A Common Myth About The Red Color
There is a myth that the red tattoo color is very poorly removed by compact lasers. And the reason for this is quite objective. Let’s break it down.
The Technical Side Of The Process
In order to remove red pigment from the skin, the 532 wavelength of nanosecond compact lasers for tattoo removal should be used. However, the 532 nm wavelength is not native, but is obtained by conversion from the 1064 nm wavelength. And this very wavelength conversion is due to the crystal that is in the 532 nm nozzle that is screwed onto the handpiece of the compact neodymium laser.
The 532nm Wavelength Conversion Problem
And the whole paradox is that how well this crystal converts the 1064 wavelength to the 532 wavelength depends on the size of this crystal, its quality, and most interestingly, depends on the position of this crystal relative to the main neodymium crystal that is inside the handpiece. And this is where most of the problems occur, because most lasers are made in China, and it all depends on how responsible the manufacturer was in preparing their laser for sale. Ideally, when the nozzle is fully spun up, the KTP crystal, it’s called the KTP crystal, gets into a perfect position relative to the main crystal and provides optimal conversion of the 532 wavelength. But in a large number of lasers, this position is far from ideal. And as a result, the energy that is converted to the 532 wavelength will simply be minimal. It will be literally a few percent of the 1064 wavelength. Accordingly, the energy in the 532 wavelength will be minimal. Maybe 5-10 millijoules or less. Accordingly, that kind of energy, a good intense effect on the red pigment is out of the question. So the point here is not that the red is poorly removed, but that most compact lasers of disgusting quality have 532 wavelength, in which there is practically no energy.
The Solution To Removal Of The Red Color
And if the same red pigment on a tattoo is exposed on a stationary laser, it will be removed just fine. So it’s not about the pigment, it’s about the conversion quality of a particular 1064 to 532 nanometer wavelength laser.
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