Can A Tattoo Be Semi-Permanent?

ByKate Reading Time: 9 minutes

You are contemplating getting a tattoo but are unsure if you will like it. Maybe you want to make sure it will look good in the spot you get or that you will enjoy the design long-term. You think about getting a temporary one but also want it to last a little longer than a few days. So now you’re wondering, can a tattoo be semi-permanent?

Tattoos are permanent. A temporary solution is henna art that can last 2-4 weeks or Inkbox tattoos that last up to 2 weeks. Stick-on tattoos are temporary and will only last a few days. Traditional tattoo ink remains under the skin. It might fade, but it will never disappear.

You get different alternatives to tattoos. Most body art techniques are temporary and can last a few days up to a month. Tattoo ink is permanent, and the idea that it can be semi-permanent is a myth with a complex explanation, which we get into through this article.

Is There A Semi-Permanent Tattoo?

The direct answer to this question is, no, tattoos cannot be semi-permanent, contrary to the information out in the world about them. By getting a tattoo, you are permanently staining ink on your skin. Here is how it works and why it cannot be semi-permanent:

Tattoo Ink Goes Into The Dermis

Before you find out how the tattoo works, you need to understand the layers of the skin. The skin is the largest organ in the body and has three main layers. If you get into the anatomy and physiology of the skin, you find out there are seven; however, you only need to know about the three layers to understand the concept of tattoos.

The three layers of the skin:

Epidermis: The first and outer waterproof layer

Dermis: The second layer under the epidermis that contains tough connective tissue.

Hypodermis: The third deeper subcutaneous tissue layer, made of fat and connective tissue.

Now let’s discuss how tattoos work with your skin.

Tattoo Ink Is Absorbed By The Skin’s Cells

When you go to a tattoo parlor, the tattoo artist will use a mechanized needle with ink to puncture your skin. The ink gets through your epidermis – the first layer of your skin – and into the dermis, the second layer.

The process of puncturing and pushing ink deep into the skin is foreign to the skin. It is a form of an outside attack. When something attacks the skin, its natural response is to react with elements that can dispose of the foreign particles through the bloodstream. That is done through the white blood cells in your dermis.

With tattoos, the white blood cells fail at that process because the pigment particles from the ink are too big, and the white blood cells cannot absorb them, so they stay there.

The Tattoo Becomes Permanent

Once you understand the above explanation of how the tattoo ink gets into the skin and can’t get out, you will realize why a proper tattoo cannot be semi-permanent. Even if your tattoo slightly fades over time, it will remain on your skin in some shape or form. It cannot disappear because it is forever ingrained into your skin. If you want to remove it, you can do tattoo removal laser sessions.

Why Do People Think Tattoos Can Be Semi-Permanent?

People have accepted that tattoos can be semi-permanent, including media and marketing strategies that try to reel people for money-making purposes. The following points explain some of the reasons that brought about the idea:

Media Marketing Strategies

The media has effectively convinced the public with new concepts, ideas, and technology around body art and tattoos. The higher-ups in the tattoo industry know that many people are interested in tattoos but are afraid of permanency. 

They have started to market the idea of semi-permanent tattoos, hoping to reel more people in to try it out. They use the concept that the needle only punctures into the epidermis – the first layer – so after some time, the ink is bound to fade as the skin will fight it.

This is simply a myth. The epidermis is as thin as paper, and it is unlikely for the ink not to pass into the dermis (even if it is not too deep). So if the tattoo lightens, it will not go away entirely.

Fading Tattoos

Another common reason people think tattoos can be semi-permanent is that there are many occurrences where people have had their tattoos fade over time. Sometimes it happens after a few weeks or months, and with others, it has happened after years.

The idea that you can get a tattoo and have it last for a few months or years and then fade before you are old and wrinkly or get bored of it is thrilling. It sounds like the perfect solution. It just isn’t how it works. Even if the tattoo fades, the ink will still exist in some shape or form. You could be left with half the drawing, bits and pieces of it or the entire thing in an incredibly light shade. 

Confusion With New Body Art Techniques

There are various body art techniques available. Inkbox, Paperself, and Tattly are a few examples that come close to tattoos. But they are temporary tattoos – a concept that exists and works authentically. They allow you to get a tattoo that can last one or weeks.

These techniques are not traditional tattoos but a form of a tattoo method that allows you to experience a realistic-type ink without permanency. Remember that it is not semi-permanent but temporary.

People Confuse Semi-Permanent And Temporary

Semi-permanent means something intended to last for a long time but not be permanent. Temporary, similarly, means something will last for a limited time, usually shorter periods. Tattoos are permanent. And temporary ink does not last for a long time. Therefore there is no in-between concept, i.e., semi-permanent. People tend to intertwine the two terms.

How Did The Semi-Permanent Tatoo Concept Arise?

Since the beginning of tattoos, people have been expressing concern for the fear that they might not like the permanence of the ink after some time. People also fear how their tattoos will look after aging and worry about not enjoying them or getting bored of how they look.

A tattoo is exceptionally permanent. It becomes a part of your body no matter how often you shower, how old you get, and how your life changes. It is your aesthetic identity, even if no one else ever sees it.

As the concern became more apparent worldwide, people started to think of solutions. Temporary tattoos became more famous because they allowed people to experience the ink without committing to it entirely. It gave people the confidence to go for the permanent thing if they liked it or decline the idea if they didn’t.

Many still wished they could have the temporary ink for a little longer to get a more authentic experience. Temporary tattoos are like a novelty. Most people enjoy it because it is only there for a short period. Once it’s gone, you miss it – that’s if you like it.

So the semi-permanent idea was born. The industry created the concept of fading tattoos with a strategy that fed the public what they wanted to hear. People were, and to date, are told that the needle doesn’t pierce deep into the skin, and the ink will disappear.

That is far from the truth, and even when tattoos fade, they can happen for many reasons.

Why Do Tattoos Fade?

Tattoos can fade because of different skin textures, tones, colors, and even illnesses. It can also fade if proper aftercare is not maintained. Swimming, excessive washing, etc., are all possible factors. Another reason could be that the tattoo artist is inexperienced, unlicensed, a fraud, or did not use quality tools and products. 

Most Effective Tattoo Alternatives

Suppose you are looking for body art that would give you the effect or experience of a tattoo without the commitment of permanency. In that case, you can look into one of these effective temporary alternatives:

Inkbox (And Alike)

An Inkbox tattoo is a perfect option for someone who wants to try out a tattoo design. It provides a self-service approach to creating custom patterns. The ink sinks into the epidermis, the top layer of your skin, and reacts with organic compounds within your skin to deepen its color.

There is a misconception that Inkbox is labeled semi-permanent, but it is as temporary as can be and only lasts one to two weeks. Sometimes henna and tattoo stickers last longer than that.

Henna art

Henna is a natural pigmented dye used to color the skin, hair, and nails. Comparing it to a tattoo would be described as a temporary body decoration that stains the skin and fades after a few weeks. Henna can last anywhere between one to four weeks.

Henna has a tannin dye molecule that can penetrate directly downwards into the skin. It must remain on the skin for a few minutes to a few hours, depending on the type of henna. You can then remove it by peeling, washing, or rubbing. It oxidizes and depends on color in the first week and then starts to fade with water and products over the next two to three weeks.

Tattoo stickers

Tattoo stickers work similarly to the ones you probably remember getting in candy or gum wrappers as a kid. They use the same concept and apply them the same too. You get a wide variety of design options that you can choose from. 

The tattoo sticker can be applied to the skin by pressing it down with a wet sponge or cloth. The backing paper is removed, and the tattoo is left to air dry. The tattoo stickers are waterproof, so they don’t simply wash off. They are said to last one to two weeks, but people have experienced them lasting up to three weeks.

How To Get A Tatoo Removed?

If you got a tattoo before learning about the temporary option, but you hate it or grew out of it, you can get it removed. Technology has advanced over the last several years, and safe laser technology allows people to fade their tattoos over time until they are gone entirely.

Tattoo removal requires more than one session – around six to eight for small and medium-sized tattoos and more than ten sessions for larger designs. The skin needs proper healing in between removal sessions, and the rest time is about six to eight weeks.

People who have had their tattoos removed claim it is much more painful than getting it done. It is also more expensive, especially since you have to do several sessions. That is a significant reason people fear traditional permanent tattoos and seek semi-permanent options. It is also the reason why people avoid removal even with regrettable tattoos.

Can You Get Rid Of A Temporary Tatoo Faster?

If you have a temporary tattoo, you probably got it because you wanted to review what it would be like having a permanent one. You want to try it out until you can find a semi-permanent solution, or you want to have fun with some body art decoration – maybe for a trip, a photoshoot, a function, or because you enjoy it, like nail polish or makeup.

People often don’t like it, especially once the stain starts fading or, like a tattoo sticker, peeling or cracking. You will likely want to get off as soon as possible when that happens. There are various ways you can do that, as listed below:

  • Rub oil over tattoo stickers.
  • Use dish soap or shampoo.
  • Immerse your stain in water often.
  • Take a swim or enjoy a bath.
  • Rubbing alcohol or nail polish remover helps.
  • Use tattoo remover cream.

Conclusion

Traditional tattoos are permanent, and tattoos that fade or disappear over time are temporary. A tattoo cannot be semi-permanent, but if you want to enjoy a realistic experience of a tattoo design, you can try out one of the temporary tattoo methods.

Some of my favorite designs, tattoo books, and aftercare products, selected for you

working on tattoo at my studio
Working at the studio on one of my projects

Thank you for reading my article, I hope that you have found it helpful. If you would have trouble finding ideas for your tattoo, wonder what is meaning of design that you have found or what to buy for aftercare, to make sure that your tattoo will be healing quickly and easily, here are some of my favorite products in one place, hope that this will also help.

Design and tattoo ideas

For some ideas you can have a look at those 3 books with hundreds of designs that I use with my clients, they are available on Amazon for Kindle or in classic, paper version (links below):

Tattoo meaning

If you would like to read more about the meaning of different tattoo styles and designs before you will decide what you would like to have, I can recommend a book that was really useful for me when I was starting my tattoo adventure – it’s “Conscious Ink: The Hidden Meaning of Tattoos” by Lisa Barretta (through the link you can find it on Amazon for around $10).

Tattoo aftercare

The skin at the tattoo site often dries out. To prevent it and speed up healing for my clients, I usually recommend one of those tattoo aftercare balms (you can find them on Amazon):

References

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