SINGAPORE – Joshua Tan, 22, has gotten four tattoos since October 2025. They look like the real thing, except they last for just two to four weeks, and are made from jagua ink, which is derived from the Genipa americana fruit.
The first was a skeletal line art along his upper arm, followed by two song-themed tattoos – stars wrapping around his right arm, referencing Cosmic Realignment by Subsonic Eye, and a burning house on his left wrist as an ode to Burning Down the House by Talking Heads. The latest is a set of song lyrics in a cybersigilism style across the length of his forearm.
The National University of Singapore student said his jagua tattoos look different from other temporary body art such as henna, a skin art associated with South Asian, Middle Eastern and Southeast Asian cultures, which have a colouring and look distinct from tattoos. “(Jagua tattoos) look really cool, like a real tattoo,” he said.
Tan’s interest in jagua tattoos was piqued when he first heard about these realistic-looking temporary tattoos from a friend who was doing jagua art about a year ago.
Jagua body art was first used by indigenous peoples in the Amazon region. While it is applied similarly to henna, in Singapore, henna is used to mark cultural milestones and festivities, while jagua has a more decorative and aesthetic purpose.
Now, jagua is trending among youth as a new method of self-expression, which comes with the added bonus of being temporary so their tattoos are both endlessly customisable and without regret.
Another youth Wong Xing Le, who has gotten jagua tattoos in floral styles or inspired by song lyrics in the past year, agrees. “A lot more of my friends are doing it. It’s still rising (in popularity),” said the 20-year-old who is taking a gap year before entering university.
Wong first discovered jagua at 16 in 2022, when she came across an advertisement for a Nike promotional event with a live jagua artist. In the years following that, she did not hear much about jagua, up until 2025.
Wong Xing Le, 20, gets a jagua tattoo on her thigh, drawn by her friend (left).
Courtesy of Wong Xing Le
Places that offer jagua tattoos include permanent tattoo shops that offer jagua as an alternative to traditional tattoos, as well as businesses that specialise specifically in jagua. TLDR managed to find at least 20 businesses advertising jagua tattoo services online.
Pricewise, jagua and henna are generally evenly matched – anything from single-digit prices for beginner artists or for simple and small designs, as well as established artists with prices upwards of $30.
There is no pain involved in getting jagua tattoos, said those who got them. They likened the sensation to drawing on skin with a pen, where the most sensation one may feel is ticklishness.
Nanyang Technological University student and jagua artist Nikita Ria Jei Siregar, 21, who has been practising since September 2025, said that jagua tattoos appeal to those who want a temporary tattoo but also want it to look realistic, as well as those who are considering getting a real tattoo and want to gauge how it would look like.
On how the trend gained popularity, Siregar said: “I first heard about it here and there online. The social media exposure in Singapore was of people doing it at public events, where the price is higher.”
Siregar first started doing jagua tattoos as part of her election campaign for a school club, using the opportunity to talk to the student body about their concerns and hopes for the club. She picked up the skill quickly, thanks to her background as a visual artist.
Some of Siregar’s customers have eventually gotten permanent tattoos based on their jagua tattoos.
“A significant number of people get (jagua tattoos) because they are test-driving their actual tattoo plans. One to two people came back to tell me they got an actual tattoo because of my jagua tattooing,” Siregar said. Her clients are typically in their late teens or early 20s.
Of her 300 clients, she estimates that about five per cent eventually went for real tattoos.
Others enjoy the temporary, ever-changing nature of getting a jagua tattoo.
“Most of the appeal is that it will fade and go away. They can try a new thing, or a new placement,” she said.
Since jagua fades in only a few weeks, some people use the opportunity to get big, elaborate designs that they might not want permanently.
Recalling the “craziest one she’s ever done,” Siregar said: “It was a (jagua tattoo) on (my friend’s) back for her birthday. It was a giant lion with the word “blessed” at the top. It spanned her full back.”
The piece took two hours to complete.
Another jagua artist Jennifer Soon Beiyu, who has been in the business since 2017, observed jagua increasing in popularity in recent years because people are starting to see its value as an art.
“After (the Covid-19 pandemic), jagua got much more popular. It really skyrocketed,” the 33-year-old said. “Tattoos are becoming less of a taboo and more of an art.”
Soon has been running her jagua and permanent tattoo business, Jynk Ink, since 2018. Her prices start from $10 for a 3cm-sized jagua tattoo and increase depending on size, complexity and placement.
Like Siregar, she has also observed youth and adults using jagua tattoos to experiment before committing to a permanent tattoo. “They use it as a test, and (it gives them) the ability to change up different parts of an existing design.”
Soon says this is not as easy to do with a permanent tattoo because they are more time-consuming. “You don’t see the tattoo (design) until at most a week before, and even then, the changes (you make) can’t be that big,” she said.
Some parents may also be more relaxed about jagua tattoos since they are temporary.
Wong’s mother, Abby Lee, a 57-year-old homemaker, is occasionally surprised when her daughter comes home with a jagua tattoo, but sees no issue with it.
“It’s very nice, so why not? I trust (my daughter’s) judgment to do the right thing,” Lee said.
As for those who intend to do their own jagua tattoo, Siregar has a few words of advice: “It’s not a hard practice to get into. All you need to do is buy a tube (of jagua) and be semi-decent at drawing.”
“But it’s important to check where you’re sourcing the ink from – I’ve heard about people getting rashes from random jagua.”
