Tattoos Can Be Removed in Fewer but Longer Laser Sessions

Removal of unwanted tattoos is usually performed with Q-switched lasers. Many treatment sessions are needed (up to 20 for professional tattoos), and the results are often incomplete. These authors studied the efficacy of using four passes in a single treatment session with long intervals between treatments.

Twelve healthy white subjects with a total of 8 professional and 10 amateur tattoos were treated. Each tattoo was divided into two parts, and the parts were randomized to be treated with a single laser pass or by the so-called R20 method of four consecutive passes separated by 20 minutes. All passes were made by the same investigator using a Q-switched alexandrite laser (5.5 J/cm², 755 nm, 100-nanosecond pulse duration, 3-mm spot size). P…