Sometimes less is more. When it comes to tattoos, it’s surprisingly easy to choose from a strictly limited selection of designs, especially when they are quite cute and small. CipherX offer body art snacks. Their microdot tattoos currently come in 16 flavours. From the more predictable hearts, stars and emojis, to a tiny chair inspired by van Gogh, none bigger than 12mm. More designs will be added, and there’s talk of an open call for artists to submit their ideas.
Following a couple of pop-up events across East London, CipherX held its official launch party in Shoreditch last week. The invitation included a link to their online tattoo gallery. Once you’ve selected your fave, you receive a standard consent waiver and a QR code to redeem your patch. The actual inking is even more straightforward and literally takes less than a minute.
A template of the design is used to mark the exact position on your skin before the tiny patch is released from its hermetically sealed packaging and inserted into the award-winning applicator. The rather unassuming plastic tube is then lined up with the marks and the set of microneedles released into your skin. You feel more of the physical impact of the applicator than the actual needles; definitely no pain at all and just a slight tingling as the fibres release the pigments into your skin. The 3D-printed micro needles actually dissolve in the fifteen minutes it takes for the tattoo to cure. Barely enough time to grab a drink at the bar before it’s time for the patch to be removed. The antiseptic wipe at the end was the closest to soreness during the whole process; this truly is a painless tattoo experience.
I’m still not tempted to go for an à-la-carte tattoo from a traditional salon, where the choice is just too overwhelming, and the designs I like best on others tend not to be the right cultural fit for me. Yet I wouldn’t rule out spontaneously adding to the elegant em dash now gracing my biceps – the dots blended into a thin line within 48 hours as predicted. The CipherX concept lends itself to events and festivals, and I could well imagine having matching tattoos with a group of mates.
Most of the guests at the launch party weren’t novices like me but came to fill in gaps on existing patchwork designs. A bit like a stamp collection on skin, each mark a reminder of a moment in time. For now, the micro tattoos require the assistance of trained operators, but they are already safe enough for self-application. No pain, no blood, minimal aftercare. Body art has come a long way since ancient times when cavemen used bones and sticks to adorn their skin.
If you don’t want to wait for the next pop-up or event, you can book online for an appointment at their CX Flagship Store in White City.
The CipherX team didn’t spend four years developing an innovative application method purely for fun. Co-founders Ferdinand Kohle and Karl-Anton Harms share a background in medical sciences, Ferdinand specialising in medical materials and Karl working as a burns and plastic surgery registrar in the NHS. The initial idea was born from Ferdinand’s needle and blood phobia, a condition affecting about 1 in 10 people. Annoying when it stops you from having tattoos, but potentially life-threatening when it comes to prevention and treatment of medical conditions.
The sleek applicator design was awarded the highest distinction with the Red Dot: Best of the Best 2026 award earlier this year. The technology is being developed further for future use in pharmaceutical applications, from family planning and health monitoring to vaccinations and therapeutic delivery. CipherX is currently working with the University of Oxford on a collaborative project exploring medical applications of microneedle technology.
About CipherX
CipherX is a London-based skin technology company working at the intersection of biotechnology, engineering, and product design. Led by Ferdinand Kohle (CEO) and Karl-Anton Harms (CTO), who both trained in Professor Dame Molly Stevens’ research group, the company develops next-generation skin technologies for consumer, cosmetic and medical applications. CipherX has redesigned the tattoo experience, using dissolving microneedles as the basis for its revolutionary painless Microdot Tattoo system.
MORE: cipherx.tech & @CipherX.tech
