Aug. 7, 2007 — Afraid to commit? You're not alone. Tattoos are painful to receive and remove and, barring the later, last a lifetime. But a new technique makes skin art durable and easily removable.
And although it can't take away the pain, it can ease the regret.
"I was the first recipient of a Freedom-2 tattoo. I wore it for several months and then had it lasered off. Now my arm is completely clean," said Martin Schmieg, president and CEO Freedom-2, based in New York City.
The process starts with pigments free of heavy metals and other toxins that can induce an allergic reaction or produce other health problem in some people. Clear plastic beads encapsulate the pigments, and are mixed in a solution so tattoo artists can use the pigments the same way they would use ink.
"The pigment is homogenously dispersed in the capsule to get the right color," said the microcapsule developer, Edith Mathiowitz, a professor of medical science and engineering at Brown University in Providence, R.I.
What good is a talking urinal?
Once the tattoo is etched into the skin, the design is permanent. But unlike conventional tattoos, a Freedom-2 tattoo can be removed with a single laser treatment.
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