Preliminary histopathological observation of Q-switched ruby laser radiation on dermal tattoo pigment in man

Comparison of the Q-Switched Alexandrite, ND:YAG, and Ruby Lasers in Treating Blue-Black Tattoos

“…1 In the same year, other investigators published equally encouraging reports with the use of the Q-switched ruby laser in the removal of blue and black tattoo pigment without causing tissue damage. 2,3 In 1991, an initial report by DeCoste and Anderson showed the Q-switched Nd:YAG laser to be as good as the Q-switched ruby laser in the removal of blue-black tattoos at 6 J/cm 2 . 4 In another study, the Q-switched Nd:YAG was reported to have caused more textural change than the Q-switched ruby laser one month posttreatment, although the Q-switched ruby laser caused more hypopigmentation.…”

Treatment modalities for hyperpigmented skin lesions: A brief overview

“…These lasers allow thermal relaxation time; therefore, these lasers carry very little collateral damage to the adjacent tissue and subsequent scarring is rare [40,41] . Taylor et al demonstrated the mechanism of pigment removal via laser application [42] .…”

“…The short pulses of high energy cause rapid thermal expansion of the pigment granules and result in photoacoustic fragmentation of the pigments. These fragments are then removed by redistribution, transepidermal elimination, and phagocytosis [41] . The advantages of laser treatment include greater precision, higher efficacy, and lesser scarring than other treatment modalities.…”

Removal of amateur blue‐black tattoos in Arabic women of skin type (III–IV) with Q‐switched alexandrite laser

“…[2][3][4] The mechanism of tattoo lightening using high-level energy Q-switched systems is by producing a thermal gradient that induces a shock wave capable of fragmenting pigment. [5][6][7][8] Transepidermal elimination and lymphatic drainage by macrophage activity, as well as pigment optical property changes, are the other mechanisms involved. 6,9 In this report we assessed the effectiveness of alexandrite laser for elimination of amateur tattoos in Arabic female patients attending the laser clinic at the dermatology department of King Fahad Hospital of the University in Alkhobar, Saudi Arabia during a period of 2 years and 6 months (January 2002-June 2004).…”