Inked and Regretful: Removing Tattoos
That tattoo on your arm of a former flame—the one that seemed like a
great idea years ago—is kind of embarrassing today. And your spouse is
not too crazy about it either.
You may not know that FDA considers the inks used in tattoos to be
cosmetics, and the agency takes action to protect consumers when
safety issues arise related to the inks.
At the other end of the tattoo process, FDA also regulates laser
devices used to remove tattoos.
FDA has cleared for marketing several types of lasers as light-based,
prescription devices for tattoo lightening or removal. A Massachusetts
company recently received FDA clearance to market its laser
workstation for the removal of tattoos and benign skin lesions.
According to a poll conducted in January 2012 by pollster Harris
Interactive, 1 in 8 (14%) of the 21% of American adults who have
tattoos regret getting one. And the American Society for Dermatologic
Surgery (ASDS) reports that in 2011, its doctors performed nearly
100,
