Clearance of yellow tattoo ink with a novel 532‐nm picosecond laser. Issue 4 (April 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Alabdulrazzaq, Hamad; Brauer, Jeremy A.; Bae, Yoon‐Soo; Geronemus, Roy G.
• Is Part Of: Lasers in surgery and medicine. Volume 47:Issue 4(2015)
• Page Start: 285
• Page End: 288
• Publication Date: 2015-04
• Subjects: frequency doubled -- Nd:YAG -- pigment -- skin; Lasers in medicine -- Periodicals; Lasers in surgery -- Periodicals; 617
• DOI: 10.1002/lsm.22354
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0196-8092

Abstract

Abstract: Background and Objectives: Although technology and tattoo removal methods continue to evolve, yellow pigment clearance continues to be challenging and usually unsuccessful. We describe a case series of six tattoos containing yellow ink, successfully treated with a frequency‐doubled Nd:YAG 532‐nm picosecond laser. Study Design/Materials and Methods: Case series with six subjects participating for the treatment of multicolored tattoos that contain yellow pigment. Treatments performed with a frequency‐doubled Nd:YAG 532‐nm picosecond laser at 6–8 week intervals. Results: One subject achieved complete clearance of the treated site after one session, and five subjects required 2–4 treatments to achieve over 75% clearance. Minimal downtime was experienced, and no scarring or textural skin changes were observed in any of the treated sites. Conclusions: This is the first case series that demonstrates effective and consistent reduction of yellow tattoo ink using a frequency doubled Nd:YAG 532‐nm laser with a picosecond pulse duration. Treatments were well tolerated and subjects had positive outcomes. This is a small observational case series from an ongoing clinical trial, and studies with a larger sample size and comparative group are needed in the future. in vivo . Lasers Surg. Med. 47:285–288, 2015. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.