Science & Tech · Science & Environment · 2 hrs ago
Researchers develop tattoo ink that switches on with UV light
University of Colorado Boulder researchers developed switchable tattoo inks that can be revealed with ultraviolet light and turned off with bright white light.
The inks use photochromic dyes, compounds that change colour when exposed to light.
A brief UV exposure changes the dye molecules, making the tattoo visible until white light reverses the change.
Earlier versions of these dyes could fade quickly or degrade after repeated use, but the researchers say newer dyes can keep their colour for months and withstand more than 10,000 cycles.
The team encased the pigments in a medical-use polymer to make inks called PhotoTat.
A red ink called Magic Ink went on sale in 2024, while the team has developed three more PhotoTat inks.
The specialised process makes the ink much more expensive than regular tattoo ink, and the research team’s next steps are not stated.
Researchers at the University of Colorado Boulder developed tattoo inks that become visible under ultraviolet light and can be switched off with bright white light.
The inks use photochromic dyes, which change colour when exposed to light.
The dyes are encapsulated in a polymer approved for medical use, and the team says they can withstand more than 10,000 activation and deactivation cycles.
A red version called Magic Ink was launched in 2024, and the research team has developed three more PhotoTat inks.
- Who
- Researchers led by Carson Bruns at the University of Colorado Boulder.
- What
- They developed tattoo inks that appear under UV light and can be turned off with white light.
- When
- The research was reported on November 1, 2026; the sources do not state when the research was conducted.
- Where
- University of Colorado Boulder.
- Why
- To make tattoos that can be revealed and concealed using different kinds of light.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
A red pigment called Magic Ink was launched by Colorado-based biotech company Hyprskn.
Phys.org published an article about the science behind disappearing tattoos.
Scientific American reported on the University of Colorado Boulder team's PhotoTat inks.
- Research team
- Carson Bruns’ team at the University of Colorado Boulder
- Activation
- Two or three seconds of bright UV light
- Durability
- More than 10,000 activation and deactivation cycles
- Earlier product
- Red Magic Ink launched in 2024
- New inks
- Three more PhotoTat inks developed