With the overwhelming popularity of tattoos over the last ten years, the market for effective removal has exploded. Tattoos are created by injecting colored pigment into small deep holes made in the skin. Regardless of whether a tattoo artist or an untrained individual injects the pigment, the marks or designs are relatively permanent. When people subsequently want their tattoos removed, most physicians today consider laser surgery one of the best methods. The Q-switched Nd:YAG is the most frequently used laser for tattoo removal. During treatment, pulses of light from the laser are directed onto the tattoo, breaking up the tattoo pigment. Over the next several weeks the body’s macrophages remove the treated pigmented areas. With the Q-switched Nd:YAG laser available on the Harmony®XL laser system, you can effectively treat dark tattoo inks, specifically black (which accounts for more than half of all tattoos), blue and green. Red, green and yellow inks also respond very well to the treatment. Patients should expect to come back for several treatments to achieve expected results.
Technology in Use
Tattoo ink and natural pigmentation like melanin absorb short pulse duration/high peak energy Q-switched pulses so quickly that they create a photo-acoustic effect within the pigment clusters. This effect breaks down the ink into much smaller particles that can be more easily removed by the body’s natural filtering system.
Key Advantages for Patients
- Minimal risk of side effects
- Effective treatment for dark tattoo inks (black, blue and green)
- Dramatic results after several treatments