Tattoo Removal & How it Works

The standard way for tattoo removal is the non-invasive removal of tattoo pigments using Q-switched lasers. Q-switched lasers are used to remove tattoos by shattering ink pigments into particles that are cleared by the body's lymphatic system. Full removal can take between six and twenty treatments depending on the amount and color of ink, spaced at least a month apart, using different wavelengths for different colored inks. Different types of Q-switched lasers are used to target different colors of tattoo ink depending on the specific light absorption spectra of the tattoo pigments. Typically, black and other darker-colored inks can be removed completely using Q-switched lasers while lighter colors such as yellows and greens are still very difficult to remove. Success of tattoo removal can depend on a wide variety of factors including skin color, ink color, and the depth at which the ink was applied.