Which colours can your Nd:YAG laser remove?
An Nd:YAG laser emits only 1064 and 532 nm: it removes black and red, but not white, yellow, green or blue. The truth about 755 nm in Chinese devices.
I know this topic worries many laser removal specialists.
It seems the laser only removes black and red pigment, yet the Internet is full of Chinese devices that have a 755 nm tip and can supposedly remove coloured tattoos with ease...
"The seller said my laser removes green pigment, is that true?"
"I want to remove a blue tattoo with a laser, is that possible?"
I am asked questions like these a lot, so let's figure it out!
What wavelengths does an Nd:YAG laser have?
A laser for tattoo and PMU removal emits a main wavelength of 1064 nanometres. With a special tip (potassium titanyl phosphate, KTP) we can "double the frequency" and get a wavelength of 532 nm. That is all a Q-switched Nd:YAG laser is capable of!
What are the 755 nm and 1320 nm wavelengths? Which lasers have them?
I'll say it again: on an Nd:YAG laser you work with only two wavelengths. There are many myths that budget Chinese lasers have 755 and 1320 nm wavelengths, supposedly obtained with light filters...
That is not true. The 1320 nm wavelength is indeed part of the Nd:YAG laser's emission spectrum, but getting it is much harder than just putting on a filter!
The second wavelength does not belong to the Nd:YAG laser at all, but to the alexandrite laser. Its distinctive feature is a bright red flash. If you switch on your laser and don't see an intense red beam, there is no 755 nm wavelength in it!
Which colour will an Nd:YAG laser remove?
Pick a pigment colour — an Nd:YAG laser has only two wavelengths: 1064 and 532 nm.
A simplified scheme based on the article on which colours an Nd:YAG laser can remove.
Which colours will an Nd:YAG laser remove, and which won't it?
Black absorbs all wavelengths, so it can be considered the ideal candidate for laser removal.
Red absorbs the 532 nm wavelength well, so an Nd:YAG laser can handle this pigment too.
But there are colours that absorb the 1064 and 532 nm wavelengths poorly. These are white, yellow, green and blue. It is practically impossible to remove these pigments with a standard Nd:YAG laser!
If you have read or heard somewhere about a secret technique along the lines of "I know how to remove a green tattoo with a laser", be sceptical. Physics is physics; you can't go against its laws!
You can see how effective different wavelengths are for different colours in the image below:
Image source: https://mbt-cosmo.ru/page_961791111111/
If an Nd:YAG laser can't cope, how do you remove a green or blue tattoo?
Some studies report that the 755 nm wavelength works better on blue and green. In other words, removing these colours requires an alexandrite laser.
Frequently asked questions
Which tattoo colours can an Nd:YAG laser remove?
Black, which absorbs all wavelengths, and red, which absorbs 532 nm well. White, yellow, green and blue absorb 1064 and 532 nm poorly and are practically impossible to remove with a standard Nd:YAG laser.
Does an Nd:YAG laser have a 755 nm wavelength?
No. An Nd:YAG laser works with only two wavelengths, 1064 and 532 nm; 755 nm belongs to the alexandrite laser, whose distinctive feature is a bright red flash. If you don't see an intense red beam, there is no 755 nm in your laser.
How do you remove a green or blue tattoo?
Some studies report that the 755 nm wavelength works better on blue and green, so removing these colours requires an alexandrite laser.
