On a 1064nm setting on a black tattoo what HZ would be the most appropriate for someone with white skin that mildly tans?

Thank you for your question in regards to tattoo removal. The HZ on a laser signifies how fast the laser is actually firing, not the fluence or power. A test spot is typically performed prior to completely an entire treatment to see how the skin and/or ink will respond. To be sure what is best for you, see two or more board-certified providers in your area for a complete evaluation to make sure you are a good candidate and that it is safe for you to have treatment. I hope this helps.

Hello, what you are looking for is the Fluence (the power in which the laser is fired at a certain spot size). We can change the spot size (how big of an area the laser hits)...the larger the spot size the deeper the hit. Larger spot sizes are required for very deep ink. Then, within each spot size you can change the power (fluence) to hit the ink appropriately. There is always a sweet spot strength-wise. If you go too low you will not hit a good amount of ink and have bad clearing. If you hit the ink too strongly you can damage the surrounding skin and create scar tissue. Each brand of laser has their own settings and numbers of fluence and spot size will be different on each type of laser. The key is that you find a Picosecond laser (I love the PicoWay) as it is smarter about hitting the ink and not your surrounding skin. AND, maybe even more importantly, having whomever operates the laser be very familiar with its settings. I wish you the best of luck!

HZ refers to the speed at which the laser is fired.  The speed at which a laser is fired depends on the expertise of the operator and patient comfort. More experienced operators tend to fire the laser faster.   Usually when a patch test is performed it is to determine the reaction of the skin to a particular laser setting.The operator may do several pulses changing the amount of energy with each pulse and watch the skin for a reaction. You practitioner may have referred to this as a low energy, medium energy and high energy settings. This give the practitioner a guideline as to where start the treatment. These parameters refer to how fast the energy is delivered,  the total energy being delivered and the duration of the energy pulse. An experienced practitioner will adjust these parameters based on the skin reaction and getting the desired treatment result.

Hello, thank you for your question.  This is a question that has a lot of variables that can play into the correct answer.  It will definitely depend on the device being used, each manufacturer has different settings and also the spot size being used will determine the energy too.  If the ink is very dense, it may be necessary to back off the energy, if the ink is very thin it can probably handle a little more energy.  As the ink is effected and lightened, it is necessary to increase the energy in order to continue to make progress.  There is no one answer to your question.  I would recommend that you find a board certified dermatologist to assure safe/effective treatments.Good Luck!