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They were promised 'made-to-fade' tattoos — which haven't really faded

ARI SHAPIRO, HOST:

In 2021, a company announced a new kind of temporary tattoo, one designed to fade after nine to 15 months. Ephemeral Tattoo is the company, and it was perfect for Raimee Iacofano.

RAIMEE IACOFANO: Someone who knew that they did not want a permanent tattoo ever.

SCOTT DETROW, HOST:

Iacofano says, tattoos are cool. She's just not a long-term commitment kind of girl. So a few years ago, she thought, what's the worst that could happen?

IACOFANO: Little did I know that almost three years later, my silly chicken on a skateboard tattoo would still be on my upper arm.

SHAPIRO: Ouch. Emily Kager (ph) got her ephemeral tattoo in 2022. She's the proud owner of two dogs, shaggy goldendoodles, and she thought, why not get one in space with an astronaut, and let's even throw a few stars around them?

EMILY KAGER: I actually didn't even see the final design until the day of, which, at the time, felt fine because I wasn't expecting it to stick around forever (laughter).

DETROW: And yet, Kager's space dog is also still around almost three years later. She says she recently had to cover it in a foreign bathhouse where exposed tattoos are not permitted.

SHAPIRO: While not every customer has tattoos that stick around so long, hundreds have posted about their experiences on Reddit and TikTok. In 2023, Ephemeral Tattoo said that for some people, the made-to-fade tattoos can last up to three years.

DETROW: In a statement today, the company acknowledged the disappointment of some early customers and says it has since improved the ink in order to reduce fade time variability. Meanwhile, Raimee Iacofano says her chicken - still skating.

IACOFANO: I feel like it's part of me. I even named the chicken on a skateboard. His name is Maurice (ph).

DETROW: Not exactly what she imagined, but she says it's also become a reminder to not take life so seriously.

(SOUNDBITE OF MAZZY STAR SONG, "FADE INTO YOU") Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.

NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record.

Michelle Aslam
Michelle Aslam is a 2021-2022 Kroc Fellow and recent graduate from North Texas. While in college, she won state-wide student journalism awards for her investigation into campus sexual assault proceedings and her reporting on racial justice demonstrations. Aslam previously interned for the North Texas NPR Member station KERA, and also had the opportunity to write for the Dallas Morning News and the Texas Observer.

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SOMOS CONNECTICUT es una iniciativa de Connecticut Public, la emisora local de NPR y PBS del estado, que busca elevar nuestras historias latinas y expandir programación que alza y informa nuestras comunidades latinas locales. Visita CTPublic.org/latino para más reportajes y recursos. Para noticias, suscríbase a nuestro boletín informativo en ctpublic.org/newsletters.

The independent journalism and non-commercial programming you rely on every day is in danger.

If you’re reading this, you believe in trusted journalism and in learning without paywalls. You value access to educational content kids love and enriching cultural programming.

Now all of that is at risk.

Federal funding for public media is under threat and if it goes, the impact to our communities will be devastating.

Together, we can defend it. It’s time to protect what matters.

Your voice has protected public media before. Now, it’s needed again. Learn how you can protect the news and programming you depend on.