Q-Switch Nd: YAG laser is one of the best procedures to remove a tattoo

Table of Contents

  • How does laser tattoo removal work?
  • What is Q-Switch Nd: YAG laser?
  • What is YAG laser tattoo removal?
  • Is YAG laser good for tattoo removal?
  • What laser is best for tattoo removal?
  • How much is tattoo removal?

 

At the moment, you want to have some tattoos on your body. Later on, you feel regretting a tattoo. The motives for tattoo removal are many. Most of us get tattoos when we are young, and their tastes change from time to time. When the day comes, you may wonder, "how can I get rid of these tattoos effectively and more quickly?" The laser is one of the ideal means to treat tattoos. State-of-the-art laser technology has innovated our way of treating unwanted tattoos. The Q-Switched Nd YAG laser is one of them. It significantly increases our chances of eliminating complex multi-colored tattoos. This article will lead you to Q-Switch Nd: YAG laser treatment.

 

How does laser tattoo removal work?

The laser used for tattoo removal is not the steel-cutting, high-power laser we see in some James Bond movies. Those lasers can generate bursts of light of different wavelengths. When you direct them to a tattoo, they can penetrate your skin and are absorbed by the tattoo ink. Then the light waves can break down the tattoo ink into particles, which are slowly eliminated via our body systems.

 

It is a long process, so you can not achieve the goal overnight. Usually, it requires several sessions, particularly when a tattoo is large. The color of the tattoo ink also affects the progress. And lightwaves of different wavelengths are needed for different ink colors since the colors respond to the lightwave differently. Typically, green and blue tattoo inks are the hardest to be removed, while black and red ones are easier to deal with.

Tattoo removal

What is Q-Switch Nd: YAG laser?

Generally speaking, two kinds of laser technology are effective in removing tattoos. One is the picosecond laser, which utilizes a short pulse duration to aim at endogenous pigmentation and exogeneous tattoo inks. The other is q-switch nd: YAG (short for neodymium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet) laser. Q-switch nd: YAG technology is the older one and is more widely used and ordinary.

 

What is YAG laser tattoo removal?

Nd: YAG laser can generate lights of a wavelength of 1063nm, which is ideal for getting rid of blue and black tattoo inks. The technology can also be changed to the wavelength of 532nm, which is perfect for red tattoo ink and other colors of ink removal. It is said that the tattoo ink absorbs 95 % of the combination of the two wavelengths. It further means we can treat 95% of ink colors to fade and remove our tattoos as such. When these lasers target the skin, the energy or lights they emit are absorbed by the ink in the target area. Then the ink makes use of the power to warm and shatter it. By doing this, tattoo removal is accomplished.

 

Is YAG laser good for tattoo removal?

The Q-switched neodymium YAG laser is widely used and the most popular for tattoo removal. It can generate two wavelengths of lightwaves (532 nm and 1064 nm). The Q-switched 532 nm Nd: YAG laser removes brighter colors such as red, while the 1064 nm Nd: YAG laser is harnessed to target darker colors like black and blue pigments. It is the only technique that can penetrate the skin, reach the dermis, and break down tattoo ink while harming no surrounding skin tissue. Its light energy is very powerful and intense. Therefore, it can break tattoo ink into pieces instantly. The destroyed tattoo ink will be discharged via our body's immune system. with one more laser YAG laser session, the tattoo will be erased little by little. In a word, the procedure is effective in tattoo removal. But remember that for multi-colored tattoos, laser lights of different wavelengths are required. Relying on a single laser system can not remove all the existing inks and ink combinations.

 

What laser is best for tattoo removal?

As mentioned above, picosecond laser and Q-Switch Nd: YAG laser are more effective in treating tattoos. By comparsion, picosecond laser is better. It can be asserted that it is the best laser for tattoo removal for the time being. The technology can remove tattoos from a body part faster and more thoroughly. It is not exaggerated to say that it can eliminate almost any kind of tattoo ink. A picosecond laser sends a pulse of light to your skin every trillionth a second. It works the same way as Q-Switch Nd: YAG laser. Namely, it breaks tattoo inks into pieces, which will be flushed out via the body system. It can change the ink into smaller particles so that they can be removed faster.

 

How much is tattoo removal?

The expense varies from person to person and depends on several factors, including where and which body part you will have your tattoos removed, removal method, the size of the tattoo, how deep is the tattoo ink, what color is the ink, how many session you will have for the purpose, etc. On average, the charge for laser tattoo removal is around 500$, according to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. The figure mentioned above is just the general expense. Some unexpected expenses may incur during the process. So you need to consult the service provider before you take up a session.