Tattoo Removal

Tattoos that are no longer desired can be a source of discomfort or embarrassment for the patient, a symbol of a lifestyle that no longer represents the individual, or a source of societal prejudice or pressure. To that end, the modern picosecond lasers have revolutionised the ability for doctors to treat and remove tattoos. As tattoo ink is much more intense than naturally occurring pigmentation and absorbs much more laser as a result, targeting the ink with traditional Q-switched systems can lead to large amounts of heat generated, leading to higher risks of blisters, burns or scarring. As a result, removing the tattoo safely will require more gradual and conservative settings, which translates to more sessions required over a longer period of time. As picosecond lasers primarily destroy pigment by violent vibrations that lead to the pigment shattering (rather than high heat leading to the pigment vaporising), this allows the physician to target tattoo ink effectively without generating large amounts of heat that can cause collateral damage to the surrounding skin, which translates to lower downtime, risks, and number of sessions required to completely remove the tattoo. It must be noted that lasers of different wavelengths are required to optimally treat tattoos of different colours (this is true whether for Q-switched lasers or picolasers), and not every coloured tattoo can be completely removed. Also, amateur tattoos are easier to treat over fewer sessions, while professionally done tattoos will require more sessions to remove completely.