What Manufacturers Must Do Now — A Practical Call to Action

The regulatory environment is evolving. Enforcement is tightening. Adverse event awareness is increasing. Manufacturers are facing greater expectations for documentation, traceability, and surveillance than ever before.

The question is not whether oversight will expand. The question is whether manufacturers will be prepared—and whether they will help shape what preparation looks like.

Here are practical actions manufacturers can take right now:

1) Join a trade alliance or industry group
Participation provides early intelligence, shared resources, and collective influence.

2) Assign a compliance liaison internally
This does not require a full department. It requires one responsible person to manage documentation, track changes, and coordinate responses.

3) Build a documentation foundation
Ingredient lists, supplier records, batch records, change controls, labeling substantiation—these are the building blocks of defensibility.

4) Participate in shared surveillance models
Adverse event reporting will become more formal. Manufacturers should help build systems that fit this industry instead of waiting for imposed models.

5) Engage in standards drafting and safety guidance development
If standards are being written, manufacturers should be present to ensure feasibility and accuracy.

6) Support independent research
Better science improves safety, improves public confidence, and reduces the likelihood of arbitrary restrictions.

7) Prepare for mandatory reporting systems
Even if reporting isn’t required in every region today, it is trending in that direction. Proactive readiness is cheaper than emergency compliance.

The purpose of these actions is not to create bureaucracy. The purpose is to protect the industry’s ability to operate, innovate, and remain stable under increasing oversight.

Manufacturers who participate are not “inviting scrutiny.” They are building resilience. They are shaping standards that protect public health without destroying responsible businesses. And they are ensuring that tattooing and body art are regulated with accuracy—not assumption.