Page 24 - An Introduction to Laser Tattoo Removal

Chapter 2 – Fundamentals of Laser Tattoo Removal v1.0
Composition of Tattoo Pigments
for use in infant furniture and toys and contact lenses. The copper- based pigments are considerably safer or more stable than cobalt or ultramarine pigments.
Manganese Violet (manganese ammonium pyrophosphate) Various aluminium salts Quinacridone Dioxazine/carbazole
Some of the purples, especially the bright magentas, are photoreactive and lose their colour after prolonged exposure to light. Dioxazine and carbazole result in the most stable purple pigments.
Violet
White
Lead White (Lead Carbonate) Titanium dioxide (TiO2) Barium Sulphate (BaSO4) Zinc Oxide
Some white pigments are derived from anatase or rutile. White pigment may be used alone or to dilute the intensity of other pigments. Titanium oxides are one of the least reactive white pigments.
The above table was reproduced from Helmenstine, Anne Marie, Ph.D. "Tattoo Ink Chemistry." ThoughtCo, Aug. 25, 2020, ‘thoughtco.com/tattoo-ink-chemistry-606170’.
There is currently an attempt by some European politicians, in the EU, to ban the use of certain tattoo inks (see section ‘Tattoo Ink Toxicity’ later).
Titanium Dioxide/Barium Sulphate/Lead Carbonate
Titanium dioxide/barium sulphate/lead carbonate are white-coloured pigments used routinely by ink manufacturers and tattoo artists across the world. After carbon black, titanium dioxide is the most common ink colour added to tattoo inks. This may be added by the manufacturers to increase their range of colours, or by artists when trying to achieve specific colours or vibrancy.
The main problem with these pigments for laser operators is that they are highly reflective at all wavelengths used in today’s lasers. Consequently, these pigments may reflect more than half of all the laser energy which falls on it. This can significantly reduce the effectiveness of laser treatments, especially when the ratio of these pigments to other colours is high (as often found in ‘pastel’ colours).
Lines, shades and colour-packing
Tattooists usually apply ink into the skin according to three main techniques – lines, shades and colour-packing. Here is a video of a Glaswegian tattoo artist describing lines and shades...
Lines
Traditionally, lines were applied to the skin using coil machines. Nowadays, many tattooists are moving towards the rotary devices for all techniques of tattooing. However, most artists feel that coil machines are superior for line work. These devices are easily tuned to ‘hit hard and run fast’, with any needle grouping, resulting in “crisp and clean line work”.
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Chapter 2 LEVEL A Laser Tattoo Removal
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