Ryan Gerdes

Graphic Designer 

It is little shock to college students that tattoos are growing in popularity. The idea of etching a design into one’s flesh has become much more widely accepted, especially in these past few years.

What makes tattoos so original and intimidating is their permanence. Once that image is injected into your skin and the ink soaks in, there is no turning back. You might say, “Well, there’s always laser removal treatment,” but this process is not as easy as you may think.

After numerous treatments and spending thousands of dollars you are left with a mushy patch of opaque ink instead of your former tattoo. But is this not the price you pay for a hasty and brainless decision? When you decide on a tattoo, it should be something you really love, not just like. You must realize this image will be with you until the day you die. 

A business called Freedom2 sings a far different tune. This organization developed an ink composed of “well-characterized biocompatible materials” that make removing tattoos extremely effective after only one laser treatment. The ink offers high quality tattoo results, as well as a cheaper and less painful way to remove it.

When the laser strikes the
tattooed flesh, the ink beads embedded into the skin rupture, and the ink is harmlessly soaked into the bloodstream. It is then filtered out of the body, and you are ready to redecorate.            

This ink hit the streets in 2007, but many tattoo artists have been reluctant to stock their shelves with it. This new invention may benefit 18-year-old Jeff when he realizes the naked pin-up rocker chick tatt on his neck may not have been such a great idea; however, it is breaking a tradition that has lasted for thousands of years. You pick it, they stick it, forever. 

I think what makes a tattoo special is the fact it is with you forever. Without the permanence, tattoos become nothing more than a fleeting fashion statement. They become less special because they are chosen on a whim and removed a year, month or day later. The pain you endure earns you the right to wear that tattoo. When it is made removable, you’re cheating yourself of something that can be so much more extraordinary.

We don’t need erasable ink; we need people who make smarter decisions with the flesh they will wear for the rest of their lives.