US-based start-up company Ephemeral are using animals to test a new type of tattoo ink that is designed to disappear after one year.

They are also working to develop a special ‘removal solution’ which can be injected into the tattoo to make it disappear even sooner.

According to the researchers, rats have already been used in experiments to test whether these tattoos are safe and work the way they are supposed to. They have now moved onto tests on pigs that are likely to involve the injection of the material into the animals at high doses that may cause sickness and even death.

This new type of tattoo could prove very popular, appealing to those who do not want to commit to a permanent tattoo. People may not realise the cruelty involved in this new temporary option.

Sadly, claims made by the animal research industry that animal experiments are only conducted for vital medical research, and only as a last resort are simply not true.

Find out more about types of animal testing.