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Successful treatment of a cosmetic tattoo using a combination of lasers
Karen Rebecca Suchin1, Steven S Greenbaum
1Skin and Laser Surgery Center of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19102, USA.
Background:
Cosmetic tattoos are becoming more popular and are often composed of several colors. Tattoo pigments containing ferric oxide and titanium dioxide can change to a blue-black color after exposure to Q-switched lasers that can be permanent.
Objective:
Using a patient who presented with rouge tattoos on the cheeks as an example, we describe a useful approach to laser treatment of cosmetic tattoos.
Methods:
Test areas were done with the Q-switched Nd:YAG at both 532 and 1064 nm and with the pulsed-dye laser at 595 nm.
Results:
Although an immediate blue-black color change occurred after treatment with the Nd:YAG at 532 and 1064 nm, sequential treatments at 1064 nm produced a near complete clearance of the tattoos. The pulsed-dye laser was used to remove subtle pink tones.
Conclusion:
Performing small test areas before complete treatment and using several laser wavelengths throughout the course of therapy are essential to the successful treatment of cosmetic tattoos.
