Tattoos are more popular than ever. According to the Pew Research Center, about one-third of American have at least one tattoo. Most get one to honor someone or make a statement.

But a nanoengineer in Colorado, a tattoo artist to the stars and a former doctoral student have long-term hopes for smart tattoos with a health purpose. They’re starting with ink that can appear and disappear with different kinds of light.

Imagine showing off your new tattoo at a party on Saturday and then disappearing it before that big job interview on Monday.

For the people behind the tech-infused tattoos, vanishing ink might be just scratching the surface of what tattoos can do.

Note: This story originally aired on “Marketplace.” You can read the web version here.