Tattoo removal expert Dr. Will Kirby was featured in the November issue of Healthy Aging magazine in an article about laser tattoo removal using Q-switched Nd:YAG lasers, specifically the MedLite C6 and RevLite - the lasers we use at Dr. TATTOFF clinics. From the article:

Nearly 40 percent of Americans age 18-35 have at least one tattoo, and 17 percent say they regret it. That rate climbs to 50 percent among adults over age 40. As a result, laser tattoo removal is one of the fastest growing segments of the aesthetic laser business, even in in a stagnant economy.

Erasing a tattoo is not a simple matter. Tattoo ink is embedded deep in the dermis, and it's meant to stay there forever. Histology indicates a network of connective tissue surrounds each fibroblast that contains ink particles, effectively entrapping and immobilizing the cell.

In the late 1960s, scientists discovered successful tattoo removal using Nd:YAG and ruby lasers. Selective photothermolysis theory shows a particular wavelength of light targets specific colors of tattoo ink without harming surrounding tissue. Physicians found there's more to it than wavelength.

Q-switched lasers allow greater precision in treating tattoos, resulting in safer procedures and more effective outcomes with minimal epidermal damage. The Q-switch controls light output by concentrating energy into a single intense nanosecond pulse or series of pulses. Hoya ConBio pioneered the use of electro-optic (EO) Q-swithced Nd:YAG systems where the EO switch acts as a high-speed shutter to ensure uniform and accurate nansecond pulses and a flat-top beam profile.

"The combination of high peak power and nanosecond pulse duration, a hallmark of photoacoustic technology, vibrates and shatters tattoo ink," says Will Kirby, DO, FAOCD, board-certified dermatologist practicing in Beverly Hills, California. "Tiny particles of ink are gradually eliminated through the body's natural processes."

Results from a retrospective study suggest MedLite C6's flat top beam profile is uniquely effective in clearing tattoos resistant to previous Nd:YAG therapy. The data suggest the improved clearance rate is attributable to the spot size and high-energy fluence in deeper layers of the dermis where tattoo ink is embedded.

Laser tattoo removal expert Dr. Will Kirby recently published a paper in the Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology that takes an in-depth look at tattoo inks and potential allergic reactions that tattoo inks may cause. From the paper's introduction:

Tattoo artists use many compounds to create tattoo pigment and several allergic reactions can occur as a result of these additives. The compositions of many inks have been identified; however, as new mixtures are created it becomes difficult to identify the specific ingredients in a particular ink. Allergic reactions to a particular pigment can manifest in several ways including allergic contact dermatitis and photoallergic dermatitis. Subsequently, tattoo ink or pigment allergy reactions can be classified as acute inflammatory reactions, allergic hypersensitivities, and granulomatous, lichenoid, and pseudolymphomatous types of reactions. This paper will review the clinical manifestations and the most common compounds associated with cutaneous reactions to tattoo ink.

The rest of the tattoo ink allergy paper discusses tattoo ink composition and the variety of potential allergies related to those ingredients.

Dr. TATTOFF prides itself on being the leading experts on laser tattoo removal, and that means understanding the entire tattooing process as well. We look forward to seeing you at a Dr. TATTOFF clinic soon for laser tattoo removal!

Dr. Will Kirby is widely considered to be one of the world's leading experts on laser tattoo removal, having published the Kirby-Desai scale earlier this year and having overseen tens of thousands of tattoo removal treatments. The Kirby-Desai tattoo removal scale was covered in this month's issue of MedEsthetics. That article appears here. From the article:

Accurately estimating the number of laser treatments required and the approximate cost of a patient's tattoo removal procedure may have been made easier with the publication of a proposed grading system known as the Kirby-Desai Scale. Published in the March 2009 issue of the Journal of Clinical and Aesthetic Dermatology, The Kirby-Desai Scale: A Proposed Scale to Assess Tattoo-Removal Treatments offers a practical numerical scale to assess the number of laser tattoo-removal treatments necessary to achieve clearance. Based on a retrospective chart review of 100 tattoo patients who achieved total clearance, it suggests an algorithm to assign numerical scores to six parameters: skin type, location, color, amount of ink, scarring and layering. The Kirby-Desai score derived by totaling the values of these six parameters correlates with the number of treatment sessions required. Providing patients with accurate information is one of the most important things physicians can do in terms of setting realistic expectations, says William Kirby, DO, FAOCD, lead author on the original research and principal at Dr. Tattoff, Beverly Hills, California. As we continue to improve the way we relay information to patients, we will become more efficient with this emerging technology, and this increase in efficiency will make treatment more cost effective.

Dr. Will Kirby is interviewed about tattoo removal in this month’s issue of Grazia, an Italian magazine. Click here to read the article.