Tattoos date back over five thousand years and are considered an ancient form of art. Though in some cultures tattoos are highly stigmatized, they never go out of fashion. And the statistics just confirm this statement: around 59% of women and 41% of men have at least one tattoo.  

The huge tattoo industry size, however, is equalized by a high number of those who regret a tattoo and look for a solution to remove unwanted ink. 

The history of tattoo removal seems to be as old as tattooing. Some of them were rather crude and painful and left patients worse off than before. From chemical removal (salabrasion) through dermabrasion, surgical excision and do-it-yourself tattoo removal creams,  the science moved to the best and the safest way to get your skin clear. Now, laser tattoo removal is the most successful option to get rid of an old or distorted tattoo. 

The first laser used to remove tattoos was a ruby laser invented in 1967. Modern tattoo removal lasers appeared only in the 1990s, when Q-switched Nd:YAG lasers became commercially available.  Neodymium lasers offer a safe and efficient way to eliminate unwanted pigmentation, both natural and artificial. Nd:YAG lasers generate wavelengths in a nanosecond pulse range, that is why they are often called nanolasers. These lasers are powerful enough to break down the pigment into small fragments that can be flushed out by our lymph system. 

There are even more powerful lasers available in the market, able to produce energy in picosecond range. However, be ready for a brow-raising price tag as they can be two or even three times more expensive than nanolasers.