that I wish it was permanent! I’m not ready to see it disappear, and I wish I could flip a switch for it to stay put. But I guess that means the experience was, all in all, a success. Whether I decide to writhe my teeth through the pain for the second time a year from now or not, I now know that I really, truly want this dainty wrist tattoo. Plus, my mother’s already seen it, screamed, and begrudgingly accepted it—so perhaps it won’t come as such a shock the second time around?
the future of ephemeral
Sakhai confirms that social media has been “critical” in building the Ephemeral Tattoo brand. “Instagram and TikTok have played an important role in communicating with our audience and directing them to appointment openings when they become available. Our last appointment drop sold out in less than ten minutes,” the co-founder explains. “We’ve been grateful and overwhelmed by the consistent demand from customers, and we’re working on growth plans to realize our vision of limitless self-expression.”
To fulfill their demand, Ephemeral Tattoo plans to expand to more cities nationwide—but it’s doing so strategically. Ahead of opening up a new shop, it’s accepting appointment reservations for $20 (it’s 100 percent refundable and goes toward the cost of your tattoo), no matter where you live. Per the company’s website, the more reservations they receive in your city, the sooner they’ll open a location there. On Instagram alone, potential clients are quite literally begging for a shop to open up in Los Angeles, Chicago, and Austin, among others.
Also, right now, Ephemeral only offers black ink but may add colored ink to its offerings one day. “If we hear from our clients that [they] want color, we will make color,” Sakhai justly says (a testament to his diehard commitment to the brand’s customers). “We started with black ink simply because that’s what people wanted.” Recently, the brand started promoting its Ephemeral Artists page showcasing client designs, which run the gamut from itty-bitty geometric symbols to intricate statement pieces.
In a world where ink is famously reserved for risk-takers, it’s refreshing to see—and experience—a new, modernized dialogue pertaining to the tattoo industry. “When I heard about Ephemeral, I wasn’t sure at first, but I kept thinking about it, and it got me excited that it was different,” says Gusti, one of the studio’s artists. “It’s good for the community. It’s good for the industry. It’s a one-of-a-kind experience,” he says, concluding, “It’s cool to be part of the future of tattooing.”
