in February. Although fade time may vary, Ephemeral tattoos "will 100 percent fade away," CEO Jeff Liu clarified in a statement — and stressed to. "To minimize ambiguity, we promise your money back if your tattoo lasts longer than three years."
Since officially launching in 2021, more than 10,000 people have gotten Ephemeral tattoos, and the company has closely monitored the fade process of its customers, Liu tells. During this time, the company has noticed three specific factors causing increased variability in fade durations, which weren’t accounted for during Ephemeral’s pre-launch testing period.
Over the past two years since opening up shop, Ephemeral's team of chemical engineers has made a number of improvements to its proprietary made-to-fade ink to ensure darker, clearer tattoos, Liu points out. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration doesn't regulate tattoo ink, so Ephemeral can continuously make tweaks to the existing formula. Its artists have also expanded the areas of placements for Ephemeral tattoos to include ribs and ears — in addition to limbs and back.
From a dermatologist's perspective, the reasoning behind the unpredictable fade time is hard to pinpoint – especially since the ingredients of the ink aren't something the company has publically disclosed. Typically, the body has an immune or inflammatory response to foreign bodies, like ink and even filler, which will help metabolize it and break it down, Roy Geronemus, MD, a board-certified dermatologist and the director of.
Regardless of the reasoning, Ephemeral plans to continue to routinely study what impacts fade durations and make its findings available in its design guides, Liu says. "Ultimately, customers want incredible tattoos that they’re proud to wear. These policy changes allow us to get closer to offering customers what they want."