Scientists develop painless and bloodless tattoos that can be self-administered

Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. “We’ve miniaturised the needle so that it’s painless, but still effectively deposits tattoo ink in the skin,” said Professor Mark Prausnitz, principal investigator on the project. “This could be a way not only to make medical tattoos more accessible, but also to create new opportunities for cosmetic tattoos because of the ease of administration.” “While some people are willing to accept the pain and time required for a tattoo, we thought others might prefer a tattoo that is simply pressed on to the skin and does not hurt.” While tattoos typically use large needles to repeatedly puncture the skin, scientists have developed microneedles that are smaller than a grain of sand and made of tattoo ink encased in a dissolvable matrix. “The goal isn’t to replace all tattoos, which are often works of beauty created by tattoo artists,” Professor Prausnitz said. “Our goal is to create new opportunities for patients, pets, and people who want a painless tattoo that can be easily administered.” The news comes after a tattoo artist in Benidorm revealed he had inked a tribute to Queen Elizabeth II walking hand in hand with Paddington Bear following the Queen’s death.