Page 229 - Mike Murphy's Blog Posts

E14 - Tattoo removed in just 4 sessions using a QS Nd:YAG at 1064nm
The following is an experiment I carried out to test a theory. A number of experiences had made me think that the time between laser sessions is more important than first thought.
My clinical group first developed scar-free laser tattoo removal back in the 1980s in Canniesburn Hospital, Glasgow, Scotland. Back then, we were using a Q-switched ruby laser with a pulsewidth of around 30 nanoseconds (quite long by today's standards!)
The clinical research appeared to show that a minimum of four weeks was required to allow the skin to repair following treatment. This became the 'gold standard' for many years.
The world's first QS ruby laser used for scar-free tattoo removal!
After a few years clinicians started to report that a longer time between sessions might yield 'better' results. This became six weeks, then eight weeks.
However, when I was regularly treating people I noticed that those patient who returned after a loooooong time, always seemed to have much more ink loss than others.
So, I treated a volunteer with a tattoo:
Mike’s Blog Posts 229