This tattoo is permanent, pain-free, and might soon come in the mail
Biotech company CipherX has developed a painless, consumer-ready tattoo patch that uses microscopic needles to deposit pigment. The technology, which is fast and quiet, represents a shift in how permanent body art is applied.
Why it matters
This innovation could disrupt the traditional tattoo industry by making the process more accessible and less physically demanding for consumers.
The refurbished railway station in London I entered last week had none of the usual signs of being a tattoo studio. The walls were devoid of any art, and there were no reclining chairs or massage tables in the room. The only tattoo gun on the premises sat in a display case instead of buzzing in someone’s gloved hand. I felt like I was getting inked in a half-assembled biolab with some interesting benefits.
I’m not trying to put on a show of bravado when I say my latest tattoo didn’t hurt. Getting the small sparkle lineart permanently marked on my skin was a genuinely painless experience. It was over in seconds, and didn’t involve any grisly needles — at least, not in the traditional sense.
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