The "Best" Laser For Tattoo Removal?

Recently, we received an inquiry from a potential client who had read about a place in Orlando that claims they "use a laser which has the highest energy system in the world..."

Since our main goal at Pristine Laser Center is to educate individuals about the laser tattoo removal process, we decided to look into this claim. Unfortunately, we are seeing that there are many places that claim many outrageous things just to get people in the door. Sometimes they don't know the truth; sometimes they fall for the marketing gimmicks of the laser manufacturers, and other times they do know and continue to make false claims.

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It is our opinion that medical professionals should have solid facts behind their claims and should not fall prey to advertising or claim things which are not true. There is an absolute science behind lasers which most med-spas do not understand.

The goal with this article is to educate people who are thinking about laser tattoo removal so they know what to look for in a laser when choosing a laser center. It may also help other doctors and laser clinics in knowing what kind of laser they should be using for laser tattoo removal.

We will not be identifying any names of businesses. We will just present the information. After reading this information, each individual will be able to do their own research and choose based upon facts, not marketing gimmicks or false claims.

So let's delve into the various claims made by this particular laser place in Orlando

FALSE CLAIM: The 2 Joule Laser System has the highest energy system in the world.

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This is the first claim being made by this particular office about their laser. This claim is FALSE for a few reasons.

This laser claims to have output of 2 joules (2,000 mJ). There are lots of other lasers that have much higher energy levels than this particular laser. For example, a laser hair removal machine will have much higher energy levels output. Our particular laser hair removal machine has 120J (120,000 mJ) output.

The manufacturer of this laser does not claim to have the highest energy system in the world. Why this clinic is claiming something that even the manufacturer doesn't claim is puzzling?

MISLEADING CLAIM: The 2 Joule system is the highest energy tattoo removal system.

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In order to remove a tattoo, you don't need or want very high energy levels. It is the same reason why we don't use a laser hair removal machine on tattoos. It will burn and scar the individual. This particular laser manufacturer states that it has the highest energy tattoo removal system in the world. This statement is misleading for a few reasons (this part is a bit technical, read if you're interested) because it is not presenting the entire picture. It is only looking at one thing.

In their product guide (.pdf file) on their website, it lists the energy output of the laser at 1.8J (1800mJ) not 2 Joules. So it appears they are rounding their number up. When we called the company to get more information about this particular laser, we were told that it's power output was anywhere between 1.8 Joules to 2.0 Joules depending on the setting. Its output is not 2.0 Joules at all settings. So, the have fudged the 2.0J a little bit. But let's give them the benefit of the doubt for a moment.

This particular laser is a quality-switched laser. Trying not to get too technical, but this is a way to get a pulsed output beam. The goal of this is to produce a very high peak power from the laser beam. Just remember that the higher the peak power, the better the results for removing a tattoo.

So, how do you find out what the peak power for a laser is? Great question! You need to look at the Pulse Width of the laser. What is pulse width? In simple terms, it is the time it takes for the laser to deliver that amount of energy.

In terms of power of a q-switched laser, the two most important numbers are Maximum Pulse Energy and Pulse Width. Most laser systems will readily provide you both the Maximum Pulse Energy and Pulse Width of the laser especially on Q-switched lasers. With this laser, it was not available. Therefore we called the company. Of course, their typical sales person didn't know the answer to this question. So we were finally transferred to one of their engineers. We asked them about the pulse width of the 2 Joule system.

We found that the pulse width of this laser is 10-30 nanoseconds (ns), depending on the laser setting. So now we have the two most important numbers for a q-switched laser: the Maximum Pulse Energy (1.8 Joules to 2.0 Joules) and Pulse Width (10-30 ns). Assuming the best pulse energy from this laser (2.0 Joules) and best Pulse Width (10ns), at its peak power, this laser system can deliver 2.0 Joules in 10 nanoseconds. That is assuming the best-case-scenario.

So is that really the best laser to use for tattoo removal? Well, let's compare that with the MedLite C6 laser that we, Pristine Laser Center, utilize which is in the same category (Nd:YAG) of laser. Just remember that we want the highest peak power which comes from having the shortest pulse width.

Below, you will find a table that lists both the maximum pulse energy and the pulse width for various q-switched lasers. Again, we will not identify other laser companies by names. Those in the industry will know which specific lasers are listed below.

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MedLite C6

Maximum Pulse Energy=1200 mJ

Pulse Width= 5 ns

The 2 Joule System

Maximum Pulse Energy=2000 mJ

Pulse Width= 10 ns

Laser C

Maximum Pulse Energy=1000 mJ

Pulse Width= 6 ns

Laser D

Maximum Pulse Energy=1000 mJ

Pulse Width= 10 ns

The MedLite C6 laser which has been the "gold-standard" for laser tattoo removal is still one of the best q-switched lasers available. Comparing "apples to apples", if the 2 Joule system can output 2000 mJ in 10ns, the MedLite C6 can output 2400mJ in 10ns. Therefore, it is still 20% "stronger" than the 2 Joule system.

Technical experts will tell you that for laser tattoo removal, the shorter the pulse width, the better the clearance of ink from the skin. It is very difficult to make lasers with very short pulse width. Most companies have tried to copy the MedLite C6 specifications. When they can't compete on the pulse width, they of-course increase the power.
The problem with just increasing the power is that the laser hurts more and it has more side effects such as blistering and scarring.

Think about which would hurt more: a metal that is 120 degrees and you're asked to hold for 5 seconds versus a metal that is 200 degrees and you're asked to hold for 10 seconds. Which one would more likely to burn or scar or blister?!

One major issue to consider is also the color of the tattoo ink: the Nd:YAG lasers such as the 2 Joule system are not very good at removing colors such as blue or green. So no matter how powerful the laser, these colors need another type of laser with a different wavelength.

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The Pristine Laser Center Advantage - Better Lasers, Best Results

New Generation of Lasers: One of the greatest advancements we've had in the laser tattoo removal arena recently has been with the new Picosure laser, which has even a shorter pulse width than the q-switched lasers. It means that you have much higher peak power from this new picosecond laser. Instead of delivering the energy in nanoseconds, the energy is being delivered in picoseconds, from billionth-of-seconds-long to trillionth-of-seconds-long. The new Picosure laser delivers the energy in much smaller time period and therefore you get better clearance of the ink while it is less painful, and much less likely to have blistering or scarring from the process. 

The Picosure laser is the most advanced laser technology in the world! This new laser has been absolutely amazing at removing almost tattoos, especially tattoos that have green and blue colored inks.

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Pristine Laser Center is the first place in Orlando and Florida to offer this new tattoo removal technology to clients. We are the only laser clinic in Florida with q-switched Nd:YAG laser, q-switched Alexandrite laser, and the new Picosure laser. We specialize in laser tattoo removal and have these variety of lasers for different skin types and different tattoo colors. Having only one laser like most other places for tattoo removal is just not enough.

We hope this articles helps you better understand laser technology and the science behind the laser tattoo removal machines and how they operate.

Our goal at Pristine Laser Center is to educate individuals who are interested in having laser tattoo removal. It is our hope that it will help you choose an appropriate laser clinic for your tattoo removal needs. At Pristine Laser Center, we are a medical laser clinic specializing in laser tattoo removal utilizing MULTIPLE lasers to ensure the best results with the fewest number of treatments. We are truly Orlando's tattoo removal experts!

If you live in the Orlando or Central Florida area and are interested in laser tattoo removal procedure, call Pristine Laser Center at 407-494-0404 to schedule a FREE consultation.

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Pristine Laser Center is the leading provider of laser tattoo removal and proudly serves Orlando, Lake Mary, Oviedo, Winter Springs, Casselberry, Winter Park, Dr Phillips, Sanford, Altamonte Springs, Maitland, Wekiwa Springs, Longwood, Deland, Deltona, Clermont, Ocoee, Kissimmee, Melbourne, Titusville, Daytona Beach, and Central Florida areas.

Disclaimer: The material presented here is for informational purposes only. It does not constitute medical advice or recommendation. Please check with your physician.