EPHEMERA TATTOO UPDATE
EPHEMERA TATTOO SKIN

The industry is regulated at the state level, but there’s no federal regulation for tattoo ink.Įphemeral sees an untapped aspect of the market in the tattoo-curious.

tattoo market is expected to be worth $1.5 billion, according to a business analysis from IBIS World, up 8.4% in the last five years 46% of Americans have tattoos, according to a 2018 survey by now-shuttered market research company Dalia.

In one survey, however, 81% of customers said they would get another Ephemeral tattoo, Liu noted.Įphemeral has raised more than $20 million in funding, and it’s poised to be a big part of a growing industry.

EPHEMERA TATTOO UPDATE

“It's difficult to answer that question,” said Liu, because the company can’t force customers to send feedback or update photos. Left to right: A fresh Ephemeral tattoo on the arm of Toby Leah Bochan, and that same tattoo about 15 months later. But it’s not clear what percentage of tattoos will outlast 15 months. “We never want customers to be disappointed, so we think it’s really important to be proactive and educate and be transparent,” said Ephemeral CEO Jeff Liu.Įphemeral has now tattooed more than 10,000 people, many within the last year, including stars like Iggy Azalea. Since opening, Ephemeral has updated its original advertising, which promised tattoos “gone in a year.” Now, the company has added the word “about” before its quoted nine-to-15-month time frame, and posted more details about fade times on its website. Still, Bochan was caught off guard when her tattoo of flowers on her shoulder refused to fade, looking quite intact after about 15 months. “There is a period where it looks like you got this tattoo 20 years ago, you know - in prison,” said Toby Leah Bochan, an Ephemeral customer. Sometimes, that fade is uneven, with thicker lines lasting longer than thin ones. Online, Ephemeral shares images of fading tattoos at various stages.

EPHEMERA TATTOO SKIN

In an interview with The Chronicle, company representatives said that this range was an average based on early studies and that duration could be affected by many factors like tattoo placement, line thickness, skin pigment and sun exposure. In consent forms, Ephemeral customers are warned that “the exact amount of time that the tattoo will last may be shorter or longer” than the 9-to-15-month range. She’s seen people getting a partner’s name, “and I'm like, ‘Oh, it lasts a lot longer than you guys think.’ ” Photos by Salgu Wissmath / The ChronicleĪn Ephemeral tattoo intended as a temporary lark might soon outwear its welcome, Mathews warned. Clockwise: Artist Nez Garcia gives a tattoo to Ashleigh Serrao. Photos by Salgu Wissmath / The Chronicle Top: Drawings of tattoos for past clients decorate the walls at Ephemeral Tattoo. Top left: Drawings of tattoos for past clients decorate the walls at Ephemeral Tattoo. The startup tattoo business, which has a studio in S.F., offers temporary tattoos using disappearing ink applied with real tattoo guns. Above: Tattoo artist Nez Garcia (right) gives a tattoo to Ashleigh Serrao of Alameda at Ephemeral Tattoo in San Francisco. Top: Barbara Edmonds compares her Ephemeral tattoo now to a photo she took of it 15 months ago. “The whole point was that I didn't want to have a permanent, real tattoo.” “If I had known I would still have this on my leg, I wouldn't have done it in the first place,” said Michelle Mathews, whose tattoo of a cat is still visible after 17 months, though its whiskers are wispy. All were tattooed at Ephemeral’s location in Brooklyn, the only studio that’s been open for more than a year. Seven Ephemeral customers interviewed by The Chronicle shared photos of Ephemeral tattoos that were still strongly visible at or beyond the 15-month period the company advertises - one is at 19 months with about 75% visibility. The tattoo was somewhat hastily selected and designed, and it didn’t look perfect - but it wasn’t supposed to last long.įifteen months later, “it’s very much still there,” Edmonds said.Įdmonds’ experience at Ephemeral - which has expanded rapidly with studios in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Houston and Atlanta - isn’t necessarily common, but it’s also not unique. In August 2021, at the company’s original studio in Brooklyn, N.Y., Edmonds paid about $400 for a Celtic symbol on her forearm, applied with a real tattoo needle using Ephemeral’s proprietary ink, which is designed to break down over time.

Ephemera tattoo