Q-switched lasers are recognised as the only really effective lasers for tattoo removal. They have the ability to reach deeper layers of skin tissues (especially compared to older generation laser technologies) and to break down all the available inks and combination of inks.
With new advances in Q-switched laser technology, we can achieve tattoo removal with minimal risk of scarring and permanent pigmentary alteration.
Since many wavelengths are needed to treat multi-coloured tattoos, three types of Q-switched lasers are needed to remove the full spectrum of pigments used in tattoos:
Q-switched ruby laser (694 nm) – black, blue and green pigments
Q-switched Nd:YAG laser (532 nm, 1064 nm) – red, yellow, orange, black and blue pigments
Q-switched alexandrite laser (755 nm) – black, blue and green pigments.
Non-Q-switched lasers (such as IPLs – Intense Pulsed Light lasers) are unable to deliver the targeted bursts of intense light energy at the wavelength that is absorbed by tattoo pigment.
They are ineffective at destroying the tattoo pigments and may damage the surrounding skin.
The Q-switched laser produces an intense, focused beam of light into the pigment (colour) used in the tattoo.
It delivers light energy in very short ‘pulse-durations’, and at a specific wavelength for each pigment.
Each pigment absorbs the light energy at the corresponding wavelength produced by the laser, which causes the tattoo pigment particles to shatter into tiny particles.
The pigments are therefore broken down into a size that the body can process and eliminate more quickly.
Removing a multi-coloured tattoo will involve a number of treatment sessions using all three of the Q-switched lasers above.
Laser tattoo removal can be painful, as with other types of laser treatment.
Before the procedure starts, we numb the area we are treating, either with an anaesthetic cream or by injection with lidocaine. You may need to allow up to 2 hours for the anaesthetic to take effect.
We wipe off the anaesthetic cream just before starting the treatment.
As well as the anaesthetic, before starting the procedure we may take a photograph of the tattooed area of skin, to monitor progress during the course of treatment.
We can offer you a cold air device to help further minimise discomfort.
As the laser starts to work on the tattoo, you will feel a stinging sensation, often described as like an elastic band flicking sharply against your skin.
Each treatment session can last from 5 minutes to an hour, depending on the size of the tattoo we are treating.
At the end of the procedure, we apply an antibacterial ointment to the treated area.
Possible side effects from Q-switched laser tattoo removal are:
Irritated skin – you should expect mild or moderate irritation of the overlying skin for up to a week after treatment, depending on the amount and depth of the pigment removed.
Hyperpigmentation – your skin may appear darker (especially if you already have a darker skin type) in the treated area. While any darker patches should eventually disappear, you can use skin products to conceal uneven skin tones if needed.
Hypopigmentation – your skin may appear paler in the treated area. This is because the laser treatment targets natural skin pigment (melanin) not just the colour in the tattoo inks. Your natural pigmentation may take months or even years return to normal, if it ever does fully. The likelihood of this increases for people with darker skin, and if you need a number of treatment sessions to successfully remove the tattoo.
Scarring is possible but less likely, as the laser does not affect surrounding skin tissue. If scarring does occur, for whatever reason, you may find a silicon scar-reduction gel helpful.
For the week after the treatment session, you should:
