FDA: Leave tattoo removal to the pros

Federal regulators are reminding consumers about the risks of tattoo removal.

In a notice issued Wednesday, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) stressed the importance of visiting health professionals for ink-removal procedures.

“An effective and safe way to remove tattoos is through laser surgery, performed by a dermatologist who specializes in tattoo removal,” said the FDA’s Mehmet Kosoglu, who reviews applications for marketing clearances of laser-devices that are used to erase body art.  

The FDA does not regulate tattooing or tattoo removal because the inks are considered to be cosmetics. 

While states have varying regulations surrounding both tattoos and their removal, the FDA can only step in when there is a problem, as it did last year following reports of contaminated inks, according to the Los Angeles Times. 

The agency also regulates the machines that perform tattoo removal. Last month, the FDA approved a new laser called the PicoSure, which is manufactured by Cynosure, a company best known for its anti-wrinkle device. 

One in eight of the 21 percent of American adults who have tattoos regret them, according to research cited by the FDA. The American Society for Dermatologic Surgery says the number of tattoo removals performed by doctors increased from 2010 to 2011 -- from 86,000 to 100,000.

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