UK Startup Develops Painless Tattoo Technology Using Microneedle Patches

A UK-based startup, CipherX, has introduced what it claims is the world's first painless tattoo application method. This technology bypasses traditional tattoo guns, which inject pigment using needles, opting instead for a disposable patch embedded with hundreds of tiny spikes. These spikes are composed of carbon-based tattoo ink and a specialized biopolymer.

How It Works

The process involves applying the patch to the skin. Once aligned, an applicator pushes the microneedles into the skin. According to CipherX, these needles then break down, depositing a small pixel of ink at the desired spot. The patch remains on the skin for approximately 15 minutes. After removal, a permanent 'microdot' tattoo is revealed, which gradually darkens over the subsequent 48 hours. The company states that this method causes no pain, bleeding, or significant damage to the surrounding tissue.

Current Offerings and Limitations

Currently, CipherX offers a limited selection of designs, including hearts, stars, and smiley faces, all within a 15-millimeter frame. Each design is priced at £50. The application is not yet available for home use; customers must attend a CipherX event where staff verify age, consent, and sobriety. The company also has restrictions on application locations, refusing to tattoo hands, feet, groin, neck, or face.

Future Aspirations and Medical Potential

CipherX envisions a future where these patches could be ordered online for home application, suggesting their sterile and accurately-dosed patches might offer a safer and more easily reversible alternative to traditional methods. The inspiration for the technology reportedly stems from co-creator Ferdinand Kohle's aversion to needles. He encountered microneedle technology while studying at Imperial College London and explored its potential for a less invasive tattooing approach.

However, the company's ultimate goal extends beyond cosmetic tattooing. CipherX aims to utilize its microneedle applicators for delivering vaccines and other medications through the skin without the need for injections. The company has received funding from Innovate UK, a government technology innovation agency, to support research at the University of Oxford for a contraceptive hormonal patch. They are also investigating the delivery of 'lipid nanoparticles,' similar to those used in mRNA COVID-19 vaccines. CipherX sees tattooing as a less regulated environment to test and refine their technology before pursuing clinical trials for medical applications.

Historical Context of Tattooing

Tattooing has a history spanning thousands of years, with some of the earliest evidence found on Ötzi the Iceman, who lived around 3250 BC. While techniques have evolved, notably with the invention of the electric tattoo gun in 1981, the fundamental principle of injecting ink beneath the skin has remained consistent until now. Recent research has also explored how tattoos influence social perceptions, with studies suggesting cheerful designs are associated with agreeableness, while death imagery may be seen as unpleasant. Large, traditional tattoos are sometimes linked to extroversion.