Laser tattoo removal
Tattoos and permanent make-up can in many cases be lightened considerably or largely removed with ultra-short-pulsed lasers. Which wavelength is used depends on the colour of the pigments.
Overview
What was appealing in younger years is often perceived as a blemish later on, or the motif no longer fits the current situation in life. Many people therefore wish to have their tattoo removed by laser. The same applies to permanent make-up that was applied unsuitably.
Three systems are available for this in our practice: the picosecond laser PicoStar (Asclepion), the Q-switch Nd:YAG laser Evo Q-Plus (Quanta System) and the ruby laser Rubystar (Asclepion). All of them work with very short pulses in the nanosecond or picosecond range. This produces a photoacoustic effect that shatters the colour pigments; the fragments are taken up by the body's own scavenger cells and carried away via the lymphatic system. Which laser is used depends on the colour spectrum: the main device is the picosecond laser, and depending on the colour the ruby laser and the Q-switch Nd:YAG laser are added. The ruby laser at 694 nm is particularly suited to black, blue, turquoise and green, the Q-switch Nd:YAG laser at 532 or 1064 nm to black, brown, red, orange and yellow.
In our experience black, green and blue tones respond well, while red and yellow are harder to remove. How many sessions are needed depends on the pigment density and the depth of the pigments; professional tattoos need considerably more treatments than amateur tattoos. Complete removal cannot be promised in every case. If treated areas appear lighter than the surrounding skin after the treatment has ended, which can occur in rare cases with darker skin types, a follow-up treatment with the excimer laser can be considered. The course of treatment, the number of sessions, the colour table and the risks are described in detail on our treatment page.
Areas of application
- Tattoos, including multicoloured motifs
- Permanent make-up that is no longer wanted or was applied unsuitably, on suitable areas after medical assessment
- Amateur and professional tattoos
- Motifs that no longer fit the current situation in life