Abstract
Tattoos consist of insoluble ink particles injected intradermally and ingested by phagocytic cells. These phagocytic cells do not remove the tattoo ink away from the skin and remain relatively stable. Decorative tattoos can be divided into amateur and professional. Amateur tattoos contain carbonaceous material from indian ink or graphite. They are injected by the patient or a colleague into the skin and usually take the form of relatively simplistic linear lettering or designs. There is usually less particulate matter than in a professional tattoo but the depth of the tattoos may vary more in an amateur tattoo. Professional tattoos can consist of a variety of inks and colour using insoluble metal salts and organic complexes. They may be densely coloured and occupy large areas of the skin.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
References and Further Reading
Introduction
Goldman L, Blaney DUJ, Kindel DJ et al (1963) Pathology of the effect of the laser beam on the skin. Nature 197:912–914
Goldman L, Wilson RG, Hornby P, Meyer RG (1965) Radiationfrom a Q-switched ruby laser. J Invest Dermato144:69–71
Lanigan SW, Sheehan Dare RA, Cotterill JA (1989) The treatment of decorative tattoos with the carbon dioxide laser. Br J Dermatol 120:819–825
Reid R, Muller S (1980) Tattoo removal by carbon dioxide laser dermabrasion. Plast Reconstr Surg 65:717–728
Q-switched Ruby Laser Treatment of Tattoos
Goldman L, Rockwell RJ, Meyer R, Otten R, Wilson RG, Kitzmiller KW (1967) Laser treatment of tattoos: a preliminary survey of three years’ clinical experience. JAMA 201:841–844
Goyal S, Arndt KA, Stern RS, O’Hare D, Dover JS (1997) Laser treatment of tattoos: a prospective, paired, comparison study of the Q-switched Nd:YAG (1064 nm), frequency-doubled Q-switched Nd:YAG (532 nm) and Q-switched ruby lasers. J Am Acad Dermatol 36:122–125
Lowe NJ, Luftman D, Sawcer D (1994) Q-switched ruby laser: further observations on treatment of professional tattoos. J Dermatol Surg Oncol 20:307–311
Lowe NJ, Luftman D, Sawcer D (1994) Q-switched ruby laser: further observations on treatment of professional tattoos. J Dermatol Surg Oncol 20:307–311
Lowe NJ, Luftman D, Sawcer D (1994) Q-switched ruby laser: further observations on treatment of professional tattoos. J Dermatol Surg Oncol 20:307–311
Reid WH, McLeod PJ, Ritchie A, Ferguson-Pell M (1983) Q-switched ruby laser treatment of black tattoos. Br J Plast Surg 36:455–459
Reid WH, Miller ID, Murphy MJ, Paul JP and Evans JH (1990) Q-switched ruby laser. Treatment of tattoos: a 9-year experience. Br J Plast Surg 43:663–669
Taylor CR, Gange RW, Dover JS et al (1990) Treatment of tattoos by Q-switched ruby laser: a dose-response study. Arch Dermatol 126:893–899
Taylor CR, Anderson RR, Gange RW, Michaud NA, Flotte TJ (1991) Light and electron microscopic analysis of tattoos treated by Q-switched ruby laser. J Invest Dermatol 97:131–136
Wheeland RG (1991) Q-switched ruby laser treatment of tattoos. Lasers Surg Med Suppl 3:64
Q-switched Nd:YAG Laser Treatment of Tattoos
Ferguson JE, Andrew SM, Jones CJP, August PJ (1997) The Q-switched neodymium:YAG laser and tattoos: a microscopic analysis of laser tattoo interactions. Br J Dermatol 137:405–410
Kilmer SL, Anderson RR (1993) Clinical use of the Q-switched ruby and the Q-switched Nd:YAG (1064 nm and 532 nm) lasers for treatment of tattoos. J Dermatol Surg Oncol 19:330–338
Kilmer SL, Lee MS, Grevelink JM, Flotte TJ, Anderson RR (1993) The Q-switched Nd:YAG laser effectively treats tattoos: a controlled dose-response study. Arch Dermatol 129:971–978
Ross EV, Naseef G, Lin C et al (1998) Comparison of responses of tattoos to picosecond and nanosecond Q-switched neodymium: YAG lasers. Arch Dermatol 134:167–171
Q-switched Alexandrite Laser Treatment of Tattoos
Alster TS (1995) Q-switched alexandrite (755 nm) laser treatment of professional and amateur tattoos. J Am Acad Dermatol 33:69–73
Fitzpatrick RE, Goldman MP (1994) Tattoo removal using the alexandrite laser. Arch Dermatol 130:1508–1514
Fitzpatrick RE, Goldman MP, Ruiz-Esparza J (1993a) Use of the alexandrite laser (755 nm, 100 nsec) for tattoo pigment removal in an animal model. J Am Acad Dermatol 28:745–750
Fitzpatrick RE, Ruiz-Esparza J, Goldman MP (1993b) Alexandrite laser treatment of tattoos: a clinical and histological study. Lasers Surg Med Suppl 5:54
Stafford TJ, Lizek R, Boll J, Tan OT (1995) Removal of coloured tattoos with the Q-switched alexandrite laser. Plast Reconstr Surg 95:313–320
Pulsed Dye (510 nm) Laser Treatment of Tattoos
Fitzpatrick RE, Goldman MP, Ruiz-Esparza J (1993) Laser treatment of benign pigmented lesions using a 300 nanosecond pulse and 510 nm wavelength. J Dermatol Surg Oncol 19:341–346
Sherwood KA, Murray S, Kurban AK, Tan OT (1989) Effect of wavelength of cutaneous pigment using pulsed irradiation. J Invest Dermatol 92:717–720
Comparative Studies of Lasers Used to Remove Decorative Tattoos
Goyal S, Arndt KA, Stern RS, O’Hare D, Dover JS (1997) Laser treatment of tattoos: a prospective, paired, comparison study of the Q switched Nd:YAG (1064 nm), frequency-doubled Q-switched Nd:YAG (532 nm) and Q-switched ruby lasers. J Am Acad Dermatol 36:122–125
Herd RM, Alora MB, Smoller B, Arndt KA, Dover JS (1999) A clinical and histologic prospective controlled comparative study of the picosecond titanium: sapphire (795 nm) laser versus the Q-switched alexandrite (752 nm) laser for removing tattoo pigment. J Am Acad Dermatol 40:603–606
Kaufmann R, Boehncke WH, Konig K, Hibst R (1993) Comparative study of the Q-switched Nd:YAG and alexandrite laser treatment of tattoos. Lasers Surg Med Suppl 5:54
Leuenberger ML, Mulas MW, Hata TR, Goldman MP, Fitzpatrick RE, Grevelink JM (1999) Comparison of the Q-switched alexandrite, Nd:YAG, and ruby lasers in treating blue-black tattoos. Dermatol Surg 25:10–14
Levine V, Geronemus R (1995) Tattoo removal with the Q-switched ruby laser and the Q-switched Nd:YAG laser: a comparative study. Cutis 55:291–296
McMeekin TO, Goodwin DP (1993) A comparison of the alexandrite laser (755 nm) with the Q-switched ruby laser (694 nm) in the treatment of tattoos. Lasers Surg Med Suppl 5:54
Zelickson BD, Mehregan D, Zarrin A et al (1994) Clinical, histological, and ultrastructural evaluation of tattoos treated with three laser systems. Lasers Surg Med 15:364–372
Laser Treatment of Other Tattoos
Anderson RR, Geronemus R, Kilmer SL, Fannelli W, Fitzpatrick RE (1993) Cosmetic tattoo ink darkening: a complication of Q-switched and pulsed-laser treatment. Arch Dermatol 129:1010–1014
Ashinoff R, Geronemus RG (1993) Rapid response of traumatic and medical tattoos to treatment with the Q-switched ruby laser. Plast Reconstr Surg 91:841–845
Chang SE, Choi JH, Moon KC, Koh JK, Sung KJ (1998) Successful removal of traumatic tattoos in Asian skin with a Q-switched Alexandrite laser. Dermatol Surg 24:1308–1311
Taylor CR (1998) Laser ignition of traumatically embedded firework debris. Lasers Surg Med 22:157–158
Tope W, Tsoukas M, Fanvelli W, Anderson R (1996) Tattoo ink darkening: the effect of wavelength, fluence and pulsed duration. Lasers Surg Med Suppl 8:40
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2000 Springer-Verlag London
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Lanigan, S.W. (2000). Laser Treatment of Tattoos. In: Lasers in Dermatology. Springer, London. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4471-0437-7_5
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4471-0437-7_5
Publisher Name: Springer, London
Print ISBN: 978-1-4471-1143-6
Online ISBN: 978-1-4471-0437-7
eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive