Abstract
Lasers have been widely used for tattoo removal, but the limited light penetration depth caused by high skin scattering property restricts the therapeutic outcome of deep tattoo. Skin optical clearing method, by introducing optical clearing agent (OCA) into skin, has shown some improvement in the effect of laser tattoo removal. In this study, the enhanced laser tattoo removal has been quantitatively assessed. OCA was applied to the skin of tattoo animal model and Q-switched Nd:YAG laser (1064 nm) irradiation was used to remove the tattoo. The skin evaluation instrument (Mexameter probe, MPA580) was applied to measure the content of tattoo pigment before and after laser treatment, and then the clearance rate of pigment was calculated. Further, Monte Carlo (MC) method was utilized to simulate the effect of skin optical clearing on light transmission in tattoo skin model. By comparing the pigment change of tattoo areas respectively treated with OCA plus laser and single laser, it was found that pigment clearance of the former tattoo area was increased by 1.5-fold. Further, the MC simulation verified that the reduced light scattering in skin could increase the effective dose of luminous flux reaching to the deep tattoo regions. It can be concluded from both experiment and theoretical simulations that skin optical clearing technique could improve the outcome of laser tattoo removal, which should be beneficial for clinical laser tattoo removal and other laser pigment elimination.
Highlights
The issue of tattoo removal has evolved in concert with the evolution of tattooing.[1]
Deep and complex tattoos, much more sessions and increased laser intensity are recommended to compensate the energy loss caused by tissue scattering and absorption,[16] yet which can cause many side e®ects such as purpura, blistering and damage to the surrounding tissues.[15,16]
Pigment change and side e®ects of laser tattoo removal with di®erent radiated doses
Summary
The issue of tattoo removal has evolved in concert with the evolution of tattooing.[1] Dermabrasion,[2] salabrasion,[3] liquid nitrogen[4] and thermal methods[5] wererstly used to remove tattoo. Multiple therapeutic sessions are typically required.[1,14,15] For large, deep and complex tattoos, much more sessions and increased laser intensity are recommended to compensate the energy loss caused by tissue scattering and absorption,[16] yet which can cause many side e®ects such as purpura, blistering and damage to the surrounding tissues.[15,16]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
