A woman who decided to get the “dumbest” tattoo because she was told it was using temporary ink that would fade over time recently revealed that, two years later, the tattoo was still very visible .
Tattoos are increasingly common in American society, with a 2023 Pew Research Center survey finding that 32% of American adults have a tattoo, including 22% who have more than one.
While the vast majority wear their body art with pride, some have ruined their decision to get a tattoo. According to the same Pew Research Center study, 24% of those surveyed regret getting one or more of their tattoos.
Raimee Iacofano of Los Angeles wouldn’t go so far as to say she regrets the tattoo she got a little more than two years ago. “I don’t know if I regret it because it makes me smile and it’s been a great conversation starter,” she said. News week. “I got so many compliments on it too.”
However, that’s definitely not what she signed up for that day. When Iacofano agreed to go under the needle, she did so after being informed that she would be getting a tattoo with “ink that completely fades.”
“I got this tattoo from Ephemeral Tattoo, a company created on the principle of this new ‘biodegradable’ ink that your body could dissolve,” she said.
News week contacted Ephemeral Tattoo via email and social media for comment.
Raimeetravel/TikTok
According to the company’s website, the ephemera are designed to last up to three years.
They list five factors that affect tattoo longevity: tattoo design, placement, aftercare, skin physiology, and the immune system. The company emphasizes that these last two factors are “specific to each individual”.
The website goes on to state: “8% of customers can expect their tattoos to fade within one year, 76% within two years, and 98% within three years. »
Iacofano claims he was told his tattoo would disappear within “nine to 12 months.” With that in mind, she decided to go for something unusual: a chicken riding a skateboard.
“I wanted something silly but cute,” she said. “The intention was to remind myself not to take life so seriously and that nothing really matters because everything is fleeting. I didn’t know that.”
Iacofano said she started to worry a little after nine months, adding: “I realized it hadn’t subsided at all, so I knew there was no chance that It disappears in 12 months.”
That’s when she started seeing people on social media claiming that their temporary tattoos weren’t fading. “I realized I would be stuck with my chicken a lot longer than I thought,” she said.
Even so, she wasn’t really prepared for how long the tattoo would stay. “It’s been 25 months now,” she said. “Even though the ink has definitely “faded,” the drawing as a whole is still very intact and visible. »
Raimeetravel/TikTok
Iacofano estimates it could take between five and 10 years for the tattoo to completely disappear. She recently marked its second anniversary with a video on her TikTok, @raimeetravel, last month, describing it as the “stupidest” tattoo she’s ever had.
“It annoys me sometimes to have it,” she said. “I don’t think I’ll ever have another visible tattoo. In fact, it seems too permanent for me now and I like to embrace the constant change of life.”
However, she is still able to see the funny side.
“The point of this tattoo was to not take things seriously and I love it for that and I can see it that way too,” she said. “So before the trolls come after me for being ‘stupid’ for believing in magic fading ink… remember, it’s not that bad.”
