Comparison of a single treatment with a Q-switched ruby laser and a Q-switched Nd:YAG neodymium laser for blue and black tattoo removal

BACKGROUND: Black and blue tattoo pigment are the most commonly used colors and can be injected at different depths. The effectiveness of tattoo removal is related to the selected wavelength, type of laser, energy parameters, number of procedures performed. Q-switched (QS) ruby and neodymium (Nd:YAG) lasers are most effective in removing blue and black tattoos due to their high peak power and ability to break the pigment into small particles that are absorbed by the macrophage system. In the literature available to us, it was not possible to find data on comparative efficacy and adverse events in their application.

AIM: comparison of single treatment of blue and black tattoos with QS ruby laser (wavelength 694 nm) and neodymium Nd:YAG laser (wavelength 1064 nm).

MATERIALS AND METHODS: 35 patients with blue and black tattoos were included in our study. The tattoos were divided into two parts or two adjacent tattoos were used on the same part of the body with the same density and color of the tattoo pigment; one side was treated with a ruby laser and the other with a neodymium laser. The comparison took into account the instantaneous reaction, the result of processing and side effects. Statistical significance was set at a power level <0.05.

RESULTS: Edema and erythema were more common immediately after ruby laser treatment (power <0.05). The neodymium QS laser lightened tattoos better than the ruby QS laser after a single treatment (<0.05 power). There was no difference in side effects between the two types of lasers.

CONCLUSIONS: Neodymium Nd:YAG QS laser shows more efficiency and fewer procedures when removing blue and black tattoos. The instantaneous reaction after treatment with this type of laser is less pronounced than after the ruby laser.