How it works
A Q-switch stores energy in the laser cavity and releases it in a single 6-nanosecond burst. At that timescale the pulse is shorter than the thermal relaxation time of tattoo ink particles and melanosomes, so they are shattered photoacoustically before surrounding tissue meaningfully heats. The fragments are then cleared by the body's own scavenger cells over the following weeks.
The two wavelengths split the work by depth and colour. 1064nm penetrates deeper and is absorbed poorly by epidermal melanin, making it the safe choice for dermal pigment: black and blue ink, nevus of Ota, dermal melanocytosis. The 532nm frequency-doubled line is absorbed strongly near the surface, where it clears red and warm-toned inks and epidermal lesions like freckles. This is selective photothermolysis applied at nanosecond scale.
