Cool chemistry trick allows new tattoos to 'turn on and off'

Written and edited by the WorldPing NewsdeskPublished Updated Original reporting: Live Science
Cool chemistry trick allows new tattoos to 'turn on and off'WorldPing
Image via Live Science.

What happened

Researchers created multicolored tattoo inks that are activated by different wavelengths of light, allowing people to hide their tattoos in different scenarios.

Key facts

  • Reported by Live Science and published Fri, 09 Oct 2026 15:00:00 UTC.

Why it matters

Research findings and mission results set the evidence base that policy, funding and later discoveries build on.

What to watch next

  • Peer review status and replication of the findings
  • Mission milestones and next scheduled attempt
  • Funding or policy decisions that follow

Coverage timeline

When each newsroom published on this story, oldest first — all times UTC.

  1. Cool chemistry trick allows new tattoos to 'turn on and off'

  2. Tattoos could be turned on and off with light

  3. Light-responsive inks could make tattoos visible on demand, but safety remains unproven

Sources

The original report was published by Live Science. WorldPing does not claim that reporting — this page summarises and contextualises it.

Read the full report at Live Science

Related WorldPing coverage

Tattoos could be turned on and off with lightWorldPing
New Scientist

Tattoos could be turned on and off with light

A new type of ink could overcome one of the main downsides of tattoos: the inability to make them invisible…

Brief by WorldPing · Original reporting by New Scientist