Tattoo ink vanishes in sunlight, stays switchable in skin for up to 2.2 years

Researchers hope to bring additional colours to market and reduce production costs as development progresses. Questions about long-term safety, performance and practical use will also matter as the technology advances. A tattoo has traditionally been a commitment etched into the skin, with removal often involving multiple laser sessions, discomfort and considerable expense. But what if body art could be switched on for a night out and made to disappear the next morning? Researchers are developing a light-sensitive tattoo ink that could make that possibility a reality, while opening up intriguing applications in medicine.According to a report by Live Science, the technology, called PhotoTat, uses specially engineered pigments that respond to different wavelengths of light. Developed by a team including Carson Bruns, an associate professor of biomedical engineering at the University of Colorado Boulder, the system could eventually allow tattoos to change colour, remain hidden until needed or disappear from view without removing the pigment from the skin. Scroll down to read the details.Ink that responds to lightAccording to Live Science report, PhotoTat uses three primary-colour inks...