How to safely get a tattoo removed

Tattoo removal has been performed with various tools since the history of tattooing. While tattoos were once considered permanent, it is now possible to remove them with treatments, fully or partially.

Today, “laser tattoo removal” usually refers to the non-invasive removal of tattoo pigments using Q-switched lasers. Typically, black and other darker-colored inks can be removed completely.

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Three types of lasers are currently used for tattoo removal: Q-switched ruby laser (694 nm), Q-switched Nd:YAG laser (532 nm, 1064 nm), and Q-switched alexandrite laser (755 nm). The Q-switched ruby and alexandrite lasers are useful for removing black, blue and green pigments. The Q-switched 532 nm Nd:YAG laser can be used to remove red pigments and the 1064 nm Nd:YAG laser is used for removal of black and blue pigments.

Since many wavelengths are needed to treat multicolored tattoos, not one laser system can be used alone to remove all the available inks and combination of inks. While laser tattoo removal is not perfect, we have come a long way since the advent of Q-switched lasers.

Current research is focusing on newer picosecond lasers, which may be more successful than the Q-switched lasers in the removal of the new vibrant tattoo links.