Have no fear: this tattoo ink is designed to disappear.
Tattoo parlors alternatively have more than a dozen in Williamsburg, but a new location stands up to its promise of semi-permanent design.
Welcome to the appropriate name Almanac tattoo: An 1,800-square-foot space with five artist stations to open on March 25. Stick-on, wash-off styles aren’t what they are – artists use real tattoo guns to ink in their clients’ bodies.
The only difference is the studio’s patented, “Made-to-Fed” product, which lasts anywhere in the skin for nine to 15 months. The founders say they are hoping to attract first-time customers to the tattoo-making world, from body-modification-curious people like myself, who come from conservative backgrounds.
“While there is a time and place for sustainability… there are millions of people who like [us]Will not attach [with tattooing} because of that,” Ephemeral’s co-founder Josh Sakhai told The Post.
The 24-year-old grew up Persian-Jewish in Great Neck, LI, and his religion explicitly prohibits getting tattooed. As a college freshman at NYU, he decided to rebel and get one anyway — but he quickly changed his mind, afraid to commit to a design forever.
Now, he has seven Ephemeral tattoos. “It’s unleashed the ability that I have to tell my story, my values, on my own body through this artform,” Sakhai said.
Sakhai’s co-founders — Brennal Pierre, 42, Vandan Shah, 33, and even CEO Jeff Liu, 33 — all come from similar backgrounds, having grown up in traditional immigrant households.
The team — none of whom are tattoo artists — spent more than six years developing their proprietary ink, testing out more than 50 formulations to find one that faded in an aesthetically pleasing way. As opposed to permanent tattooing, where large pools of clumped-together ink particles resist being broken down by the body’s immune system, Ephemeral’s ink dissolves over time.
“Your body is able to remove the smaller components that break off,” said Sakhai.
For now, the ink is only available in black. Small, accessory-style “subtle” designs range in price from $175 to $225; moderately sized “statement” pieces, such as a bicep tattoo, cost $350 to $450.
Experienced tattoo artist Marissa Boulay said she notices a difference in how the ink performs, but it’s “very minor.”
“It [works] It is better when you walk slower than a traditional tattoo, ”said 29-year-old Bole.
Black ink also cannot fade grayscale for shading – stipples and cross-hatches as an option to artists – and freshly tattooed ink shows slightly less saturated.
Bole said that he is capable of tattooing people who are not ready for the real thing. “Maybe when they get one of these, it will also open doors for permanent tattoos down the line,” she said.
But for some, this new ink is a sign that tattoos are some of the world’s most deeply held values … disappearing.
“This is completely what the tattoo stands for: durability, commitment, rebellious [spirit], “Said Michael Bellamy, 54, owner Red rocket tattoo In Manhattan. “Everybody in my age group is going to laugh at it and says that it is not for strong people. This is not the real deal. “
To become a body art enthusiast, Donlan has room for both types of tattoos in his life.
The 34-year-old personal trainer and fitness influencer received two initial tattoos at Ephemeral last week, along with 14 permanent ones.
“This is the dream – that I can do funny tattoos that I wouldn’t normally do,” he said about the smiley face found on one elbow and “Be Kind” on the other side.
She later said, “It’s a lot less pressure … it’s not forever.”
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