Decorative tattoos have a history dating back at least 5000 years. The
desire to remove them has probably existed just as long. Early attempts to remove
tattoos have had less than desirable results. The use of dermabrasion, salabrasion and
Argon or CO2 lasers have left behind scars in place of the tattoo. The advent of
Q-Switched lasers has permitted the removal of most tattoo inks with a very low risk of
scarring. The Nd:YAG laser is the newest system in this class of
lasers. This laser can significantly lighten or remove many tattoo inks, and is
particularly advanced in the removal of blue, black and red inks. The Nd:YAG laser
removes tattoo ink with the energy of light.
|
Just as natural sunlight is made up of light
wavelengths of many colors, a laser is a device which is designed to produce one or
more specific wavelengths of light. These wavelengths are either absorbed, reflected or
simply passed through the skin but is absorbed by the ink. The rapid absorption of light
energy causes the tattoo ink to destruct, where it is then removed by the body's
natural filtering systems. Medical research has taught us which wavelengths of light to
use and specifically how to deliver the laser's output to best remove tattoo ink. The
Nd:YAG uses a light wavelength which passes through skin, but is absorbed by most
inks. YAG laser also delivers the light in very short, high intensity pulses from
maximum ink destruction. The use of this specific combination of wavelength and
rapidly pulsed light results in minimal damage to the skin while providing maximum
tattoo ink removal.
|
More questions?