Alec Falkenham, a PhD student at Dalhousie University, has developed a topical cream that he claims can eventually remove tattoos from people's skin.
Falkenham tattoo removal cream which is called Bisphosphonate Liposomal Tattoo Removal is still in the development stages, however, the researcher believes the treatment will be safer and cheaper than currently available options.
"When comparing it to laser-based tattoo removal, in which you see the burns, the scarring, the blisters, in this case, we've designed a drug that doesn't really have much off-target effect," he said to CBC News.
"We're not targeting any of the normal skin cells, so you won't see a lot of inflammation. In fact, based on the process that we're actually using, we don't think there will be any inflammation at all and it would actually be anti-inflammatory."
The cream actually targets cells called "macrophages," the cells that fill with ink and stay in the skin after a tattoo. The cream makes new macrophages to "eat up" the old ink-filled macrophages causing the tattoo to eventually fade.
According to CBC News, Falkenham is testing the cream on tattooed pig ears. He says the cream will work best on tattoos that are over two years old, but is not sure when the cream will be available commercially.
Falkenham estimates the treatment to cost four cents per square centimeters, about $4.50 for treatment of a 4-inch-square area.
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June 12, 2026 17:14 ET Major central bank action was the focus this week in economic news. The European Central Bank became the first major central bank to move in response to the rising inflationary pressures in the backdrop of the conflict in the Middle East. In North America, the U.S. inflation and trade data as well as Canada’s central bank decision gained attention. The Chinese trade data was the main news in Asia.