Laser tattoo removal is the only clinically-proven method of removing a tattoo without causing scarring. For more than a decade, Q-switched lasers  have been designed to create ultra-short pulses of light energy that shatter ink in a tattoo to allow the body to absorb and get rid of the tattoo ink within weeks of the treatment. Usually 1 to 3 treatments are required based in the color, depth, and amount of ink in the tattoo.

Tattoo removal lasers produce specific wavelengths of light that have been proven to be absorbed by certain colors of tattoo ink while avoiding damage to surrounding skin tissue and chromophores (such as melanin and hemoglobin). When the laser energy is applied for the right length of time, at the right level of energy, and in the proper wavelength, the tattoo ink is selectively targeted.

Each wavelength corresponds to a certain range of tattoo ink colors, which why different types of tattoo removal lasers are available. The most popular wavelengths used  for tattoo removal are 1064nm and 532nm, which can both be achieved with a Q-switched Nd:YAG laser.