In order to determine the risks of tattooing and tattoo removal products and practices, the French High Council for Public Health (HCSP) has implemented a global process approach for the care of the person wishing to have a tattoo or permanent make-up.

The risks are structured according to 6 dimensions:

• the act: definition, good practices;
• the professional: scope of action, training;
• the product/material: characteristics, proper use of inks, associated materials and lasers;
• the person: precautions and contra-indications for different populations (general, young people, those with pathologies, prison environment);
• information: data available, transmitted and traced before, during and after the procedure;
• follow-up/monitoring/control: side effects, control of products, equipment and professionals.

The HCSP recommends, for example, that:

• For minors, authorize tattooing only from the age of 16 with the written consent of a person with parental authority and limit the area and overall surface of the tattoo.
• Consider changing the regulations to allow a professional tattooist to work in the prison.
• For tattoo removal, prohibit all use of chemical products and reserve this act for doctors with exclusive recourse to a laser adapted to this act.
• Create an "intervention" book to be given to clients where each tattooing and tattoo removal act will be noted with the components or materials used.
• To set up for the persons carrying out tattoos or permanent make-up a continuous training via a refresher module every 5 years.
• To entrust the broad dissemination of information and recommendations concerning tattoos and detattoos at the national level to a well identified structure, with for example the creation of "Tatoo Info Service".

All 45 recommendations of the HCSP aim to guarantee the "6 Right" throughout the tattooing or permanent make-up process, and possibly tattoo removal: "the right procedure carried out by the right professional with the right product, with the right person, with right information and right follow-up/monitoring".