CipherX, a new company, has created a device they claim allows people to get tattoos without any pain.
The CipherX microdot tattoo system, which was revealed in London last week, uses a loading dock, a handheld device, and a patch covered in tiny needles to apply a chosen design to the skin.
The patch is applied to the skin with an applicator and quickly pressed on. Tiny microneedles then deliver pigment by dissolving into the skin. As founder Ferdinand Kohle explains, the microneedles are temporary, like a sandcastle that disappears when touched by water.
The patch remains on the skin for around 10 to 15 minutes, after which it simply peels off, leaving the tattoo behind. At first, the lines are faint, but over a couple of days the pigment develops to reveal the final design. According to CipherX, aftercare is simple – no wrapping is needed, and the area just has to be kept clean for the first 24 hours (so no sauna sessions or gym workouts).
In December 2020, Kohle launched CipherX, drawing on his experience in design and the pharmaceutical world. He was personally motivated by his fears of needles and blood, which led him to investigate microneedle technology – often used in skincare – and consider how it could completely transform the process of getting tattoos.
He explains that what began as a simple, individual inquiry grew into a broader investigation of how tattoos could be improved through the use of current engineering, manufacturing techniques, and design principles focused on the user.
After almost six years of development, the project is now available to the public. You can schedule appointments at the company’s main store in West London, and also at certain events, temporary locations, and through partnerships.
For now, customers choose from a curated collection of designs, ranging from a smiley face – the first the company ever developed – to a chair. “The chair was just a silly idea, but it proved to be one of the most popular ones,” Kohle says.
Kohle, who runs the company alongside former surgeon Karl-Anton Harms, is quick to stress that the CipherX microdot tattoo isn’t intended to replace traditional methods.
In the future, he hopes to work with tattoo artists to create designs, but with the device’s technical limits in mind. He explains that they’re aiming for small, simple tattoos, not large, full-sleeve designs.
At the London event, we were talking about how tattooing has come so far, from simple hand-poked tattoos to the very first electric machines. It really hit me when Kohle explained that what we’re doing with this new tech is a huge leap forward. He said our needles are actually made of the ink itself! So, when it goes into your skin, it deposits the ink and, basically, the needle becomes part of the tattoo. It’s a totally different way of thinking about it.
Beyond just its use for beauty, Kohle envisions a medical application for CipherX, like tattoos that shift color to provide health information – such as body temperature or UV exposure.
2026-07-29 18:28