She decided to get a scorpion on her arm. One day, a friend found Ephemeral on social media and sent it to Okhuysen, who immediately booked an appointment. She'd talked about the idea to her friends, she said, wishing that she could change her tattoos as often as she changes the color of her hair. Katie Okhuysen said she never thought the technology would exist to get a semi-permanent tattoo. The development of the ink began in 2014, when Ephemeral's founders were studying and teaching engineering at New York University. The ink is made of a bio-absorbable polymer that shrinks over time until it's small enough for your body to break down and get rid of, according to Liu. Before starting, they each had to go through a period of training with Ephemeral's "made to fade" ink. Many customers are in their 20s and 30s, but Littlefield said they've seen a fair number of parents and grandparents who come in with their often already-tattooed children and grandchildren.Įach artist had prior experience in permanent tattooing, and they all continue to work on permanent tattoos outside of Ephemeral. The Houston artists have completed about 220 tattoos total, including about 135 that were done on family, friends and each other to practice. On the weekends, the studio has completed up to 12 tattoos a day, each taking 30 minutes to an hour. The studio offers tattoos that fade over the course of several months. Mari Alex Littlefield shows off an Ephemeral tattoo in the process of fading on Wednesday, Oct. The studio has hired only four artists so far, so making an appointment is the only surefire way to make sure someone's available, according to Mari Alex Littlefield, a customer experience employee at the Houston studio. The Montrose studio has 14 private booths, including one with two setups so two people can get tattooed together at the same time. 12, its fifth location across the country. Ephemeral also has studios in Brooklyn, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Atlanta. "Houston felt authentic to our identity and our brand," he said.Įphemeral opened the Houston studio at 1665 Westheimer Road in Montrose on Sept. When they chose to expand beyond their original Brooklyn studio, Liu said, they sought locations that reflected Ephemeral's values of diversity and inclusion, which led them to Houston. The business' founders all come from immigrant households where tattoos were considered "taboo," he said. And some customers just don't want something permanent for cultural or religious reasons, according to company CEO Jeff Liu.
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