Page 70 - An Introduction to Laser Tattoo Removal

Chapter 2 – Fundamentals of Laser Tattoo Removal v1.0
QS Nd:YAG laser
The most commonly used laser used for tattoo removal today is the Q-switched Nd:YAG laser. This is simply due to cost! Unlike the ruby and alexandrite systems, Nd:YAG lasers have many applications across science, medicine, industry and other areas. Consequently, they are relatively cheap, compared with the other two systems.
Plus, the QS Nd:YAG laser can generate the 1064nm wavelength and the frequency-doubled 532nm wavelength. This allows for a greater coverage of ink colours!
Most commercially available Nd:YAG systems output a pulsewidth of between 5 and 25ns, of thereabouts, with a sufficient amount of energy for tattoo removal. In addition, many systems can fire shots at a rate of 10 per second, with a decent spot diameter, which makes them eminently useful for tattoo treatments. They also don’t suffer nearly as much from temperature variation issues like the ruby or alexandrite.
It is for these reasons that the QS Nd:YAG has become the most popular system in the world today. Plus, the price of these units is usually very reasonable.
How do these wavelengths compare in the skin? Watch this animation for answers... Picosecond Lasers
In 2013 Cynosure Lasers, USA, introduced the world’s first commercial, picosecond laser for tattoo removal.
What is a ‘picosecond’ laser? A ‘picosecond’ laser uses a pulse shorter than a nanosecond (Q- switched) laser. The idea behind this is based on the principle that the photomechanical process is power-dependent i.e. a higher power might induce a greater reaction in tattoo pigments.
Some initial clinical studies appeared to confirm this assertion.
PS Alexandrite laser
The first commercial picosecond laser introduced into the market was the Cynosure ‘Picosure®’ system. Its pulsewidth was around 750 picoseconds which is 0.75 nanoseconds. In other words, this laser’s pulse was just less than 1 nanosecond.
PS Nd:YAG laser
A few years later another American company launched a competitive device. This laser claimed a pulsewidth of only 350 ps (0.35 ns). This represents a higher peak power (about double) than the original Picosure® device.
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Chapter 2 LEVEL A Laser Tattoo Removal
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