The No-Regrets Tattoo is On Its Way

A new tattoo ink may make tattoo regret a thing of the past. Due to hit tattoo parlors this fall, Freedom-2 is a permanent but (relatively) easily removable ink. Right now, tattoo removal requires a lengthy, painful and expensive series of laser treatments. But Freedom-2 tattoos can be removed with just one such treatment.

The science behind this ink is pretty cool: The biodegradable, bioabsorbable dyes (such as cosmetic-grade iron oxide, a relative of rust) are packed into microscopic polymer beads. When they're hit with a laser, they burst and dissolve.

I'm guessing that tattoo purists will scoff—after all, if you get a tattoo, you know it's permanent. But I know quite a few people who wished they hadn't gotten a band tattoo on their backs, too. This ink would be perfect for people who want a tattoo for the rest of their lives, but prefer to have a little insurance policy in case they no longer want that horrible bottom tattoo. What do you think—would you get a tat with this ink, or do you think that a tattoo is forever?