Shop semi-permanent designs - from 8 €
Two different products share the name semi-permanent tattoo
One is topical: an ink you apply yourself that stains the outer skin layer and fades in 10 to 14 days. The other is injected by a tattoo artist with a needle and fades over months or years. They share a label and nothing else - not the price, not the method, not the reversibility.
The confusion is not harmless. If you search for semi-permanent tattoos expecting a 15 € sticker you apply on a Sunday evening, results describing a studio appointment and a fade measured in years are answering a different question. Ephemeral, the best-known injected brand, states on its own home page that its ink is now "REACH compliant with an updated fade duration of 2 years" and describes itself as "Not temporary" (ephemeral.tattoo, read 29 September 2026). That is a real tattoo with an end date, not a temporary one.
| Topical semi-permanent (what we make) | Injected fading ink | |
|---|---|---|
| How it goes on | You apply it at home, water and a cloth | A tattoo artist, needle, studio appointment |
| Where the ink sits | Outer skin layer (epidermis) | Dermis, like a permanent tattoo |
| How long | 10 to 14 days | Ephemeral states up to 2 years |
| If you change your mind | Wait two weeks | Wait out the fade |
| Price | 8 to 25 € per design | Studio pricing, per session |
Everything below is about the first column - the 2 week temporary tattoos most people mean when they type the phrase. If you want a needle, you want a tattoo artist, and this is the wrong page.
How long do semi-permanent tattoos last?
10 to 14 days for a topical ink, against two to four days for ordinary temporary tattoos printed under a polymer film. The pigment stains the epidermis, and the epidermis renews itself every two to four weeks, carrying the stain away with it. That cycle is the ceiling no topical formula gets past.
Inside that window the variable is friction, not time. An outer forearm, a shoulder blade or a calf will see out the full fortnight. A hand, an inner wrist or a finger meets fabric, keys and soap all day and fades in eight to ten. Add the development window at the start: the design looks faint for the first 24 to 36 hours and reaches full black after that, so apply two days before the date you care about.
- Hours 0 to 24 - faint, bluish, easy to mistake for a failure. Keep it dry.
- Hours 24 to 36 - the black develops fully.
- Days 2 to 10 - full contrast. Water, swimming and sweat no longer affect it.
- Days 10 to 14 - edges soften, then the design lifts with the skin.
Our full guide to how long temporary tattoos last takes the mechanism apart in more detail.
Is there a semi-permanent tattoo that lasts 6 months?
Not as a topical ink. Six-month and one-year claims describe either an injected studio ink or marketing that will disappoint you in week two. We investigated the six-month claim specifically because it is the most common one in this category, and it does not survive the way skin works.
The reasoning is simple enough to check yourself: a stain in the epidermis cannot outlive the epidermis. For anything beyond a month the pigment has to be placed in the dermis, which requires a needle. Our six-month investigation sets out what each duration claim actually means.
How much does a semi-permanent tattoo cost?
Between 7 and 29 $ for a single at-home design from the main brands, and 8 to 25 € at InkToday. The lower end buys a small motif, the upper end a large piece or a custom order. Prices read 29 September 2026 from each brand's own catalogue and subject to change.
| Brand | Single design | Median price | What you get |
|---|---|---|---|
| InkToday | 8 to 25 € | 10 € | 229 designs, plant-based ink, 10 to 14 days |
| Inkbox | 7 to 29 $ | 15 $ | 250 designs listed, jagua ink, up to 10 days claimed |
| EasyTatt | varies by pack | 16 $ | Large catalogue, 1 to 2 weeks claimed |
| Tatteco (2-week range) | 6,99 to 13,99 $ | 6,99 $ | The cheapest of the specialists |
| Injected fading ink (Ephemeral) | studio pricing | - | Needle, artist, up to 2 years claimed |
Two things are worth reading off that table. The at-home specialists all land within a few euros of each other, so price is not the deciding factor between them - ink formula and design range are. And the injected option is not in the same market at all. We put the brands side by side in our 2026 comparison of the main brands.
How to apply a semi-permanent tattoo, step by step
Five steps, about three minutes, then 24 to 36 hours of patience. The application is not the hard part - the first day is, because the design looks like it failed while the ink is still developing.
- Pick a low-friction spot. Outer forearm, shoulder blade, calf, ribs. Avoid hands, fingers and inner wrists if you want the full two weeks.
- Clean and dry the skin. No lotion, no oil, no sunscreen. Anything on the surface blocks the stain.
- Place the design and press a damp cloth over the backing for about 30 seconds, then peel the paper away slowly.
- Leave it alone for 24 hours. Keep it dry, do not rub it, and cover it loosely overnight so the developing ink does not transfer to sheets or to another part of your body.
- Check at 36 hours. The design is now at full black. From here water, swimming and sweat are harmless.
The three mistakes that cost you a week
- Moisturising before application. The most common one. The ink needs bare skin.
- Washing it in the first day. Hot water during development lifts the pigment before it has set.
- Judging it at hour six. It is supposed to look faint. Wait for hour 36 before deciding anything.
Swimming and showering are fine once developed - we tested what actually holds in our guide to waterproof temporary tattoos.
Semi-permanent tattoos from 8 €
229 designs in the same plant-based ink, from a small heart at 8 € to a full arm band at 14 €, with custom artwork at 25 €. These are long lasting temporary tattoos for adults, and every one of them runs on the same 10-to-14-day clock.
The spread here is deliberate: the heart is close to the smallest design that still reads clearly at two weeks, the Maori band the densest black the ink will lay down. If you want your own artwork instead, the custom design page sets out the file rules, and the plant-based ink page explains the formula.
Shop semi-permanent designs - from 8 €
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a fake tattoo that lasts 2 weeks?
Yes - that is exactly what a topical semi-permanent ink does. Two weeks is the realistic ceiling, because the outer skin layer that holds the stain renews every two to four weeks.
Where can I buy semi-permanent tattoos?
Directly from specialist brands online, including InkToday from 8 €. Marketplace listings are a mix of real staining inks and printed decals that last two to four days, so check for a stated wear time in days.
Are semi-permanent tattoos safe?
Plant-derived topical inks applied to intact skin are the low-risk end of this category. The thing to avoid is so-called black henna, which often contains PPD, a dye not approved for skin application.
Do semi-permanent tattoos hurt?
No. There is no needle and nothing pierces the skin. If a product claims to be semi-permanent and involves a needle, it is an injected tattoo done by an artist, which is a different thing.
Can I get a custom semi-permanent tattoo?
Yes. We redraw your artwork for skin and print it in the same ink, from 25 €, with a proof before printing and no minimum quantity.
Why does my semi-permanent tattoo look faint?
Because it is still developing. Full black arrives at 24 to 36 hours. If it is still pale after 48 hours, the usual cause is lotion or sunscreen on the skin at application.
How do I remove one early?
Oil and gentle exfoliation shorten it, but the pigment is in the skin, so removal is gradual rather than instant. Choosing the placement is more effective than planning the removal.
Do they work on darker skin tones?
Solid black line work does, which is why we print a true deep black rather than a blue-black. Fine grey detail has less contrast to work with on deeper tones.
About InkToday
InkToday makes topical semi-permanent tattoos in a plant-based, vegan, PPD-free ink that develops over 24 to 36 hours and holds 10 to 14 days. 229 designs from 8 €, custom artwork from 25 €, applied at home without a needle. We state the wear window we can defend rather than the one that sells best. Browse the full collection