According to several statistics, around 50% of millenials in western countries have tattoos. Therefore more and more individuals seek tattoo removal for various reasons. There are social reasons, but also serious health issues (allergic reactions, autoimmune disorders) that came with the tattoo.

Since the 80s, laser treatment holds the monopoly as a therapy for tattoo removal. There is a rising number of studies that show toxic byproducts, which are produced by laser treatments of tattoos (BfR Statement). In addition to possible health hazards, laser treatment has a lot of disadvantages. People with darker skin tones, as well as those with certain diagnosis, are excluded from this form of treatment. The length, cost and pain of laser tattoo removal causes people a lot of psychological distress beside the possible long term effects. Even for a self inflicted indication, this is not an acceptable condition from a medical point of view. Unwanted Effects of Laser Tattoo Removal

There is no public debate about the need for research into new, healthier and equal possibilities to get exogenous particles out of the human dermis. Therefore we want to show the demand with this petition. We ask investors, research institutes, clinics, universities, and politics to finally see the social scope and demand of this issue and react on it. Like other medical applications, a proven health benefit for all patients should be priority. Unless extensive research is done on it, there is no evidence that the current state of the art is the only way. We are not concerned about a bunch of regretful individuals, we are concerned about the future society and health system as a whole.