High speed ink aggregates are ejected from tattoos during Q-switched Nd:YAG laser treatments.

Abstract

Dark material has been observed embedded within glass slides following Q-switched Nd:YAG laser treatment of tattoos. It appears that these fragments are ejected at high speed from the skin during the treatment. Light microscopic analysis of the slides reveals aggregates of dark fragmented material, presumably tattoo ink, with evidence of fractured/melted glass. Photomicrographs reveal that the sizes of these aggregates are in the range 12 μm to 0.5 mm. Tattoo ink fragments were clearly observed on the surface and embedded within glass slides. Surface aggregates were observed as a fine dust and were easily washed off while deeper fragments remained in situ. The embedded fragments were not visible to the unaided eye. Some fragments appeared to have melted yielding an "insect-like" appearance. These were found to be located between approximately 0.2 and 1 mm deep in the glass. Given the particle masses and kinetic energies attained by some of these aggregates their velocities, when leaving the skin, may be hundreds to thousands of metres per second. However, the masses of the aggregates are minuscule meaning that laser operators may be subjected to these high-speed aggregates without their knowledge. These high-speed fragments of ink may pose a contamination risk to laser operators. Lasers Surg. Med. 9999:1-7, 2018. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.