One of the main drawbacks of tattoos, besides the fact that they are almost irreversible, is that they are painful. But now, American scientists have taken a step that may be definitive. To end the pain.
To do this, researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology based on a new medical technology that would allow Painless self-application of tattoos.
as collected gizmodoTattoos are permanent and painful for the same reason: needles are used to make injections small drops of ink In the dermis layer of the skin, just below the surface.
Thus, whatever layers of skin are shed naturally over time, as the ink remains trapped safely Underneath the outer layer that renews itself.
researchers of Georgia Institute of Technology He decided to use the microneedling technique as an alternative tattoo technique.
These microneedles are small enough to inject medicine into the dermis layer of the skin without anyone realizing that they pierce the epidermis, and often gather in large numbers and are administered through patches that are applied only to the skin.
The microneedles designed by Georgia Tech researchers are smaller than a grain of sand And actual tattoos are made of ink that is contained in a “soluble matrix” adhering to a flexible patch.
Each of these microneedles acts like a pixel in the larger image; When the patch is applied, It is pressed onto the skin and left for a few minutes.
Then, The ink dissolves and stays on the skin Once the patch is removed, leaving a recognizable image, but without the swelling or bleeding associated with regular tattoo techniques.
The color of the ink used to make each microneedle can be customized, And even inks that are visible only under ultraviolet light can be used.
The drawback (or not) is that tattoos can last up to a year, according to researchers, but they also have short shelf life If temporary inks are used for tattoos, the moment they replace traditional tattoos is still far away.
