Comparative Efficacy and Safety of Traditional Single-Shot and Two Successive Pass and Diascopy Method in Q-Switched Nd: Yag Laser-Assisted Tattoo Removal: An Evaluator-Blinded Trial Publisher Pubmed



Rahimnia A ; Ehsani A ; Koohian Mohammadabadi M ; Ehsani A ; Nourmohammadpour P ; Khosravi D ; Hatami P
Source: Journal of Photochemistry and Photobiology B: Biology Published:2025

Abstract

Background: Various methods for tattoo removal have been employed over the last century, including different methods of laser treatment. Aim To compare three different methods of Q-switched laser treatment. Methods: A prospective, comparative cohort study was carried out on 17 subjects with tattoos. Each tattoo was segmented into three sections. The first part underwent a single application of the with QS Nd:YAG. The second part received two pass of QS Nd:YAG treatment with a 15-min interval at each session. The third part received a laser treatment with a 4 mm thick silicone blade on the skin (diascopy). Results: The study included 17 participants aged 18 to 37 years, with an average age of 26.41 ± 9.64 years. Males represented 94.1 % (n = 16) of the sample, while females accounted for 5.9 % (n = 1). The highest clearance degree was achieved by two-shot laser method (3.47 ± 0.68), followed by one-shot laser method (2.72 ± 0.62) and diascopy method (2.45 ± 0.86). Although the clearance degree of two-shot method was significantly higher than one-shot method (P value: 0.014), one-shot and diascopy methods did not show any significant difference in this regard (P value: 0.11). There was no significant difference between mean pain severity expressed by patients in the three treatment methods. None of the patients showed any side effects after treatment. Conclusion: We found that using two passes of laser treatment in one session enhanced the clinical efficacy, with comparable safety profile to standard one-shot method or diascopy method. © 2025 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.