U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC)

Under the Federal Trade Commission Act (15 USC 41-58), the FTC is entrusted with the following responsibilities regarding hair removal:

Defining and eliminating acts or practices that are unfair or deceptive.

Stopping actions that threaten consumers’ opportunities to exercise informed choice.

They do this through statutory enforcement and consumer education.

Pages in this section:

General overview of FTC organization and activities regarding hair removal

Filing a complaint with FTC

Policy Statements and Guidance provided by FTC to educate consumers and businesses

Enforcement of FTC laws: an overview

Miscellaneous information (under construction)

Advertising claims for safety and effectiveness of drugs or medical devices.

Infomercials and general advertising at the national and regional level, particularly advertising making objective claims that are difficult for consumers to evaluate.

FTC’s Division of Marketing Practices oversees certain hair removal manufacturers that sell their devices for use as Franchises and Business Opportunities. This is common with certain types of "professional" electric tweezer devices targeted to beauticians, cosmetologists and home-based entrepreneurs.

Comparative advertising

The FTC’s antitrust arm, the Bureau of Competition, seeks to prevent business practices that restrain competition. As a result, purchasers benefit from lower prices and greater availability of products and services.

Source: FTC website