Permanent tattoos involves the insertion of ink in the upper dermis of the skin. Over time these inks sink into the lower dermis resulting in a faded appearance. Tattoos that have had a while to sit are deeper in the dermis are unfortunately harder to treat with lasers.
Q-switch lasers work by a process called selective photothermolysis. Particles of ink are heated up in very short time periods called nano-seconds which causes a shock wave that fragments lasers into tiny pieces that are more easily absorbed by the body and removed.
The colour of the laser light must be more absorbed by the tattoo pigment than the surrounding skin. This means that different tattoo colours require different wavelengths to treat adequately.

At Face Doctors Clinic we are able to treat the following tattoo colours: black, green blue, red, yellow and orange.
Our frequency doubled Nd:Yag 532nm mode allows treatment of lighter colours such as red, orange and yellow. Yellow tattoos are typically the hardest to treat. These types of lasers may cause skin bruising.
Our Q-switched Nd:Yag 1064nm mode allows treatment of dark pigments (black, blue and green). These wavelengths are poorly absorbed by melanin and are therefore the only laser types suitable for darker skin.

Typically, there will be a very significant clearing of the tattoo although 100% clearance cannot be guaranteed. The amount of treatments needed depends on the size, age and location of the tattoo. Some larger tattoos require more than one session for full coverage. Older tattoos are also deeper to remove as the pigment is deeper in the skin and harder for the laser to reach. Typically a course of treatments are required. 8 sessions is fairly typical, with treatments spread out over 6-8 weeks.